Neemo Childcare 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

Neemo Childcare Centre is a privately-owned service. A centre manager oversees day-to-day operations. Qualified teachers total half the current employed staff. There are four age-grouped rooms. The roll is culturally diverse. Some children with Māori heritage attend. This is the first ERO review for this service.

Summary of Review Findings

A philosophy statement, aligned to and inspired by the Reggio Emillia approach, guides the service’s operation and expresses its beliefs and values about the provision of early childhood education and care. Parents and whānau of children enrolled in the service have regular opportunities to collaborate with teachers. 

The premises provide quiet spaces, areas for physically active play, and space for a range of individual and group learning experiences. The general health, wellbeing, and safety of children enrolled in the service are promoted.

The service is managed in accordance with suitable operational practices. Policies and procedures have been developed, maintained, and are regularly reviewed. 

Key Next Steps 

Next steps include:

• increasing the visibility of the languages, cultures, and identity of children, their parents and whānau in individual assessment, planning, and evaluation documentation.
• growing the bicultural curriculum to include:
  • the local histories and stories of mana whenua 
  • teachers increasing use of te reo Māori across the curriculum.

Actions for compliance:

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:

• Ensuring heavy furniture used that could topple or fall and cause serious injury is secured.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6.

Next ERO Review 

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

30 January 2024 

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.