1375 McClure Street, Pirongia
View on mapERO’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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Not meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Mountaineers Childcare and Education is a privately owned service. Approximately a quarter of the roll identify as Māori learners, with a small number of learners of Pacific heritage and those from other ethnicities. The centre philosophy is influenced by strong connections with the community and sustainability.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning. Children are involved in decisions about their learning experiences, supporting their developing social competence.
The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.
Strengthening of systems, processes and practices are required to improve regulatory compliance.
ERO found an area of non-compliance in the service relating to:
carrying out each type of relevant emergency drill with children on an, at least, three monthly basis.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008: HS8]
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could topple and cause serious injury are secured (HS6).
Qualifications are prominently displayed at the service for parents and visitors (GMA1).
Ensuring that all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
The written procedure for safety checking that includes safety checks to meet the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director Early Childhood Education (ECE)
3 May 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Mountaineers Childcare and Education |
|
Profile Number |
47722 |
|
Location |
Pirongia |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
|
Service roll |
53 |
|
Review team on site |
April, 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
3 May 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, February 2020 |
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.
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.
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 regulatory 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
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.
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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Mountaineers Childcare and Education opened in March 2020 offering care and education for children up to six years old in two separate age-group rooms. The service philosophy is focused on outdoor play and sustainability practices. This is the first ERO review for the service.
The centre curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Assessment, planning, and evaluation reflect an understanding of children’s learning, interests, whānau and life contexts. The curriculum acknowledges the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.
Children are provided with a range of opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both individually and in groups. A language rich environment supports children’s learning.
An ongoing process for self-review helps improve the quality of education and care. The premises and facilities are resourced to provide for the learning and abilities of the children attending.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
1 February 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Mountaineers Childcare and Education |
|
Profile Number |
47722 |
|
Location |
Pirongia |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
54 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 49, other ethnic groups 1 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
1 February 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of this service |
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.
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:
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: