Deb's Place Early Learning Centre

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Deb’s Place Early Learning Centre is privately owned and operated. The service roll is diverse. This includes a number of Māori children and a small number of children of Pacific, African, Filipino heritages. This is the first ERO review for this service since it reopened under new ownership in July 2021.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers are responsive to the individual needs of infants, toddlers and young children. Children choose from a wide range of learning experiences in suitably resourced environments. Learning areas offer children opportunities to experience individual and group play. The outdoor area supports provision for exploration and physically active play.

A philosophy guides the centres operations. Parents have opportunities to contribute to operational documents. Management has suitable systems and practices in place to support the health, and wellbeing of children and adults at the service.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• increase the opportunities for children to hear, speak and see te reo Māori in their learning environment

• increase the visability of children’s language, culture and identity in their learning documentation and the environment.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

29 March 2023 

Information About the Service

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation

• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’

• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence

• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership

• where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

• curriculum

• premises and facilities

• health and safety practices

• governance, management and administration.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

• emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)

• physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)

• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)

• relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service

• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems

• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.