- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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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.
Aiga Paia Aoga Amata is situated in the grounds of Holy Family School in Cannons Creek, Porirua. This full day education and care service is licensed for 30 children from birth to school age. The aoga amata operates under the guidance of a management committee. Samoan language and culture and the Catholic faith underpin the centre’s philosophy and curriculum.
The centre’s full licence was reinstated in January 2014. Management committee members and staff are involved in professional development in the Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities (SELO) initiative.
The management committee, centre manager and staff have made considerable progress in addressing recommendations identified in ERO’s 2013 report. Self review, teaching, leadership and engagement with parents required improvement.
Caring relationships between teachers and children are evident. There is a shared understanding of the centre’s philosophy that refers to ‘the heart, head, hands, feet and nerves’. This philosophy focuses on holistic wellbeing, and underpins the curriculum. The well-developed curriculum also includes links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Samoan language and culture are priorities. Teachers use Samoan language throughout the day and encourage children to build their confidence and understanding of the language. Children have opportunities to learn together through prayer, song and dance. Teachers demonstrate respect for the Tiriti o Waitangi by supporting children to experience basic te reo Māori and waiata. Literacy and numeracy are also emphasised at group times.
Teachers plan together and display this planning for staff, parents and children. Planning is presented as a Fala ole Mafaufau (thinking mat), representing threads of the children’s learning journeys.
Parents are informed about their children’s learning through regular conversations with staff and assessment information in children's profile books. Teachers document attractively presented learning stories to show each child’s learning and to record possible next learning steps.
The management committee have well-considered plans for building reciprocal relationships with local schools to help children in their transition to school.
A new strategic plan gives clear future direction and is linked well to the centre’s philosophy. Progress towards strategic goals is regularly monitored, promoting ongoing reflection by managers and staff. Financial management has been improved with external support.
Policies have been redesigned to link with the philosophy. A schedule for policy review is being developed. Systems for staff appraisal have been implemented. All staff contribute to self review in a process they call ‘harmonising’.
The management committee and staff have responded positively to professional development. They regularly share their new learning and make changes to teaching practices. Staff also have opportunities to extend their learning through visits to other centres. The introduction of a ‘strength-based’ approach to growing leadership is encouraging all staff to identify and build on their strengths.
The capable management committee have worked well together to make decisions about governance of the aoga amata. ERO and the management committee agree that key next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Aiga Paia 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
To meet requirements the service must ensure that non-registered staff are police vetted every three years.
[Education Act 1989 Sections 78C to 78D]
The next ERO review of Aiga Paia Aoga Amata will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
23 October 2014
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 |
Cannons Creek, Porirua |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60338 |
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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 |
30 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
21 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 11 Girls 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Tokelauan Cook Island Māori |
5 1 10 4 1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2014 |
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Date of this report |
23 October 2014 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2013 |
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Supplementary Review |
August 2009 |
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Education Review |
June 2008 |
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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.