Leaps & Bounds

Education institution number:
47275
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
53
Telephone:
Address:

40 King Street, Waiuku

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Creative Garden Early Learning Centre - 04/02/2021

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

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

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

Background

Creative Garden Early Learning Centre is a privately owned and operated early learning service. The centre manager leads a team of qualified and in-training teachers. The May 2019 ERO evaluation identified that some curriculum and health and safety practices required improvement. Sufficient progress has been made in response.

Summary of Review Findings

Teachers respond to children’s learning, interests, strengths and capabilities. Children have opportunities to develop an understanding of the dual heritage of Aotearoa, New Zealand. The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. The service provides opportunities for parents to contribute to the centre’s operations and their child’s learning. Teacher appraisal and internal evaluation processes are established. A centre philosophy, policy framework and annual planning guide the service’s operations. Health and safety procedures are regularly monitored, and changes made when required.

Next ERO Review

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

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

4 February 2021

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Creative Garden Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

47275

Location

Waiuku, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

55 children, including up to 12 aged under 2.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

65

Gender composition

Male 33, Female 32.

Ethnic composition

Māori 12
NZ European/Pākehā 41
South African 5
Other ethnicities 7

Review team on site

9 November 2020

Date of this report

4 February 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku|Assurance Review May 2019

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 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 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.

Creative Garden Early Learning Centre - 14/05/2019

ERO’s judgement

Regulatory standards

Curriculum

Not meeting

Premises and facilities

Meeting

Health and safety

Not meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

Creative Garden Early Learning Centre, a privately-owned education and care service, opened in 2017. This is its first ERO review. The centre is organised into three age-based rooms and has a mix of qualified and in-training teachers.

Summary of review findings

Children participate in a range of experiences in a language-rich environment. They are supported to become confident and competent learners. To meet curriculum regulatory standards, the curriculum must also:

  • acknowledge and reflect the place of Māori as tangata whenua, and

  • support the rights of each child to be confident in their own culture.

The centre has a sufficient variety of resources appropriate to the learning needs and abilities of children attending. An ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care. Some areas of health and safety need to be addressed.

Actions for compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to curriculum and health and safety. To meet regulatory standards the service should ensure that:

  • the curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua

  • the curriculum supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture

  • emergency drills are carried out on at least a three-monthly basis.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C5, C6, HS8. Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, Regulation 43, 1a (iv, v), 46, 1a, 1d.

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review of Creative Garden Early Learning Centre will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Phillip Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services Central

Central Region

14 May 2019

Information about the service

Early Childhood Service Name

Creative Garden Early Learning Centre

Profile Number

47275

Location

Waiuku, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

55 children, including up to 12 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff/to children

Under 2

1:4 - Better than regulatory standards

Over 2

1:8 - Better than regulatory standards

Service roll

59

Gender composition

Boys 32 Girls 27

Ethnic composition

Māori 6
Indian 4
Other 4
Pākehā 45

Review team on site

March 2019

Date of this report

14 May 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

First ERO review of 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:

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 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.