Biggles Childcare (Henderson)

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

Biggles Childcare is a privately owned service that offers all day education and care. There are two owners, and one is responsible for daily operations of the service. Half of the children attending are Māori or have Pacific heritage. This is the first ERO review of the service since a change of ownership in August 2020.

Summary of Review Findings

The curriculum provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning. It is consistent with Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Leaders and teachers regularly communicate with parents to share information about children’s learning.

The curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. Information and guidance is sought, when necessary, from agencies/services to enable adults providing education and care to work effectively with children and their parents.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• increasing opportunities for children to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts

• teachers supporting younger children’s sustained exploration, by providing an increased range of learning opportunities, both indoors and outdoors

• strengthening the extent to which 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:

• Ensuring heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured (HS6).

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

• Maintaining an attendance record that shows the times and dates of every child’s attendance at the service. Records include attendance registers that have been marked by staff on a twice daily basis (GMA11).

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE

8 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.