Launch Queen Street

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

Launch Queen Street is governed and managed by Launch AEL Limited. Children play and learn in four age-based rooms and share two outdoor areas. A quarter of enrolled children are Māori, and a small number have Pacific heritages. This is the centre’s first ERO review since opening in March 2022.

Summary of Review Findings

Children experience a range of opportunities to extend their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. The curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.

Children are seen as confident and competent learners. Teachers respond to the interests and capabilities of infants, toddlers, and older children. Children learn through assessment, planning and evaluation. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge parent aspirations.

A policy framework and an annual plan guide the centre’s operation. Teacher appraisal and internal evaluation processes are established. The service is effectively managed in accordance with good management practices.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include strengthening:

• teacher knowledge in supporting the cultures, languages and identity of all children

• the recording of children’s learning outcomes and monitoring of their learning progress over time.

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

1 November 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.