City Impact Church Childcare Balclutha

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

Children from increasingly diverse cultures, aged six months-to-school age attend this Christian centre. It is one of five City Impact Church childcare services. Younger children have a separate inside area. Since its opening in 2018, there have been changes in leadership and the teaching team. This is its first ERO review.

Summary of Review Findings

The curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the service’s biblical curriculum. It is designed to be inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners, supporting their developing social competence. Adults promote caring, meaningful and positive interactions with children to enhance their wellbeing and learning and foster reciprocal relationships. Assessment, planning and evaluation demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, interests, whānau and life contexts.

The service is governed and managed in accordance with good management practices. Premises, furniture, fittings, equipment and materials are safe, hygienic and maintained in good condition.  Health and safety policies and procedures are followed.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• continuing to increase meaningful integration of te ao and te reo Māori into children’s day-to-day learning
• ensuring that all teachers are supported to deepen their understanding and implementation of best practice for assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning, including making children’s language and culture more visible in learning records.

Next ERO Review

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

Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

3 June 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.