Cuddles 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

Cuddles Early Learning Centre is a new purpose-built service. The learning community is culturally diverse. The center manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation and guides practice for a team of teachers across three classrooms. This is the first ERO review of the service. 

Summary of Review Findings

The philosophy expresses the service’s beliefs about the provision of early childhood education and care. It is focused on developing children’s emotional well-being and social skills, and is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers provide children with a range of experiences to enhance and extend their learning and development. 

A sufficient quantity and variety of furniture, equipment and materials is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending. Parents have opportunities to contribute to the review of operational documents. Leaders take reasonable steps to promote the good health and safety of children at the service.    

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• Extending the group planning and evaluation processes and practices across the service to include children under two years old.  

Next ERO Review

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

Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

23 February 2023 

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 license 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 license

• that have been re-licensed 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.