Dream Education Programme (6)

Education institution number:
45761
Service type:
Homebased Network
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
44
Telephone:
Address:

Level 4 81 Grafton Road, Grafton, Auckland

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Dream Education Programme (6)

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

Not meeting

Premises and facilities

Not meeting

Health and safety

Not meeting

Governance, management and administration

Not meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.

Background

Dream Education Programme (6) is one of five home-based education and care networks operating as part of the Dream Education organisation. Visiting teachers provide support for educators who care for children in the educators’ homes. At the time of the review, a small number of children enrolled were Māori.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum aims to be consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is informed by planning, assessment and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning. Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service’s curriculum acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua. It provides children with opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

At the time of the review, ERO noted high levels of non-compliance with regulatory standards. Service leaders now need to develop systems and processes to establish and maintain compliance across all networks in the organisation.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

  • ensuring positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children

  • seeking information and guidance, when necessary, from agencies/services to enable educators and visiting teachers to work effectively with children and their parents; and that a record of this is kept 

  • obtaining the required documentation to show that all premises conform to any relevant bylaws of the local authority; any premises undergoing alterations conform to the Building Act 2004

  • developing emergency plans specific to each home, which include all the requirements of the licensing criteria and are reviewed at least on an annual basis

  • ensuring that a record of emergency drills is kept, including evidence of how evaluation of these drills informs the annual review of the emergency plan

  • checking equipment, premises and facilities every day of operation for hazards to children, and ensuring any identified hazards are eliminated, isolated or minimised

  • whenever children leave the premises on an excursion, assessment and management of risk is undertaken; a supervision plan specific to the excursion is developed and implemented; parents have given prior written approval of their child's participation, and there are communication systems in place so that people know where the children are, and the educator can communicate with others as necessary; these records should be maintained including all requirements of this criterion

  • ensuring if children travel in a motor vehicle while in the care of the service, written permission of a parent of the child is obtained before the travel begins

  • having evidence of opportunities provided for parents and adults providing education and care to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents

  • maintaining a record of all safety checks and the results for all persons employed or engaged as a children’s worker, as defined in the Children’s Act 2014

  • ensuring enrolment records are maintained for each child attending and meet the requirements of the Early Childhood Education Funding Handbook

  • ensuring an attendance record is maintained that shows the times and dates of every child’s attendance at the service and meets the requirements outlined in the Early Childhood Education Funding Handbook.

Licensing Criteria for Home-based Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2022, C11, C13, PF3, HS4, HS7, HS11, HS14, HS15, GMA3, GMA6A, GMA9, GMA10.

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

  • Monitoring that the service’s curriculum provides a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend children’s learning and development, both indoors and outdoors (C9).

  • Providing regular opportunities for parents to communicate with visiting teachers about their children and share specific evidence of their children’s learning (C12).

  • Monitoring that the design and layout of the premises supports effective adult supervision so that children’s access to indoor and outdoor spaces is not unnecessarily limited (PF1).

  • Documenting a procedure for the hygienic laundering of linen used by children and adults that ensures it is undertaken in each home (HS2).

  • Ensuring that sleep records are maintained in accordance with the licensing criteria and show the implementation of the service’s sleep procedure (HS8).

  • Maintaining a record of injury, illness, and incidents that occur at the service, including the child’s name (HS24).

  • Maintaining a record of medication which includes the name and amount of medicine given, as well as the date and time it was administered (HS25).

  • Documenting an annual plan identifying ‘who’ is responsible in relation to key tasks the service intends to undertake each year (GMA7).

  • Documenting an annual budget which includes all staffing costs, including leave entitlements (GMA8).

  • Ensuring required documentation is made available upon request to Government officials having right of entry to the service under section 626 of the Education and Training Act 2020 (GMA11).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

24 January 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Dream Education Programme (6)

Profile Number

45761

Location

Auckland

Service type

Home-based service

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2

Service roll

39

Review team on site

October 2022

Date of this report

24 January 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, April 2017

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.

Dream Education Programme (6) - 11/06/2020

1 Evaluation of Dream Education Programme (6)

How well placed is Dream Education Programme (6) to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Dream Education Programme (6) requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

The service provider needs to improve the monitoring of health and safety practices to ensure licensing requirements are met.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Dream Education Programme (6) is one of 10 home-based education and care networks operating as part of the Dream Education organisation. It provides for families who have employed a nanny to look after their children in their own home.

Many of the nannies in this network have an early childhood certificate. Qualified and registered visiting teachers (VTs) visit nannies monthly and provide resources, activities and ideas to support children's learning.

The owner works with a general manager, an education manager and a placement and administration team. The philosophy of 'given respectful relationships, the right environment, and support, children will develop holistically and at their own pace' underpins service operations.

The network was previously known as Kiwioz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn 00 and changed ownership in November 2017. This is the first ERO review of the network under new ownership.

This review was part of a cluster of six home-based education and care networks in the Dream Education organisation.

The Review Findings

Children participate in many excursions in the community, engaging in spontaneous and planned learning experiences. Their learning records show that children have fun, make choices and their individual needs are responded to well by nannies. Playgroups and service events provide good opportunities for children to learn and socialise as part of a larger group.

Nannies provide a play-based programme. They keep good records of each child’s day, noting routines and activities that children participate in. These experiences include early literacy, mathematics and science and many opportunities to be creative and physically active. There is a strong focus on children learning through everyday experiences.

Children's emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging is well supported. VTs support nannies to understand the preferences of infants and toddlers. Nannies provide individualised, nurturing care for these younger children.

Service operations are underpinned by a shared belief in the educational benefits of home-based learning for children and their families. There is an organisational commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, implementing bicultural practices and using te reo Māori in the homes.

There are robust placement processes. Nannies are carefully matched with each families' beliefs and values. Parents give positive feedback on the education and care of their child and the support they receive from the service.

Relationships between service leaders, VTs, nannies and parents are respectful, responsive and trusting. VTs use an individualised approach to affirm and support nannies in their work with children. Nannies receive useful documentation that provides clear guidelines and expectations about their role.

Service leaders, VTs and administrators work collaboratively to manage the service. Clearly defined values and roles guide the service's vision and strategic direction. The service philosophy and vision are well reflected in service practices and policies. Processes for internal evaluation have been established and are used by service leaders to review practices and target areas for further development.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps are to:

  • strengthen the monitoring of policy implementation and health and safety practices to assure the service provider that licensing requirements are being met

  • evaluate how well the programmes in homes reflect Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and respond to, plan for and extend individual child-led learning over time

  • use internal evaluation to enhance service provision, and evaluate the impact and outcomes of improvements on teaching practices and children's learning

  • more clearly document how VTs coach and guide nannies to improve how they respond to children’s individual interests and implement Te Whāriki in home-based environments.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Dream Education Programme (6) completed an ERO Home-based Education and Care 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.

During the review, ERO looked at the 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 registration; ratios)

  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence to show that all children's workers who have access to children are now being correctly safety checked in accordance with the Children's Act 2014.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety. To meet requirements the service provider must ensure records consistently show that:

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

  • a procedure for monitoring children's sleep is implemented

  • there is evidence of parental acknowledgement of all medicine given to children

  • a written supervision plan to ensure the health and safety of children enrolled in the service is maintained.

Licensing Criteria for Home-based Education and Care Services 2008, HS7, HS8, HS25, HS34.

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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region - Te Tai Raki

11 June 2020

The Purpose of ERO Reports

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.

2 Information about the Home-based Education and Care Service

Location

Grafton, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45761

Institution type

Homebased Network

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2

Service roll

32

Standard or Quality Funded

Standard

Gender composition

Boys 17

Girls 15

Ethnic composition

Māori
NZ European/Pākehā
other ethnic groups

1
30
1

Number of qualified coordinators in the network

3

Required ratios of educators to children

Under 2

1:2

Over 2

1:4

Review team on site

March 2020

Date of this report

11 June 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

April 2017

Previously known as Kiwioz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn 00

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:

Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children

Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children

Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children

Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.

ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.

A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.

For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to the draft methodology for ERO reviews in Home-based Education and Care Services

ERO’s Overall Judgement

The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed
  • Well placed
  • Requires further development
  • Not well placed

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.