VVE Huibers

Strengths

• Strong pedagogical climate with established routines and emotional safety
• Good parent involvement through consultations, themed booklets and parent activities
• Effective collaboration with primary schools ensuring continuity in child development
• Meets all municipal quality requirements for early childhood education
• Staff hold appropriate qualifications, early childhood education (VVE) certificates and required language proficiency

Shortcomings

• Ensure structural availability of VVE-certified substitute staff to prevent ratio violations
• Continue to align policy closely with actual opening weeks and hours offered

Violations

• Insufficient concrete description in policy of the number of hours of early childhood education (VVE) (resolved)
• Insufficient deployment of VVE-certified staff member on 5 December 2024

Summary

During the annual unannounced inspection visit on 9 December 2024 to the early childhood education (VVE) location VVE Huibers in Amsterdam, two violations were identified. The first violation concerned an incorrect description of the number of opening weeks in the pedagogical policy, which meant it could not be demonstrated that each child receives at least 960 hours of early childhood education within 1.5 years. The provider corrected this within the recovery period by amending the policy plan. The second violation was a staff shortage on 5 December 2024, when a group of 10 children was supervised by only one VVE-certified staff member and one temporary agency worker without certification. This resulted in an exceedance of the maximum staff-to-child ratio. The cause of this is the nationwide staff shortage in childcare. The provider has demonstrated that a responsible assessment was made. Furthermore, the location scores well on pedagogical climate, safety, parent involvement and collaboration with primary schools. The inspection advises that no enforcement measures be imposed.