5 Killington Crescent, Mangere, Auckland
View on mapERO’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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Akoteu Lotofale’ia is a Tongan language nest operating and administered by the Tongan Methodist Church. The centre manager leads a team of three qualified teachers, five support staff and one administrator. The service caters for children from two years up to school age. Most children enrolled are Tongan.
The service’s curriculum is informed by assessment and planning that aligns with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children are confident in their Tongan culture and are encouraged to understand and respect other cultures.
Kau faiako providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development. Ongoing monitoring of licensing requirements remains a priority for the service.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
24 November 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Akoteu Lotofale’ia |
| Profile Number | 10242 |
| Location | Mangere, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
50 children over 2 years of age. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
Service roll |
45 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, Tongan 41 |
Review team on site |
June 2021 |
Date of this report |
24 November 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, October 2017; Education Review, December 2015. |
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.
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:
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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Akoteu Lotofale'ia is a large purpose-built centre operating under the auspices of the Tongan Methodist Church. It is licensed to provide all-day care and education for up to 50 children aged over two years. The roll is currently full and there is a waiting list. Most of the children enrolled are Tongan and there is a small group from other ethnic backgrounds.
This service for children over two operates alongside the Akoteu Lotofaleia Under 2s service. Managers have applied to combine the two services under one licence, which will assist with administration.
The philosophy and vision of the akoteu have a strong focus on promoting Christian values and Tongan language and culture. Practices and developments at the akoteu are guided and underpinned by Otua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofi'a' (God and Tonga are my heritage).
The manager and many staff have a long association with the akoteu. All staff are Tongan and speak lea faka Tonga fluently, and most teachers are qualified. A management committee consisting of parents and staff provides governance support for the centre. The managers and head teachers provide leadership in the akoteu.
Managers and teachers have participated in professional learning in governance, teaching and internal evaluation. Teachers are mentored by an external professional learning and development provider.
Managers and teachers have been responsive in addressing the significant number of areas for improvement and actions for compliance identified in ERO's 2015 report.
Akoteu Lotofale'ia is well placed to continue promoting positive learning outcomes for children. Children are settled and confident, and interact well with each other and their teachers. They are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own and others' wellbeing. Their social and emotional competence is promoted well.
Children, staff and parents have a strong pride and sense of belonging in Tongan language, culture and identity. Children in this akoteu are socially and physically confident. They enjoy conversation with each other and adults, and are happy in their play.
Children participate in an integrated programme that allows them to explore the well-resourced and inviting indoor and outdoor learning environments freely. They make decisions about their own play. Children confidently speak and sing in lea faka Tonga. Teachers prioritise opportunities to build children's oral language in learning programmes.
The learning environment and resources frequently celebrate and acknowledge Tongan culture. Children make decisions about their own play. Children confidently speak and sing in lea faka Tonga and actively participate in group times, music and movement.
Teachers' effective teaching practices support and extend children’s play. Children are challenged to follow up on an interest in greater depth. They enjoy good opportunities for excursions that enhance their learning.
Centre leaders are committed to recognising the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand in the curriculum. Te reo me ōna tikanga Māori feature in the programme. Cultural events such as Matariki are celebrated with children and kainga.
Teachers have recently reviewed and strengthened transition processes. Children’s sense of belonging is nurtured during and after transitions, particularly into and within the service. The service has a good relationship with local schools. Successful transitions for children are supported by effective partnerships between families and schools.
The akoteu is attractive and very welcoming to children and kainga. Teachers offer many opportunities to keep parents informed. They gather kainga aspirations that contribute to programme planning and interact well with kainga.
The programme, planning and assessment processes are closely aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers use a Tongan methodology effectively. The Kakala; toli, tui and luva (notice, recognise and respond) approach enables them to plan and assess in ways that are individualised and responsive to children's learning abilities and individual interests.
Teachers work well as a team and are keen to develop leadership skills. They are supportive of each other and the goals and values of the akoteu, including promoting children's joy in learning.
An effective leadership and professional learning structure is in place. This provides mentoring and appraisal that helps teachers to reflect on and improve their teaching practice. There are good opportunities for staff to access professional learning in performance management and internal evaluation.
The akoteu is well led by managers and head teachers and strategic planning is comprehensive. They understand the purpose of internal evaluation and well-established processes have a focus on improving outcomes for children. Managers are strategic and responsible, and now need to consider strategies for supporting the long-term sustainability of the akoteu.
Next steps for ongoing improvement include:
continuing to embed the principles of Te Whāriki and teaching strategies that extend children's thinking and complex play opportunities
increasing the number of qualified staff
enhancing internal evaluation by using indicators of effective practice
ensuring policies are reviewed and distinguishing between policy and procedure.
Before the review, the staff and management of Akoteu Lotofale'ia 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:
During the review, ERO looked at the 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 registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Akoteu Lotofale'ia will be in three years.
Graham Randell Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
31 October 2017
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Mangere, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10242 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
50 children over 2 years of age |
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Service roll |
50 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 26 Boys 24 |
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Ethnic composition |
Tongan |
42 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2017 |
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Date of this report |
31 October 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
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Education Review |
February 2012 |
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Education Review |
November 2008 |
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ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.