1/54 Trevor Hosken Drive, Wiri, 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 |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
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.
Fotumalama Aoga Amata is a Samoan early childhood service governed by an independent board of trustees. A centre manager is supported by a head teacher and a team of three teachers. There are two learning spaces for different age groups of children. Most of the children attending are of Samoan heritage.
The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. 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 others. A philosophy statement guides operations expressing the service’s beliefs, values, and attitudes.
Ongoing monitoring and implementation of practices is required to ensure all aspects of regulatory standards are maintained.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows that it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Ensuring windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are made of safety glass (PF7).
Ensuring furniture and items intended for children to sleep on, are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (PF30).
Having a record of emergency drills carried out with children on at least a three-monthly basis (HS8).
Having a documented risk management system that identifies, eliminates, minimises or isolates hazards (HS12).
Having evidence that water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).
Having a record of excursions that includes method of travel and evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios for special excursions (HS17).
Having evidence of parental permission for travel by motor vehicle prior to the excursion taking place (HS18).
Having evidence of the review of accident, injury and illness records and the implementation of practices as required (HS27).
Ensuring practices are consistent when recording the administration of medication to children (HS28).
Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are being safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
22 December 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Fotumalama Aoga Amata |
|
Profile Number |
45578 |
|
Location |
Wiri, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 children aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
|
Service roll |
25 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
22 December 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019 |
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.
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.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Fotumalama Aoga Amata is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fotumalama Aoga Amata is a purpose-built centre licensed for 50 children from babies to school age. Most children who attend are of Samoan heritage. The centre was established in 2012 on the grounds of the Samoan Methodist Churches of Samoa (Manukau Parish). It is governed by an independent board of trustees. The board includes the newly appointed parish minister as the chairperson, centre manager, supervisor, and two parent representatives.
The trust is responsible for overseeing staff appointments and the development of the centre's strategic direction, policies and procedures. The centre manager oversees the day-to-day operations. A newly appointed supervisor mentors teachers in professional practice, and managing and implementing the curriculum.
The centre’s philosophy aims to provide early childhood education that values children's culture, language and identity. The aoga amata promotes a holistic programme integrated with a Christian based curriculum and underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Gagana and aganu'u Samoa are an integral part of the daily programme. The service is committed to promoting Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Since the last 2015 ERO report, most of the teachers are new and registered. The report identified some positive outcomes for children in the quality of the programme for children and a strengthening of the management of aoga operations. Good progress has been made to meet the areas identified in the last report for improvements.
Teachers view children as confident and competent learners. They provide a variety of experiences for children to explore. Children are quick to settle in the programme, participate willingly and make choices in the defined areas of play. Some children are becoming confident to initiate conversations with each other and with adults. Children have fun and enjoy conversations with their friends and family members, which promotes a strong sense of belonging in the centre.
A separate area for infants and toddlers allows them to explore, learn about their environment and find the resources that support their play. Staff are sensitive and affectionate to the needs of infants and toddlers. They know these younger children well. To strengthen the programme, teachers should participate in targeted professional learning to improve their professional practice and develop a curriculum for infants and toddlers.
A focus on children and adults learning together is valued. Positive team work is evident. Teachers are respectful and responsive to children, and their aiga. It is timely for teachers to extend the range of resources available and consider how they could provide more opportunities for children to lead their own play. Children are well supported to develop literacy and mathematics through play. Teachers could now look at strengthening the provision for science and technology learning in programme planning.
Bicultural practices are well modelled by staff. Tuakana/teina relationships are promoted. The use of waiata and te reo Māori is used as a natural part of children’s play, particularly during group times. Music promotes a sense of calmness for children and supports their oral language development.
There is strong evidence of fa'a Samoa and aganu'u Samoa in the programme. Most of the children are of Samoan heritage and their families attend the parish. Teachers are fluent in the gagana Samoa. This supports children's learning, as well as strengthening relationships with families. Teachers’ partnerships with parents are based on acceptance, respect and willingness to listen and make changes in response to aiga aspirations.
The new board has made positive changes to the governance and management of the aoga. Trustees have supported the centre leaders in their role. Sound financial management is strongly evident and places the aoga in a good position to review staff remuneration.
Internal evaluation is leading to centre improvements. To build on this good practice, centre leaders should continue to develop the staff's evaluative capability.
Key next steps to improve teachers' professional practice include:
developing teachers' understanding of play-based curriculum and related teaching practices
improving resources to challenge children's thinking and learning
aligning the transition to school programme with Te Whāriki.
accessing quality professional learning for staff, including specific support for teachers who work with infants and toddlers.
To improve governance and management practices, the board agrees to:
access external professional development to strengthen governance and management roles and responsibilities
review personnel policies and procedures to ensure these meet current legal requirements for staff recruitment
provide centre leaders with robust appraisal and mentoring processes to support and grow their practice
Before the review, the staff and management of Fotumalama Aoga Amata 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
22 March 2019
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.
|
Location |
Wiri, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45578 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
35 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 18 Boys 17 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 March 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
||
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:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fotumalama O Le Taeao Aoga Amata is a bilingual Samoan aoga that operates with the support of the New Zealand Methodist Churches of Samoa, Manukau Parish. The aoga is governed by an independent board of trustees. The board has been working with the Ministry of Education to increase the aoga roll. Plans for future property development and improvements to the outdoor play area are underway.
The aoga is licensed for 50 children, with a maximum of ten children up to two years of age. The children are predominantly of Samoan heritage. Small numbers of children are of Māori and other Pacific ethnicities. Children attend full time. The older and younger children have separate play areas and opportunities to interact as a mixed age group.
The long serving centre manager and recently appointed supervisor work well together to lead the aoga. They promote high expectations for staff and positive outcomes for children. The supervisor leads the curriculum and models effective teaching practice. The aoga has recently experienced a number of staff changes. The five qualified early childhood teachers are supported by two teacher aides and an administrator.
The 2012 ERO report identified Samoan language and culture, and Christian faith as strengths in the programme. These positive features of the centre’s philosophy continue to be evident.
Children spontaneously speak Samoan to adults and each other as they play. Teachers continually model Samoan language in their conversations. Children have friendly and caring relationships with their peers and adults. Families are warmly welcomed by staff as they arrive. Children display a strong sense of belonging in the aoga and settle quickly to play. They are developing independence by learning to manage their own routines.
Children have access to defined areas of play throughout the aoga. During the morning programme children mostly choose from table top activities in the indoor area. Adults respond to children by talking to them about their play.
Children enjoy opportunities to lead their own creative play. They engage in lots of conversations with their peers when they are given the chance to develop their own imaginative play. Teachers should build on these good beginnings to support children’s thinking and play beyond a basic level.
Teachers are learning to be consistently responsive to infants’ and toddlers’ changing preferences and needs. The youngest children receive good care and attention for their individual needs when teachers work as a team and are flexible to children’s cues.
Staff should continue to review the learning environment for children up to two years of age to better support their needs and stages of development. Planned improvements to the outdoor play area will contribute to this. The infants and toddlers would benefit from more age related equipment that encourages exploration. Teachers should avoid overcrowding spaces with activities.
The manager and supervisor have undertaken self review to bring about improvements that are focused on positive outcomes for children. Teachers have begun external professional development to strengthen the quality of the programme. Self review and ongoing support should help teachers to develop assessment and programme planning that builds on children’s interests, engagement in sustained play and provides more challenge for older children.
A focused review of the aoga philosophy and vision and commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi should help to establish an inclusive programme that:
Teachers should also regularly review the positive guidance policy and guidelines to reinforce appropriate social skills for children. This will contribute to fostering peaceful conflict resolution and respectful relationships between children.
The centre manager and trustees provides good support for teachers to advance their provisional registration. They have begun to build teachers’ reflective practice through their appraisal process. The manager should also provide the supervisor with robust appraisal and mentoring support to assist her in her role.
The manager and supervisor have strengthened self-review to ensure the aoga continues to improve. Transparent relationships between the board and centre leaders are supporting collaborative centre development. The manager develops a strategic plan in consultation with the board, parents and staff. She reports to the board against the strategic goals. Strengthening documented, evaluative self review should support the centre’s commitment to ongoing improvement and positive outcomes for children.
ERO agrees with the board and centre leaders plans to improve the quality of the programme and outcomes for children by:
Before the review, the staff and management of Fotumalama O Le Taeao Aoga Amata 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.
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 Fotumalama O Le Taeao Aoga Amata will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
19 June 2015
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.
|
Location |
Wiri, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45578 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
50 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Samoan Cook Island Tongan Tuvaluan Samoan/Indian |
1 42 2 2 2 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
19 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
2012 |
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.