BestStart Mangere East 3

ERO’s Judgement

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

Background

BestStart Mangere East 3 is part of BestStart Educare Ltd. It provides for 100 children over two years of age. The majority of children are Pacific or Māori. The centre employs qualified teachers, teachers in training, a teacher aide, van drivers and a cook. Staff ethnicities reflect those of the families who attend.

Summary of Review Findings

Relationships between teachers and children are respectful and warm. The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive. It supports children’s confidence in their cultures and staff talk with children in their home language. The service recognises and responds to the dual cultural heritage of New Zealand. The centre philosophy statement, the BestStart overarching philosophy, policies and procedures, and annual plan guide centre operations.

Key Next Steps

ERO suggests that teachers further develop children’s respect for self and others through the way they care for the environment.

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed a non-compliance relating to ensuring that stretchers that children sleep on are covered in non-porous material.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

8 May 2020

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 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 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 Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an 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.