Level 4 81 Grafton Road, Grafton, Auckland
View on mapERO’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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
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Curriculum |
Not meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Not meeting |
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Health and safety |
Not meeting |
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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.
Dream Education Programme (8) 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.
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.
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).
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.
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
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Dream Education Programme (8) |
|
Profile Number |
46215 |
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Location |
Auckland |
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Service type |
Home-based service |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
14 |
|
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 |
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.
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kiwioz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn 02 is one of five home-based education and care networks operating under the umbrella of KiwiOz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn. The service provides support to families who have employed a nanny to look after their children in their own home. KiwiOz also supports families and nannies with professional development, administration and payroll services. Many of the nannies in this network have undertaken an early childhood course of training.
This network was licensed in 2013 to cater for up to 80 children in the east and southern areas of Auckland. The owner continues to provide comprehensive governance and leadership with effective nanny recruitment, placement and support. She works with an Auckland manager, a programme manager and a skilled administration team. Qualified teachers visit nannies once or twice a month, or more regularly depending on individual needs. They provide nannies with ideas and guidance for the care and education of infants, toddlers and older children.
The KiwiOz vision is ‘to enrich lives through care and education'. The philosophy underpinning the Hop Skip Learn programme is 'given respectful relationships, the right environment, and support, children will develop holistically and at their own pace'.
This is the first ERO review of this network. The review was part of a cluster of five home-based network reviews in the KiwiOz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn organisation.
Visiting teachers' and nannies' relationships with children and their families are responsive and respectful, and continue to be a strength of this service. Nannies are positive and affirming with children. They keep very good records of each child’s day and note activities that children enjoyed. Daily diaries record interactions with parents and assist nannies to share the child’s progress, and discuss parents' goals. Children’s emotional development is nurtured, as is their sense of belonging and security, through learning in familiar surroundings.
Nannies know their children very well and are able to respond quickly to their feelings, ideas and care needs. Infants and toddlers benefit from nurturing individualised care. Nannies maintain good hygiene and safety practices and are supported by visiting teachers' regular health and safety checks. Nannies include learning opportunities in play experiences, day-to-day household activities and excursions.
Children have fun and are well supported to follow their play interests in well resourced home environments. The visiting teacher models good practice, makes links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and supports each nanny's understanding of children's learning. Visiting teachers could now better plan to extend children's interests and support nannies to follow up these next steps for learning.
Visiting teachers encourage nannies to incorporate te reo me ngā tikanga Māori into their programme. This is a continuing focus and area for ongoing development with nannies. This will assist them to support the implementation of a curriculum that incorporates Māori language and perspectives.
Parents report high levels of satisfaction with the home-based education and care that nannies provide. Some parents contribute to children's portfolios. These learning records are compiled by nannies and contain artwork, photographs, visiting teacher reports and observations of each child. Parents are also able to be involved and informed by electronic portfolios and social media.
KiwiOz managers and visiting teachers work collaboratively with nannies to provide children with good quality education and care. They share a philosophical belief in the benefits of home-based care and learning for children and their families.
Group events and excursions are an opportunity for children to socialise with a larger group of children and other adults. Visiting teachers use group events to promote good practices and to introduce children to equipment and experiences. Nannies express appreciation of opportunities to network with others and to share ideas. They appreciate the support that they receive from visiting teachers and the opportunities for professional development.
The service assists parents to choose a nanny who is the best match for their family. The KiwiOz organisation has sound employment processes, including the induction of new nannies. Visiting teachers ensure that nannies are familiar with parent and service expectations and understand their legal obligations in providing education and care in the family home.
Effective management and administration underpins service operations. The owner has a strong commitment to continuous improvement. The service's philosophy and vision are evident across all practices and policies. A comprehensive policy framework outlines individualised and clear guidelines and sets expectations for visiting teachers and nannies.
Purposeful internal evaluation has been established and is beginning to assist the review of current practices. The manager should now implement regular visiting teacher appraisals that align with Education Council requirements and the Ministry of Education resource, Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners.
The service leaders agree that next steps for the service are to:
develop education focused goals to inform strategic planning
improve internal evaluation systems by evaluating the impact of change on outcomes for children
clearly document how visiting teachers coach and guide nanny/educator practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kiwioz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn 02 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:
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.
In order to improve current practice the management should ensure:
all nannies have a documented supervision plan
parents more consistently give signed permission for excursions.
The next ERO review of Kiwioz Childcare Ltd Hop Skip Learn 02 will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
20 April 2017
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.
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Location |
Takapuna, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46215 |
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Institution type |
Homebased Network |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
80 children, including up to 40 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
45 |
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Standard or Quality Funded |
Standard |
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Gender composition |
Girls 23 Boys 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā other |
41 4 |
|
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Number of qualified coordinators in the network |
1 |
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Required ratios of staff educators to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
|
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Over 2 |
1:4 |
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Review team on site |
February 2017 |
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Date of this report |
20 April 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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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: July 2014
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
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.