Kumeu Village Kindergarten

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 identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.

Background

Kumeu Village Kindergarten is a privately owned service that provides sessional and full-day education and care for children. The service provider is responsible for governance and management. A qualified supervisor leads a team of four qualified teachers and four unqualified staff.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning and relevant theories of practice. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate with adults providing education and care about their child and share specific evidence of their child’s learning.

An increased level of monitoring of health and safety and governance and management practices is required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance. 

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014
• ensuring adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry these out with children on an at least three-monthly basis, including having a record of emergency drills carried out and evidence of how evaluation of the emergency drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan
• having evidence of written authority from parents for the administration of medicine and the dosage of administered medication given to children.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A, HS8, HS28.

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

• implementing suitable human resource management practices (GMA7)
• having an annual budget setting out leave entitlements and provisions for professional development (GMA9)
• having a procedure outlining how linen used by children or adults is hygienically laundered (HS2)
• ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6)
• having a written emergency plan and supplies to ensure the care and safety of children and adults at the service, including a communication plan to contact children’s caregivers (HS7)
• maintaining a record of the time each child attending the service sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time (HS9)
• 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 to use (HS13)
• ensuring that water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14)
• maintaining a record of excursions that includes the signature of the person responsible for giving approval for the excursion to take place and assessment and management of risk (HS17)
• having a process for when there is a serious injury or incident involving a child while at the service that is required to be notified to a specified agency, that the service provider must also notify the Ministry of Education at the same time (HS34).

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.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

6 July 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.