Heart and Soul Early Learning Centre - 11/02/2021

• On this page:

• ERO’s Judgement
• Background
• Summary of Review Findings
• Key Next Steps
• Next ERO Review
• Information About the Service
• General Information about Assurance Reviews

ERO’s Judgement

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Heart and Soul Early Learning Centre is set in a rural area, which provides a meaningful context for children’s learning. The roll includes Māori, Pākehā and other ethnic groups that reflect the community. There are three learning spaces for different age groups of children. The service changed ownership in June 2019.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in positive interactions to foster children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum provides children with a wide range of opportunities to extend their learning both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. Children are provided with a range of rich environmental opportunities to enhance their learning. The curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.

A philosophy statement guides the service’s operation. An ongoing process of self review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• continuing to develop teachers’ and children’s knowledge about bicultural practices
• increasing opportunities for children to be confident in their own culture and to understand and respect other cultures.

Next ERO Review

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

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

11 February 2021

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 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:

• 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.