Stepping Stones Education & Care

Education institution number:
47741
Service type:
Homebased Network
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
38
Telephone:
Address:

63 Magma Cres, Stonefields, Auckland

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Stepping Stones Education & Care

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

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.

Background

Stepping Stones Education and Care is a privately owned home-based service that opened in 2020. Governance and management are the responsibility of the owner. Two visiting coordinators provide support to educators who work in their own homes with up to four children at one time. A majority of children attending are of Chinese heritage. This is the first ERO review of the service.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Educators respect and support the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and respect others. A language-rich environment supports children’s learning. Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

The curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. It provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.

Key Next Step

A next step is for coordinators to:

  • support educators to use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, to inform assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning.

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

24 May 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Stepping Stones Education and Care

Profile Number

47741

Location

Stonefields, Auckland

Service type

Home-based service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 50 aged under 2

Service roll

40

Review team on site

March 2023

Date of this report

24 May 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

First ERO review of 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 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.