Wonder Kids Lower Hutt

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 identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

Wonder Kids Lower Hutt is one of seven early learning services under common ownership. A centre manager responsible for daily operations, is supported by two team leaders and a general manager. Many children who attend are of Māori heritage, and a small number are of Pacific heritages. This is the first ERO review of the service under new ownership.

Summary of Review Findings

Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. Teachers support children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. They are respectful of the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. ERO found a number of areas of non-compliance with the licensing criteria in the curriculum regulatory standard.

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. There are areas for physically active play, and space for a range of individual and group learning experiences appropriate to the number, ages, and abilities of children attending. Appropriate health and safety procedures and practices are implemented.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• ensuring the curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation processes and practices

• ensuring the practices of adults providing education and care demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development

• implementing a curriculum that acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua, where children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• ensuring the curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures.

Licensing criteria for early childhood education and care services 2008; C2, C4, C5, C6.

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

18 September 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.