Blessings for Life Riverside

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

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Blessings for Life Riverside is one of three family-owned services under the same ownership. Its philosophy is underpinned by Christian values. The centre owner and the centre manager are qualified teachers. They lead a team of 13, including eight qualified teachers. Half of the children attending are Māori, and a small number have Pacific heritages. This is the first ERO review of this service.

Summary of Review Findings

Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations of parents and whānau. Information and guidance are sought, when necessary, to enable teachers to work effectively with children and their parents.

The curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children have opportunities to develop an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

The curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning within a language-rich environment.

Key Next Step

A key next step is to:

• Improve the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning over time.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Maintaining a record of emergency drills that includes evaluation of the drills and evidence of how this has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS8).
• Checking the equipment, premises, and facilities on every day of operation for hazards to children, including cleaning agents, medicines, poisons, vandalism, dangerous objects, and foreign materials, and placement of learning, play and other equipment (HS12).
• Maintaining an attendance record that meets the requirements outlined in the Early Childhood Education Funding Handbook (GMA11).

Next ERO Review 

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

11 December 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.