Wild and Love Early Learning Village

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

Wild and Love Early Learning Village is one of two services owned and governed by the same owner. An administrator/joint owner and a qualified village leader provides leadership to nine qualified kaiako and 10 other kaiako. The philosophy aims to weave bicultural and anti-bias themes in the village curriculum.

Summary of Review Findings

Kaiako engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum 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.

The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour is supported by the service curriculum.

The premises and facilities are resourced to provide for the learning and abilities of the children attending.

Key Next Steps

Strengthen the extent to which:

• kaiako make visible how they extend children’s interests through assessment, planning and evaluation documentation  

• information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, languages and cultures.

Actions for Compliance

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Information is provided to parents about the amount and details of the expenditure of any Ministry of Education funding received by the service (GMA3).

• All children’s workers must be safety checked every three years. Safety checks must be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

15 June 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 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.