Little Gems Childcare

Education institution number:
45817
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
19
Telephone:
Address:

88 Opaheke Road, Papakura

View on map

Little Gems Childcare

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

This is the first ERO review of Little Gems Childcare. The service is privately owned and was fully licensed in August 2020. A manager leads a team of a registered teacher and day-to-day relievers. The service provides for children over two years of age. A third of the children enrolled are Māori.

Summary of Review Findings

Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The service curriculum offers a range of experiences and opportunities to enrich and extend children’s learning and development. These experiences take place both indoors and outdoors, as well as individually and in groups.

The practices of adults providing education and care demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • Ensuring all indoor and outdoor items and surfaces, furniture, equipment, and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use, particularly trip hazards (PF5).

  • Verifying that windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are made of safety glass (PF7).

  • Providing clean individual bedding for sleeping or resting children that is sufficient to keep children warm (PF31).

  • Ensuring that the temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children is no higher than 40﮿C and comfortable for children at the centre (HS13).

  • Ensuring water stored in the hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of 60﮿C (HS14).

Next ERO Review

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

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

6 April 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Little Gems Childcare

Profile Number

45817

Location

Papakura, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

25 children over 2 years of age

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

21

Ethnic composition

Māori 7, NZ European/Pākehā 4, Indian 8, other ethnic groups 2

Review team on site

February 2022

Date of this report

6 April 2022

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 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.https://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Centre-Assurance-Statement-Master-January-2017.pdf 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.

Little Gems Childcare - 07/06/2018

1 Evaluation of Little Gems Childcare

How well placed is Little Gems Childcare to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Little Gems Childcare centre is a small centre licenced for up to 25 children over two years of age. It is located in a converted house on the edge of the Opaheke, Papakura urban area. The centre provides all day education and care for children from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, many of whom speak languages other than English at home.

The centre had a change of ownership and name in late 2016. The new manager, a qualified teacher, provides professional leadership for her new staff. She currently employs a second registered teacher, and they are supported by two other staff.

The centre philosophy is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It focuses on respectful relationships that nurture children's wellbeing while promoting a curriculum that challenges children and promotes their exploration. Cultural diversity is valued and celebrated.

The Review Findings

Children enjoy a calm and relaxed atmosphere where they experience respectful interactions with the teachers and with each other. They have many opportunities to learn through play, developing social skills, early literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge, while their sense of wellbeing and belonging are well supported.

Teachers know the children and their families well. Parents value the friendly, welcoming approach they experience from the staff and the support given to them as parents.

Teachers work effectively with children. They spend time with them supporting their play and encouraging them to explore. Their conversations with children promote oral language development and encourage them to extend their play and to take risks in their learning.

Assessment of learning and programme planning processes are becoming more effective. Teachers observe individual children regularly and share anecdotal notes with one another. In these notes they include what learning the child might be engaged in. The learning stories that teachers write help them plan for the child. Alongside the individual planning, teachers plan for groups of children. They share these plans and information about the programme with parents in a variety of appropriate ways.

The centre's commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi is evident in the educational programme and the centre philosophy. Children have opportunities to learn te reo Māori and aspects of tikanga Māori. The cultures of all children are celebrated and parents are invited to share their knowledge of their cultures with the children and staff.

The manager is new to her role and has actively sought advice and guidance to develop effective management systems. She has successfully developed a comprehensive policy framework to guide centre operations.

Internal evaluation and strategic planning processes successfully guide ongoing improvement. Useful guidelines for internal evaluation have been developed, and reviews conducted have included consultation with parents/whānau. An annual management plan guides day-to-day management of the centre.

Good progress is being made in establishing sound personnel management systems. Professional learning and development opportunities (PLD) are linked to identified centre needs and teachers are encouraged to reflect on the implications of the PLD for their practice. Further work is required to strengthen the appraisal system.

Key Next Steps

ERO and the centre manager agree that the centre should continue to strengthen:

  • the staff appraisal system by including teaching as inquiry as a way to promote greater reflection on teacher practice

  • assessment of children's learning and programme planning by ensuring that children’s learning is revisited through subsequent learning stories

  • links between internal evaluation and strategic planning so that goals are clear and guide ongoing improvement

  • teachers’ understanding of Te Whāriki 2017 through ongoing professional learning and development.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Little Gems Childcare 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Little Gems Childcare will be in three years.

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

7 June 2018

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 Early Childhood Service

Location

Papakura, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

45817

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, over 2 years of age

Service roll

20

Gender composition

Boys 12 Girls 8

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Indian
Middle Eastern
Samoan
other

2
3
5
4
3
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

May 2018

Date of this report

7 June 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

First review as Little Gems Childcare

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 ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.