Nurture Me 2

Education institution number:
46811
Service type:
Homebased Network
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
10
Address:

29 Tramway Road, Beach Haven, Auckland

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Nurture Me 2

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

Nurture Me 2 is one of three home-based education and care networks operating as part of Nurture Me Education Limited. Educators include nannies, and extended family members such as grandparents. Most of the children enrolled have Pacific heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

Educators engage in positive interactions to enhance children’s wellbeing and nurture positive reciprocal relationships. The education and care programme supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.

The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A philosophy statement and an ongoing process of self-review guides the service’s operations.

Consistent implementation and monitoring of health and safety practices, and premises and facilities are required to ensure regulatory standards are maintained.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence to show it has addressed the following non compliances:

  • There is an outdoor activity space that is enclosed by structures and/or fences and gates designed to ensure that children cannot leave the premises without help or knowledge of the educator (PF11).

  • Heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage secured (HS6).

  • Educators are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry these out with all children present in the home on at least a three-monthly basis (HS7).

  • Equipment, premises, and facilities checked every day of operation for hazards to children; accident/incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is then taken; hazards to the safety of children are eliminated, isolated, or minimised (HS11).

  • Whenever children leave the premises on an excursion, assessment and management of the risks is undertaken, a supervision plan specific to that excursion is developed and implemented, parents have given prior written approval of their child's participation for special excursions prior to the excursion taking place, there are communications systems in place so that people know where the children are, and the educator can communicate with others as necessary (HS14).

  • If children travel in a motor vehicle while in the care of the service, the written permission of a parent of the child is obtained before the travel begins (HS15).

  • Every educator must ensure that they actively supervise children, at all times while they attend the service. Documentation to include a plan that must be specific to the premises and the number, age, abilities and enrolled hours of the children attending and must show how the educator will actively supervise children attending the service. It must include, but it is not limited to, how the premises will be arranged, across all indoor and outdoor spaces likely to be used at any time while children are attending the home, to enhance supervision of children; how children will be supervised while they are: involved in activities or routines (such as sleeping, eating and toileting) in separate parts of the home, using play equipment and resources both indoors and outdoors, interacting with other people in the home, including visitors and using technology or while they are in the presence of technology while it is being used by others in the home (HS34).

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

21 December 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Nurture Me 2

Profile Number

46811

Location

Beach Haven, Auckland

Service type

Home-based service

Number licensed for

80 children, including up to 80 aged under 2

Service roll

6

Review team on site

October 2022

Date of this report

21 December 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2018

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.

Nurture Me Education 2 - 28/06/2018

1 Evaluation of Nurture Me 2

How well placed is Nurture Me 2 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

Nurture Me 2 is one of three homebased education and care networks owned by the service provider in the greater Auckland area. It caters for children from infancy to school age. Educators provide programmes in their homes for up to four children at a time. Children come mainly from Pākehā and Pacific backgrounds with the majority of Pacific children being Kiribati. There is a smaller group of Māori children. The service's roll continues to grow.

The director is a qualified early childhood teacher and an experienced manager. The visiting teachers are registered early childhood teachers. They offer support for educators, plan child-based education programmes and monitor health and safety requirements. Key aspects of the service's philosophy are play-based learning in a home environment and partnerships with whānau.

This is the first ERO review for Nurture Me 2. Managers have responded positively to the areas for development identified in ERO's 2017 review of the first Nurture Me network.

The Review Findings

Learning records show that infants and toddlers benefit from individualised and nurturing care. Educators and visiting teachers know the children well. Respectful, responsive relationships nurture children's wellbeing and belonging. Educators offer a wide variety of educational experiences in their homes and in the community. The child-focused programmes are responsive to children's interests and ideas. Home environments often reflect the child's cultural identity. Visiting teachers and educators encourage children to use their home languages.

Visiting teachers work collaboratively with educators to plan programmes in authentic homebased learning experiences. During regular visits, they document learning experiences and offer useful strategies to further extend children's learning and increase the complexity of their play. Children respond enthusiastically to the visiting teachers' visits. They enjoy the toy library as well as other resources that the visiting teachers bring to extend children's learning. Visiting teachers model inclusive teaching practice, and encourage the ongoing use of te reo and tikanga Māori in the homes.

Children's learning programmes are underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Visiting teachers and educators value the relationships they have with parents, who express high levels of satisfaction with the care and education received by their children. Children's learning and development are recorded and shared in good quality portfolios and digital learning stories. Daily journals inform parents of their children's progress. Strategies to translate key documents into multiple languages have strengthened access to information and reciprocal partnerships, particularly with the Kiribati community.

Playgroups provide opportunities for children to socialise with their peers. Educators have developed exploratory play kits for infants and toddlers, using resources in the home.

The director is an active participant in the service. She works collaboratively with the visiting teachers. They are focused on increasing educators' knowledge and educational outcomes for children. The director ensures teachers and educators have access to regular and useful professional learning opportunities.

An effective review cycle ensures ongoing improvement. A comprehensive induction process and appraisal system are in place to support visiting teachers and educators to reflect on and improve their own practice. Robust health and safety systems are established and being monitored.

The director has a commitment to maintaining a high quality homebased education service. The philosophy and vision are evident across the service. The director is supported by a mentor whose expertise and influence is building professional knowledge across the service.

Key Next Steps

Service managers agree that key next steps are to continue:

  • strengthening bicultural understandings, with a focus on the languages and cultural identities of children and their families

  • developing programme planning with the educators to extend children's learning

  • developing a critically evaluative lens to help strengthen teaching and learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Nurture Me 2 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.

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 Nurture Me 2 will be in three years.

Julie Foley

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

28 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 Home-based Education and Care Service

Location

Rosedale, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

46811

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

78

Standard or Quality Funded

Standard

Gender composition

Boys 39 Girls 39

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Kiribati
Samoan
Tuvalu
other

13
27
21
4
6
7

Number of qualified coordinators in the network

2

Required ratios of staff educators to children

Under 2

1:2

Over 2

1:4

Review team on site

May 2018

Date of this report

28 June 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

No previous ERO reports

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: July 2014

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.