Magical Years Childcare Centre - 05/11/2020

• On this page:

• ERO’s Judgement
• Background
• Summary of Review Findings
• Actions for Compliance
• Next ERO Review
• Information About the Service
• General Information about Assurance Reviews

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

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

Background

Magical Years Childcare Centre provides education and care for 36 children including up to 10 under the age of two years. The owner manages the centre with support from an additional four qualified staff and four support staff. The community is culturally diverse. This is the first ERO review of the service since it opened in August 2018.

Summary of Review Findings

Teachers engage in meaningful and positive ways that enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The programme acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Teachers respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. These include quiet spaces for a range of individual and group learning opportunities. An increased level of monitoring of health and safety and governance practices is required.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows:

• children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A)
• children are consistently checked for warmth and breathing when sleeping (HS9).

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
5 November 2020  

Information About 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.  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.