Omaka Early Learning Centre

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

Omaka Early Learning Centre is privately owned and operated. This is its first review. The purpose-built centre caters for the care and education of infants, toddlers, and young children within four separate areas. A centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the service.

Summary of Review Findings

The philosophy is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children’s preferences are respected and their agency in their learning is encouraged. 

The design and layout of the premises includes quiet areas for physically active play, and space for a range of individual and group learning experiences. There are safe and comfortable spaces for infants, toddlers or children not walking to lie, roll, creep, pull themselves up, learn to walk, and to be protected from more mobile children. 

Policies and procedures are in place to support the implementation of health and safety requirements. There are suitable systems and processes for managing the daily operations of the service. 

Key Next Steps

Strengthening understanding and use of Te Whāriki across the teaching team to:

• give prominence to te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in guiding documentation and practices
• better reflect children’s identity, language, and culture in written learning records
• further develop group planning and evaluation, and the localised curriculum, to give emphasis to learning outcomes for children and appropriate teaching strategies.     

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

8 April 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 (PDF 1MB). 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.