Ako Space

Education institution number:
849
School type:
Full Primary
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
15
Telephone:
Address:

111 Archers Road, Glenfield, Auckland

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Ako - 14/02/2019

Findings

On the basis of the information obtained during the review, ERO considers that Ako meets the criteria for registration as a private school set out in the Education Act 1989.

1 Background

The Chief Review Officer has a statutory duty to report on the performance of private schools throughout New Zealand.

Section 35I of the Education Act 1989, requires the Education Review Office (ERO) to review private schools between 6 and 12 months after they have been provisionally registered, and to report to the Ministry of Education for the Secretary to consider full registration.

This ERO review follows the provisional registration of the school by the Ministry of Education in February 2018, and focuses on whether the school now meets the criteria for full registration as a private school.

2 Criteria for Registration

Ako is a new private school with provisional registration as a co-educational school for students in Years 1 to 8. The school is owned and operated by Ako Space Limited. The school is managed by two directors and a management team. An advisory board has supported the establishment phase. Currently the directors are seeking to set up a charitable trust for the school, and are considering the development of a more formal board structure.

Ako provides suitable premises, equipment, curriculum, staffing and tuition for its guiding educational vision. The school was established to offer a play-based, child-led curriculum that prepares children for an unknown future, nurtures the whole child, and sets the foundation for an ongoing love of learning. Documentation shared with prospective parents provides detailed and relevant information about the school’s curriculum, values and vision.

The school has leased one of three classrooms located within the Awataha Marae in Northcote. The other classrooms are available for the school as the roll increases. The school makes good use of covered spaces adjacent to the classroom for projects and activities. Children benefit from concrete and grassy areas on the property, and the close proximity of Smith’s Bush and the Onewa Domain.  Other local amenities are also included in curriculum programmes. The school is sufficiently equipped to support the curriculum and the current school roll.

The school’s curriculum includes aspects of the New Zealand Curriculum, and an emergent curriculum approach that links with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Guiding values include play, curiosity, creativity, respect, community, wellbeing. Daily programmes are flexible and children learn what they are intrinsically motivated to learn. Learning outside the classroom is a key curriculum focus, and children have frequent opportunities to explore and arrange activities in the local bush reserve and community environments.

Children each have a portfolio of learning stories that show examples of the varied learning experiences that they have been involved in. Literacy and mathematics assessments are made at the beginning and end of each year to identify children’s progress and learning aspects needing support. Teachers track children’s holistic progress through individual learning plans. This progress is shared with parents at termly conferences, where children set and discuss their holistic learning goals.

The school has suitable staffing, which includes a high ratio of teachers to students. This enables staff to work with individuals and small groups as children’s interests guide the programme. Staff promote a caring, inclusive environment for children, who benefit from teachers’ responsive and adaptive practices.

The school’s managers have attested that they comply with the provision of section 35G in respect to their being fit and proper persons to manage the school.

3 Other Obligations

Ako management have developed policies and procedures related to health and safety and relevant to the school’s context. Staff and parent helpers are police vetted appropriately. ERO discussed with managers how risk management could be strengthened by assurance that other adults who work on the school site have current police vets.

4 Conclusion

On the basis of the information obtained during the review, ERO considers that Ako meets the criteria for registration as a private school set out in the Education Act 1989.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region

14 February 2019

About the School 

Location

Northcote, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

849

School type

Private School - Full Primary (Years 1 to 8)

School roll

14

Gender composition

Boys      10
Girls         4

Ethnic composition

Pākehā
other ethnic groups

10
  4

Review team on site

December 2018

Date of this report

14 February 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

No previous ERO reports