Hannah's House ECE

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

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

Hannah’s House ECE is a privately owned and operated education and care service located in a residential area. The owner has oversight of the service and is supporting a newly appointed centre manager. There are three qualified teachers, two support staff and a teacher in training in the team.

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. The service curriculum is responsive to children as confident and competent learners.

A sufficient quantity and variety of equipment and materials is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending.

Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate with adults providing education and care about their child and be involved in their learning.

Centre leaders must ensure that policies and procedures are regularly reviewed, implemented and monitored to ensure all regulatory requirements are met.

Compliance

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

• Ensuring windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass or covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken (PF7).
• Having a first aid kit that complies with licensing requirements (PF28).
• Ensuring that furniture and items intended for children to sleep on are covered or made of a non-porous material (PF30).
• Documenting a procedure for the changing and disposal of nappies that aims to ensure that children are treated with dignity and respect (HS3).
• Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).
• Ensuring the written evacuation emergency plan includes a variety of emergency situations, a list of safety and emergency supplies sufficient for the number of children and adults at the service, and evidence of review on at least an annual basis, including how evaluation of the emergency drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS7).
• Maintaining records of emergency drills carried out and evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS8).
• Checking equipment, premises, and facilities daily for hazards to the children that considers all hazards required and implementing a documented risk management system (HS12).
• Documenting a record of excursions that includes evidence that parents have given approval for the proposed ratios for special excursions, and the signature of the person responsible for giving approval for the excursion to take place (HS17).
• Documenting a procedure to ensure that children who travel in a motor vehicle when in the care of the service are restrained as required by Land Transport Legislation (HS18).
• Monitoring rooms used by children to ensure these are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 16°C (at 500mm above the floor) while children are attending (HS24).
• Having a record and procedure outlining the service’s response to incidents including the review and implementation of practices as required (HS27).
• Having a record of all medicine given to children attending the service which includes evidence of parental acknowledgement that medication has been administered to a child (HS28).
• Having an updated child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (HS31).
• Displaying a complaints procedure, that includes an option to contact the local Ministry of Education office and contact details (GMA1).
• Having a process for suitable human resource management practices relating to selection and appointment procedures (GMA7).
• Having a written procedure for safety checking children’s workers before they have access to children that meets the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
• Developing an annual plan which guides the service’s operations that identifies ‘who’ in relation to key tasks undertaken each year (GMA8).

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

9 August 2021 

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.

1 Evaluation of Hannah's House ECE

How well placed is Hannah's House ECE to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Hannah's House ECE is a well-established service that offers all-day education and care for a maximum of 25 children up to five years old. The centre's philosophy focuses on the importance of relationships with children and their families, and encouraging exploration, independence and self-confidence in children. It also has a focus on supporting environmental sustainability. Reggio Emilia approaches are an integral part of the philosophy.

The teaching team consists of four qualified teachers and two teachers currently in training. Five of the staff have worked together for the past eight years. Teachers are keen to maintain cohesive and collaborative ways of working together as a team.

The 2014 ERO report noted that teachers provided effective support for children's learning and identified the need to review the centre's philosophy to better reflect good teaching practices, and also to review support for children's transition to school.

The Review Findings

Children are confident, articulate learners. They are inquisitive and curious and have a strong sense of their own competence as learners. They settle themselves in play areas and make deliberate choices about resources they need. Children engage in respectful conversations with their peers and adults. Many persist at activities for prolonged periods, problem solving and experimenting with new ideas as challenges arise. Children learn early literacy, mathematics and science skills in meaningful contexts.

The centre’s environments support children’s learning effectively. Teachers adapt environments in innovative ways to foster children’s creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Infants and toddlers have their own indoor and outdoor spaces. Teachers know children well and respond to their cues appropriately. Their responsive and nurturing caregiving supports infants’ need for strong and secure attachments.

Teachers skilfully engage children in play that prompts them to collaborate and investigate ideas. They give children the time and space to explore, investigate and engage in learning. Teachers frequently interact and facilitate conversations with children. They encourage children to take learning risks and set their own goals while they reinforce care for the environment and sustainable practices. Teachers have identified that a key next step is to strengthen the bicultural curriculum, with the support of external professional advisers.

Teachers plan collaboratively to respond to children's interests and strengths and to extend their learning. Portfolios contain a mix of group and individual learning stories. Teachers analyse children's learning, and their learning dispositions, and make good links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The daily diaries and online assessment tool are helping parents to have increased input and involvement into their children's learning.

The teaching team shares leadership roles and responsibilities. Teachers' professional practice shows that they are knowledgeable about effective teaching and learning strategies.

Internal evaluation is used well to support ongoing improvement. Multiple perspectives and sources are used to inform evaluation. Teachers reflect critically on the implications of evaluation findings for teacher practice and for learning outcomes for children. A sound policy framework guides in-depth policy review.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders have reviewed their practices and identified several areas for further development. Their key next steps include:

• documenting learning outcomes and teaching strategies more deliberately in planning, and evaluating the effectiveness of these strategies in programme evaluation
• strengthening strategic planning practice to support shared ownership of the future vision, values and goals for the centre, and annual planning for ongoing improvement
• continuing the development and implementation of the annual teacher appraisal system.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Hannah's House ECE 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 Hannah's House ECE will be in three years.

Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

23 February 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 

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.