47 Kaimoana Road, Weymouth, Auckland
View on mapEarly Discoveries Waimahia
Early Discoveries Waimahia
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
This is the first ERO review of Early Discoveries Waimahia that opened in August 2019. A trust board oversees governance of the service. Staff includes eight qualified teachers and six support teachers. Children are ethnically diverse and come from the local community.
Summary of Review Finding
Teachers plan and implement a curriculum that is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They provide education and care that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education. Children engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance their learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
The service acknowledges the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua, and this commitment is evident in the service’s philosophy and practice. Children have ongoing opportunities to develop knowledge about the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Governance and management systems, and ongoing self-review support improvement.
Key Next Steps
Next steps include continuing to:
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develop the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to children, their families, kaiako and the wider community
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improve the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning over time.
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
9 November 2022
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Early Discoveries Waimahia |
Profile Number |
47645 |
Location |
Weymouth, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
60 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
61 |
Review team on site |
March 2022 |
Date of this report |
9 November 2022 |
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:
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having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
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previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
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that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
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that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
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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:
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curriculum
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premises and facilities
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health and safety practices
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governance, management and administration.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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:
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emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
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physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
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suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
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evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
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discussions with those involved in the service
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consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
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observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.