House of Wonder Gisborne by Busy Bees

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 found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

House of Wonder Gisborne is a purpose-built education and care service that opened in 2018. It is governed and managed by Provincial Education Group Ltd. A regional manager is responsible for leading teaching and learning. The centre manager has responsibility for day-to-day operation, supported by team leaders across two flexible spaces.

Summary of Review Findings

Children experience a curriculum that is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. Teachers demonstrate an understanding of children’s interests, whānau and life contexts. A range of experiences provides children with opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development.

Children experience a language-rich environment where their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning.

Adults engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. They are responded to as confident, competent learners.

An ongoing process of self-review helps improve the quality of education and care for children.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s identity, language and culture is visible
• continuing to build a shared knowledge and consistency of practice in assessment, planning and evaluation to demonstrate better understanding of children’s learning, interests, whānau and life contexts.

Next ERO Review

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

Shelley Booysen

Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)

Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

1 October 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.