The Forest ECE Ltd

Education institution number:
48044
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
38
Telephone:
Address:

59 Te Miro Road, Te Miro, Cambridge

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The Forest ECE Ltd

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

The Forest ECE Ltd is privately owned and located in rural Te Miro. Children experience daily excursions into the nearby forest. The owner/manager is a qualified teacher. Of the children enrolled, a small number are Māori. This is the first ERO review of the service.

Summary of Review Findings

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. The curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. The philosophy and annual plan guide operations.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

  • strengthening the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their identity, languages and cultures 

  • continuing to develop bicultural aspects of the local curriculum in partnership with kaiako, whānau, mana whenua and community.

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

6 November 2023 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

The Forest ECE Ltd

Profile Number

48044

Location

Te Miro, Cambridge

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

40 children aged over 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

46

Review team on site

October 2023

Date of this report

6 November 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.