Mighty Minds Educare

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

Mighty Minds Educare is privately owned. A qualified owner/manager leads a team of nine qualified teachers, one unqualified teacher, a cook and an administrator. There are three areas for different age groups of children from infants to school age. A small number of children enrolled are Māori.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

There is a sufficient quantity and variety of furniture, equipment, and materials appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to be involved in decision making concerning their child’s learning.

Implementation of the licensing criteria needs to be monitored to ensure practices consistently meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.

Compliance

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

• having 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; and documenting evidence of review of the emergency plan on at least an annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required (HS7)
• recording how evaluation of emergency drills has informed the annual review of the service's emergency plan (HS8)
• ensuring equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children, including electrical sockets and appliances (particularly heaters), hazards present in kitchen or laundry facilities, poisonous plants, and bodies of water (HS12)
• whenever children leave the premises on an excursion, assessment and management of risk is documented, and the excursion is approved by the person responsible (HS17)
• having evidence that parents give permission for children to travel by motor vehicle (HS18)
• maintaining a record of all food served during the service's hours of operation, other than that provided by parents for their own children (HS19)
• ensuring that furniture and items intended for children to sleep on that will be used by more than one child over time are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (PF30).

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

16 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.

1 Evaluation of Mighty Minds Educare

How well placed is Mighty Minds Educare to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

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

Background

Mighty Minds Educare in Penrose, Auckland is licenced for 84 children, including 20 up to the age of two years. The centre was first opened in September 2015. It operates from large refurbished premises above a row of shops, and is divided into four indoor and outdoor areas to cater for children of different ages. The centre serves a culturally diverse community. Most children have Chinese heritage. The teaching team is culturally diverse and teaches speak various languages. This enables them to communicate with children and parents effectively. Most teachers, including the owner, are qualified and registered.

The centre's philosophy promotes early learning practices that support children to feel secure in a homely environment and in partnership with parents. It also focuses on fostering creativity and learning through a programme centred on children's interests. Centre practices for older children are influenced by 'Reggio Emilia', and practices for infants and toddlers are inspired by 'Pikler'. Both of these philosophies encourage a deep respect for children.

The centre is owned by a family interest and is led and managed by one of the owners.

The Review Findings

Teachers have positive relationships and maintain respectful interactions with children and families. Teachers are gentle with children and are responsive to their learning and care requirements. Infants and toddlers are very well nurtured by their teachers. Regular and effective communication with parents supports teachers to follow children's individual home routines and preferences. As a result of these respectful and personalised practices, children are very settled and content in the centre environment. Children are friendly, play collaboratively and enjoy learning with and from each other.

Children experience a well-planned and enacted curriculum. Parents play a key role in contributing to planning for children's learning and care. This helps teachers to design learning programmes based on children's interests, and on children's dispositions for learning. Teachers work alongside older children, skilfully provoking their thinking, enhancing their play and developing their language. Children are supported to make decisions and be self-managing and they have very good opportunities to play for uninterrupted periods of time.

The centre environment is very well resourced and used to enhance children's learning. Children have access to interesting materials and equipment that ignite their imagination and support creativity. They experience literacy, numeracy and science effectively in the context of play. Teachers' use of te reo Māori, alongside children's first languages in the programme, promotes children's pride in their cultural identity.

The centre is well led and governed. Centre leaders are experienced and knowledgeable. They promote a clear vision for developing a high quality early learning centre. The centre philosophy guides the practices expected from teachers, and is regularly evaluated. Collaborative leadership approaches and generous resourcing of the centre contribute to a stable and positive teaching team.

Leaders are continuing to provide leadership opportunities for teachers. This includes the recent establishment of room supervisors for each area. This is helping to further enhance communication and improve efficiency within each learning space and across the centre.

Leaders and teachers understand that internal evaluation is key to achieve ongoing improvement. Findings from internal evaluation are linked to teachers' professional learning needs. The centre has an effective, comprehensive and well-reviewed policy framework for all centre operations.

Key Next Steps

Key next steps for the centre include:

• developing bicultural practices, including greater use of te reo Māori

• enhancing teachers' range of strategies for deliberately extending children's learning

• improving the centre's strategic planning to promote a greater connection between teachers' appraisal goals and professional learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Mighty Minds Educare 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 Mighty Minds Educare will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

31 January 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.