Play School Early Learning Centre

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 identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.  

Background 

Play School Early Learning Centre is a privately owned and operated service. The owner/centre manager leads a team of four qualified teachers and four staff. Children from six months to school age are cared for in two age-base rooms. The community is ethnically diverse. Enrolled children include a large number of tamariki Māori and a small number of Pacific children. 

Summary of Review Findings 

The service curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect each other. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate with adults providing education and care about their child and be involved in decision making concerning their child’s learning. 

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. There are quiet spaces, areas for physically active play, and space for a range of individual and group learning experiences appropriate to the number, ages and abilities of children attending. 

Those responsible for governance and leadership must ensure that all staff are familiar with service’s policies and procedures and consistently implement these. Ongoing monitoring of systems and practices is required to be assured that the regulatory standards are being met at all times. 

Actions for Compliance 

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to: 

• ensuring that the placement of climbing equipment is considered when checking for hazards and that accident and incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is taken  
• ensuring a record of written authority from parents for the administration of medicine is kept in accordance with the requirement for the category of medicine outlined in Appendix 3. 

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008, HS12, HS28. 

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances: 

• Having a procedure for the changing of nappies displayed near the nappy changing facilities and consistently implemented that includes that children are treated with dignity and respect (HS3). 
• Ensuring a procedure for monitoring children's sleep is displayed that includes children do not have access to food or liquids while in bed and are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9). 

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided​ ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances: 

• Ensuring equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage is secured (HS6). 
• Having an emergency plan that includes a list of safety and emergency supplies and resources sufficient for the age and number of children and adults at the service, and details of how these will be maintained and accessed in an emergency (HS7). 
• Ensuring the child protection policy includes provisions for the service’s identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect; information about the practices the service employs to keep children safe from abuse and neglect; and information about how the service will respond to suspected child abuse and neglect (HS31). 
• Maintaining a record of safety checks and risk assessments completed for every staff member as required by the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A). 
• Developing an annual plan that identifies how key tasks will have regard to the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) (GMA8).  

Recommendation to Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly. 

Next ERO Review  

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

Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)  

1 February 2024  

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.