Taupo Childrens Corner

Education institution number:
30094
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
14
Telephone:
Address:

73 Lakewood Drive, Taupo

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Taupo Childrens Corner

ERO Early Childhood Service Akanuku | Assurance Review

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

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

Background

Taupo Childrens Corner (Lakewood Drive) is one of two early learning services under the Mark Passmore Family Trust umbrella. The service has responded positively to address the findings of the ERO 2020 report, supported by the Ministry of Education. A centre director and supervisor oversee daily operations and lead a team of four qualified teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum supports children’s developing social competencies.

A variety of indoor and outdoor equipment, furniture and materials provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning. Children’s preferences are respected and they are involved in decision making about their learning.

There are regular opportunities for parents to contribute to their child’s learning.

The service is governed and managed in accordance with good management systems.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • explore ways to increase the involvement of whānau Māori in the design, implementation and evaluation of the service’s local curriculum

  • increase the range of opportunities for children to experience te ao Māori curriculum in meaningful contexts

  • deepen teacher understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in relation to the stated Learning Outcomes for individual children.

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
1 July 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Taupo Childrens Corner

Profile Number

30094

Location

Taupo

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 5 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

27

Ethnic composition

Māori 14, NZ European/Pākehā 9, Other ethnic groups 4.

Review team on site

May 2022

Date of this report

1 July 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

December 2020 Akanuku | Assurance Review, August 2017 Education Review

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.

Taupo Childrens Corner - 21/12/2020

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

Not meeting

Premises and facilities

Not 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

Taupo Childrens Corner (Lakewood Drive) is one of two centres owned and governed by the Mark Passmore Family Trust. The service provider governs the service on behalf of the trust. The centre manager, responsible for day-to-day operation, leads a team of five teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

The service is not meeting regulatory standards in a significant number of areas.

Children experience meaningful and positive interactions with teachers along with nurturing reciprocal relationships. Teachers support children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to: curriculum, premises and facilities, health and safety and governance, management and administration.

To meet the Curriculum Standard the service must ensure:

  • the centre curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum
  • 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
  • the curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures
  • the curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners
  • Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences
  • positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children
  • regular opportunities (formal and informal) are provided for parents to communicate with adults providing education and care about their child and share specific evidence of the child's learning; and be involved in decision-making concerning their child’s learning.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C1, C4, C6, C7, C11, C12]

To meet the Premises and Facilities Standard the service must ensure:

  • the design and layout of the premises support effective adult supervision so that children's access to the licensed space (indoor and outdoor) is not unnecessarily limited
  • windows or other areas of glass accessible to children if not made of safety glass are covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken
  • outdoor activity space is enclosed by structures and/or fences and gates designed to ensure that children are not able to leave the premises without the knowledge of adults providing education and care
  • the service has at least 1 toilet for every 1-15 persons
  • there is at least 1 tap delivering warm water for every 15 persons
  • there is space where a sick child can be temporarily kept at a safe distance from other children and lie down comfortably.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF2, PF7, PF13, PF18, PF19, PF27]

To meet the Health and Safety Standard the service must ensure:

  • six-monthly fire drills are implemented, and evaluations sent to the New Zealand Fire Service
  • heavy furniture and equipment that could fall or topple causing serious injury are secured
  • the development of a written emergency plan that includes; evacuation procedures which apply in a variety of emergency situations; a list of safety and emergency supplies and resources sufficient for the age and number of children and adults at the service and details of how these will be maintained and accessed in an emergency; details of the roles and responsibilities that will apply and a communication plan for families and support services
  • evidence of the annual review of the emergency plan and implementation of improved practices
  • staff are familiar with, carry out and evaluate relevant emergency drills with children on an at least three-monthly basis
  • equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children
  • hazards to the safety of children are eliminated, isolated or minimised
  • the analysis of accidents and incidents to identify hazards
  • the consistent implementation of excursion policy and procedures, including risk management analysis
  • accident and incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is taken
  • all practicable steps are taken to ensure that children do not come into contact with any person on the premises who is suffering from a disease or condition likely to be passed onto children and likely to have a detrimental effect on them
  • there is a procedure outlining the service's response to serious injury, illness and incidents, including the review and implementation of practices as required
  • the recording of parental acknowledgement that medicine has been administered for category (ii) medication
  • the development of individual health plans for all category (iii) medications, detailing what (name of medicine), how (method and dose), and when (time or specific symptoms/ circumstances) the medicine should be given
  • a record of training for the administering of medications is developed and maintained
  • a written child protection policy, that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014, is reviewed every three years
  • all practicable steps are taken to protect children from exposure to inappropriate material
  • no person on the premises uses, or is under the influence of, alcohol or any other substance that has a detrimental effect on their functioning or behaviour during the service's hours of operation.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS4, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS12, HS17, HS26, HS27, HS28, HS29, HS33, HS32, HS33]

To meet the Governance, Management and Administration Standard the service must ensure:

  • the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, and the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 are prominently displayed at the service for parents and visitors
  • the development and prominent display of a procedure people should follow if they wish to complain about non-compliance with the regulations or criteria
  • parents are advised how to access information concerning their child
  • parents are provided with information about how they can be involved in the service and in any planned reviews and consultation
  • an ongoing process of self review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care
  • a system of regular appraisal is implemented
  • an annual plan guides the service's operation
  • an annual budget which includes staffing costs and leave entitlements, guides financial expenditure.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA1, GMA2, GMA3, GMA6, GMA7, GMA8, GMA9]

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

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.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Phil Cowie

Director Review and Improvement Services

Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

21 December 2020

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Taupo Childrens Corner

Profile Number

30094

Location

Taupō

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 9 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

41

Gender composition

Female 26, Male 15

Ethnic composition

Māori 17, NZ European/Pākehā 14, Other ethnic groups 10

Review team on site

November 2020

Date of this report

21 December 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review, August 2017; Education Review, June 2014

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.