Pasifika Early Learning - Le Malelega a le To'elau

Education institution number:
45591
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Samoan ECE service
Total roll:
22
Telephone:
Address:

40 Cleek Road, Mangere East, Auckland

View on map

Pasifika Early Learning – Le Malelega a le To’elau

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

Regulatory standards

ERO’s judgement

CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

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.

Background

Pasifika Early Learning – Le Malelega a le To’elau is a Samoan bilingual centre operating under new ownership. It is one of four services that is governed and managed by Solve Education Ltd. Three directors lead a team of six staff. Most children attending are of Samoan heritage with a small number of tamariki Māori.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and to understand and respect other cultures. Children’s preferences are supported. They are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.

Teachers provide a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning. Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their learning and development. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour is supported.

Consistent implementation of health and safety practices is required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.

Key Next Steps 

Next steps include:

  • improve the extent to which assessment information shows individual children’s learning in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum
  • increase the opportunities children have to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts
  • continue to explore ways of seeking and responding to parents and whānau aspirations for their child’s learning.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • Having documented evidence of review of the services emergency plan on an, at least, annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required (HS7).
  • Having evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios for special excursions (HS17).
  • Ensuring every children’s worker must be safety checked every three years. Safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review 

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education. 

Patricia Davey 
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

14 February 2024

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Pasifika Early Learning Centre - Le Malelega a le To’elau
Profile Number 45591
LocationMangere East, Auckland 
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for50 children, including up to 12 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers 80-99%
Service roll36
Review team on site21 November 2023
Date of this report14 February 2024
Most recent ERO report(s)First ERO review of 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. 

Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE centre - 11/04/2019

1 Evaluation of Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre

How well placed is Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre is a community based, bilingual Samoan centre. It is governed by The Fountain of Knowledge Trust Board. The centre provides care and education for up to 50 children, with a maximum of 15 children up to 2 years of age. Most of the children identify as Samoan.

The philosophy acknowledges the importance of children learning through their Samoan culture and language in play. It acknowledges Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori as tāngata whenua. Supporting children's holistic development using Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and fa'a Samoa, is valued.

The board employs an administrator, financial manager, and six qualified teachers, including the executive director and professional service manager (PSM). Most of the teaching team are new since ERO's 2015 review, and are recent graduates. The board has delegated the executive director to oversee centre governance and management. The PSM provides curriculum leadership and practice for the teaching team.

The 2015 ERO report identified areas for development in emerging leadership, and the use of internal evaluation to improve the programme. The board has responded well to these areas for development. Staff turnover has identified other priorities for the new team.

The Review Findings

Children experience a programme that is embedded in the centre philosophy and supports their sense of belonging and wellbeing. They learn the values of fa'aaloalo (respect), alofa (love) and tautua (service) through gagana and fa'a Samoa. Children use te reo Māori and learn aspects of tikanga Māori.

Leaders ensure that children with additional learning needs receive very good individualised support, with parent, teachers and external agency involvement. Children's social competence, oral language, and physical development are well supported in a positive environment.

Infants' and toddlers' self-help skills and sense of belonging, are well promoted through primary caregiving and consistent routines. Adults provide nurturing and caring interactions in a calm setting. Teachers support children's transitions well. Infants and toddlers have good opportunities to explore at their own pace, to play alongside their peers, and to interact with the older children.

The PSM provides curriculum leadership, and modelling of effective teaching practice to develop a shared understanding of the centre vision and philosophy. Teachers access a variety of relevant external and internal professional learning and development (PLD). Leaders are supporting teachers to develop their reflective practice, and are poised to undertake staff PLD in Te Whāriki and Reggio Emilia. This should support the team to strengthen the learning programme in response to individual children's needs, and to extend their learning through play. A planned review of the centre environment should also support this goal.

Leaders very effectively promote and contribute to the centre's community and the early childhood profession nationally. They have good links with the local school's Samoan bilingual unit and contribute to bilingual forums. Leaders implement meaningful teacher appraisal processes and continue to build teachers' capability in intentional teaching and reflective practice. They agree that they should strengthen teachers' induction programme and appraisal links to the Code of Professional Responsibility.

The board is very effective in its role. The executive director reports regularly to the board, and implements strong processes of internal evaluation to identify centre goals and sustain ongoing improvement. The board make good use of parent voice to inform internal evaluation, and are implementing plans to upgrade the outdoor environment. The centre has relevant systems and processes for health and safety management.

Key Next Steps

Leaders agree that priorities for improving outcomes for children include continuing to:

  • improve the learning environment through professional learning to increase children's learning opportunities
  • promote intentional teaching and reflective practice to increase teachers' capability to respond to and extend children's learning
  • strengthen learning-focused partnerships with parents.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

11 April 2019

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

LocationMangere, Auckland
Ministry of Education profile number45591
Licence typeEducation & Care Service
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2
Service roll30
Gender compositionGirls 17 Boys 13
Ethnic compositionMāori 
Samoan 
other ethnic groups
3
24
3
Percentage of qualified teachers80% +
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:5Meets minimum requirements
Over 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteFebruary 2019
Date of this report11 April 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewMay 2015
Education ReviewApril 2012

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement

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.

Review Coverage

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.

Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE centre - 15/05/2015

1 Evaluation of Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre

How well placed is Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placedRequires further developmentWell placedVery well placed

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Le Malelega a le To’elau ECE centre is a bilingual Samoan centre in Mangere, Auckland. It has been operating since 2010 under the Fountain of Knowledge Trust Board. The centre is a modern, purpose-built building on spacious grounds that also accommodate a further, separate early childhood facility. The centre provides separate indoor and outdoor spaces for the children who are under three and for those over three years of age. The centre environment is attractive, inviting and strongly reflects its unique Samoan character.

The centre is licensed for 50 children, including a maximum of 15 children up to the age of two years. The centre mission statement and philosophy embraces children’s success. It does this by developing children’s sense of identity and emphasising children’s Samoan culture and language. The centre values children’s holistic development. It provides a child-sensitive, interactive programme. The philosophy is strongly evident in the centre’s practice.

The experienced centre manager and supervisor are long serving staff. Together with the board and staff they share a commitment to the underpinning philosophy of the centre. There is a culture of high expectations for children and staff. The board supports high quality professional development for staff and maintains a high percentage of qualified teachers. Qualified staff have the assistance of four teacher aides and an administrator.

This is the second ERO review of Le Malelega a le To’elau ECE Centre. The board and managers have embedded the strengths evident at the time of the 2012 ERO review. There has been very good progress in the areas that were identified for development.

The Review Findings

Infants and toddlers receive nurturing care in a calm and relaxing environment. They are comfortable in their surroundings. Teachers are flexible in their responses, constantly interact with the babies and have a good knowledge of them and the toddlers. Children enjoy variety in their play, including indoor and outdoor experiences and opportunities to mix with older children.

Children show a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging. They are well supported to settle. Teachers liaise closely with parents to provide appropriate care and to support children’s transitions into the centre, through the centre and on to school. Teachers are respectful of children’s choices and follow their lead.

Teachers’ professional development has had a positive impact on improving outcomes for children. Play is valued as key to children’s learning. Teachers use interactive teaching approaches and provoke children’s exploration and thinking by setting up the environment to encourage play. Staff and children have fun in the process of learning. Teachers emphasise developing children’s oral language and social skills. They recognise the value of continuing to review how well the programme supports children’s complex play.

Children engage in play that builds on their interests. They spend much of their day exploring a range of play areas. There is a commitment to providing children with high quality equipment and resources. Children have many opportunities to lead, talk about and revisit their play. Teachers integrate literacy, numeracy, science and some te reo Māori throughout the programme. Continuing to strengthen the bicultural curriculum will help reflect the unique place of tangata whenua in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The centre manager and supervisor provide effective curriculum leadership. Children’s records of learning increasingly show how children have progressed in an area of interest. Parents contribute ideas to the programme. They also provide feedback in their children’s learning portfolios. The teaching team collaboratively plan, assess and evaluate the programme. They should continue to build on the very good models of teaching practice within the centre. This will assist them to strengthen team capability and develop shared curriculum leadership.

A culture of continual improvement is promoted by centre managers. They are supporting teachers to develop their understanding of self review. Teachers are increasingly reflective about their practice and this is contributing to a more robust process of appraisal. Teachers review the curriculum using an inquiry approach to improve their teaching practice. Their professional development is relevant to the centre’s philosophy and strategic goals. Teachers are committed to engaging in research-based learning about effective bilingual teaching and learning practices.

The Trust works collaboratively to govern the centre and it aims to provide a high quality service for children and their families. It implements sound planning that is informed by self review. Appropriate documentation including policies, procedures and strategic and annual planning, form a framework for the operation of the centre. There are good systems and processes in place to assure the board of the centre’s strategic direction.

Key Next Steps

ERO and the centre managers agree that the next steps for the centre include continuing to strengthen:

  • the use of self review to make ongoing improvements to the programme
  • emerging leadership amongst teachers
  • the extent to which the programme reflects the bicultural principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Le Malelega a le To'elau ECE Centre will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

15 May 2015

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

LocationMangere, Auckland  
Ministry of Education profile number45591  
Licence typeEducation & Care Service  
Licensed underEducation (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008  
Number licensed for50 children, including up to 15 aged under 2  
Service roll38  
Gender composition

Boys 26

Girls 12

  
Ethnic compositionSamoan38 

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%  
Reported ratios of staff to childrenUnder 21:5Meets minimum requirements
 Over 21:10Meets minimum requirements
Review team on siteMarch 2015  
Date of this report15 May 2015  

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education ReviewApril 2012 

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.