20 Awarua Street, Elsdon, Porirua
View on mapGrow and Learn Early learning Centre Ltd
Grow and Learn Early learning Centre Ltd
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 |
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
Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd is a privately owned service. It is managed by the owner and service provider. Over half of the children attending are Māori, and a small number are of Pacific heritages. The centre philosophy promotes children developing confidence and curiosity through play.
Summary of Review Findings
The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Adults provide education and care through meaningful, positive interactions that enhance children’s learning. There is a range of learning experiences and opportunities for children to extend their learning.
Assessment, planning, and evaluation demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau and life contexts. Children are able to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Key Next Steps
Key next steps include:
- Continue to strengthen assessment documentation to reflect children’s culture, language and identity.
- Build learning-focused partnerships with parents through assessment, planning and evaluation.
Actions for Compliance
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
- Having an emergency plan that includes details of the roles and responsibilities that will apply during an emergency and a communication plan for families and support services (HS7).
- Ensuring that water stored in the hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60˚C (HS14).
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
7 December 2023
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name | Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd |
Profile Number | 46359 |
Location | Porirua |
Service type | Education and care service |
Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
Service roll | 39 |
Review team on site | October 2023 |
Date of this report | 7 December 2023 |
Most recent ERO report(s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, October 2022; Akanuku | Assurance Review, March 2021 |
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.
Grow and Learn Early learning Centre Ltd
1 ERO’s Judgements
Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
2 Context of the Service
Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd is privately-owned and operated. Children learn in a mixed-age setting. The service caters for a culturally diverse community. Approximately half the children identify as Māori. There are some Pacific children and a small group of children of Asian heritage. Since the March 2021 ERO report progress has been made in improving aspects of leadership, governance, and health and safety practices.
3 Summary of findings
Leaders and kaiako work collaboratively to create a purposeful curriculum that is consistent with
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Older children learn in an environment where:
-
sustained, co-operative play
-
early literacy
-
social competency
-
and independence are fostered and evident.
Kaiako are responsive to the interests, strengths, and needs of infants and toddlers. These younger learners have opportunities to make choices and participate in the curriculum, however, teachers need to develop a wider range of strategies to successfully engage younger children in the curriculum in the mixed-age setting.
Te ao Māori values are embedded in the routines and provide opportunities for all children to learn karakia, waiata and some te reo Māori. Further integrating te reo Māori and home languages is required in daily practice across the curriculum.
Assessment practices are collaborative and consider parent’s and whānau’ aspirations to foster children’s identity as learners. Kaiako acknowledge children’s efforts, challenges and learning needs. Assessment documentation does not yet consistently show:
-
whānau cultural aspirations for their children or how kaiako respond to children’s languages cultures and identities
-
progress over time in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki
-
intentional teaching strategies to support curiosity, oral language, and exploration.
Leadership is improvement focused and provides meaningful opportunities to build kaiako capability. A collaborative internal evaluation framework has recently been established and all kaiako need to develop their understanding and use of effective internal evaluation as a tool for improvement. Recent changes to staffing have impacted on the sustainability of some aspects of practice. Greater monitoring of some aspects of health and safety is required.
4 Improvement actions
Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
-
gather and intentionally integrate whānau cultural aspirations in assessment documentation and into the curriculum
-
for teachers to develop a wider range of strategies to successfully engage younger children in the curriculum
-
build consistency of practice in assessment documentation
-
build shared understanding of the internal evaluation process by:
-
identifying relevant evaluation questions, and
-
clear and measurable indicators of high-quality practice to support evidence gathering
-
analysis and decision making that results in improved outcomes for children.
-
5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd 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.
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.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
6 Actions for Compliance
ERO identified the following areas of non-compliances:
-
stretchers intended for children to sleep on are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (that is, a material that does not allow liquid to pass through it)
-
ensuring complete records are maintained for all regular excursions undertaken
-
the centre manager must be safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 every three years.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008, PF30, HS17, GMA7a].
7 Recommendation to Ministry of Education
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
10 October 2022
8 About the Early Childhood Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd |
Profile Number |
46359 |
Location |
Wellington |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
41 |
Review team on site |
June 2022 |
Date of this report |
10 October 2022 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, March 2021; Education Review, June 2020 |
Grow and Learn Early learning Centre Ltd
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 | 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
Grow and Learn Early Learning Centre Ltd is a privately-owned service, located in Elsdon, Porirua. A centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the service. The June 2020 ERO report identified that aspects of leadership, governance and health and safety practices required improvement. Some progress has been made in response.
Summary of Review Findings
Teachers providing education and care, engage in interactions that enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Strategies are in place to involve parents and whānau in their children’s learning. Children have opportunities to develop an understanding of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor learning experiences for all children.
Consistent implementation of health and safety and governance, management and administration practices are required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.
Actions for Compliance
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
- teachers who administer medication are provided with information and/or training to the relevant task and is clearly documented
- all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS29, GMA7A.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
- ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured
- undertaking a documented evaluation of the emergency drills and using this to inform the annual review of the service’s emergency plan
- having a written Child Protection policy that meets the requirements of the Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, HS6, HS31.
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 will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
22 March 2021
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name | Grow and Learn Early learning Centre Ltd |
Profile Number | 46359 |
Location | Porirua |
Service type | Education and care service |
Number licensed for | 40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2. |
Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
Service roll | 39 |
Ethnic composition | Māori 18, NZ European/Pākehā 5, Samoan 6, Other ethnicities 10. |
Review team on site | February 2021 |
Date of this report | 22 March 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, October 2016. |
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.