A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated

Education institution number:
20197
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Samoan ECE service
Total roll:
50
Telephone:
Address:

Richmond Road Primary School, Ponsonby, Auckland

View on map

A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated

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

Curriculum

Meeting

Premises and facilities

Not meeting

Health and safety

Not meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

A’oga Fa’a Samoa Incorporated is an immersion Samoan early learning service situated in the grounds of Richmond Road Primary School. A parent board provides governing oversight. A centre manager leads a team of thirteen qualified staff and four support staff. All children attending are of Samoan heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture. It encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. Children are provided with a language-rich environment that supports their learning.

The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, aiga, and life contexts. Adults engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children have a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development.

Consistent implementation of operational requirements is required to maintain regulatory standards.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

  • having a current Annual Building Warrant of Fitness for the premises

  • having a current Fire Evacuation Scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF3 and HS4.

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • A written emergency plan and supplies to ensure the care and safety of the children and adults at the service. The plan includes evacuation procedures for the service’s premises, which apply in a variety of emergency situations, and which are consistent with the Fire Evacuation Scheme for the building (HS7).

  • Ensuring children are checked for warmth, breathing and general wellbeing at least every 5-10 minutes and a record of children’s sleep times is kept (H9).

  • Checking equipment, premises and facilities daily for hazards that includes all considerations of hazards required for this criterion (HS12).

  • Having a means to ensure water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C (HS14).

  • Documenting that assessment and management of risk is undertaken, including a person responsible giving approval for the excursion to take place, and there is evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios for special excursions (HS17).

  • Developing a written child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. The policy contains provisions for the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect, and information about how the service will keep children safe from abuse and neglect, and how the service will respond to suspected child abuse and neglect (HS31).

  • Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Next ERO Review

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

6 October 2022 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

A’oga Fa’a Samoa Incorporated

Profile Number

20197

Location

Ponsonby, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

100%

Service roll

56

Review team on site

August 2022

Date of this report

6 October 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, November 2017; Education Review, October 2013

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.

A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated - 09/11/2017

1 Evaluation of A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated

How well placed is A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

A'oga Fa'a Samoa is a well-established total immersion Samoan early learning service. The aoga is located on the Richmond Road Primary School grounds and is licensed for 50 children, including up to 16 aged up to two years of age. All children attending are of Samoan heritage.

The aoga's philosophy promotes language immersion and nurtures the children's identity, language and culture. Key teachers stay with groups of children from when they are first enrolled to when they transition to school. The values of the 'Poutu Model' of alofa (love), tautua (service) and fa'aaloalo (respect) are the guiding principles for the aoga's vision for Samoan children and their families.

Well qualified teachers model the Samoan culture and language for children. They are involved in several professional learning and research opportunities that promote innovation and excellence in teaching and learning. Teachers have provided professional development to other early learning services including other aoga amata.

A centre manager works closely with a leader of teaching and learning to manage the aoga's strategic goals. They work together with a management committee to monitor centre priorities. Long-standing teachers are committed to the aoga's vision to deliver high quality outcomes for children.

ERO's 2013 report identified many high quality aspects of good performance and recommended that the aoga review its bicultural curriculum. The management committee and staff have made very good progress in addressing the recommendations from the 2013 ERO report.

The Review Findings

The aoga's philosophy is strongly evident in the programme provided for children. Skilled and capable teachers work cohesively to promote Gagana Samoa and Aganu'u Samoa and teachers provide a place of belonging for children, parents and aiga.

Children participate confidently and are empowered to make choices in the programme. They are socially competent, and relate well to each other and to adults in the aoga. Tuakana teina relationships help children to develop responsibilities and negotiate their play choices. Children know they are valued and express themselves freely with adults who support and enable their learning through play. They are empowered to be strong in their identity and lead their learning.

Teachers remain as primary caregivers for groups of children until they leave the aoga for school. Over this extended period of time they build in-depth knowledge of individual children and very trusting relationships with them, their parents and aiga.

An inviting environment offers children many opportunities to explore and discover as they play. The inclusive curriculum is based on children's interests and teachers' deep knowledge of Fa'a Samoa.

Teachers plan a programme based on children's individual or group interests. Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is highly evident in the programme and in the centre documentation. Authentic contexts for learning underpin all aspects of the curriculum, aoga culture and partnership with parents and whānau.

There is a strong commitment to providing a broad curriculum for children. Teachers provide many, varied learning opportunities for children, including literacy, numeracy, science, art, and music. Teacher's awareness of the bicultural nature of Aotearoa is skilfully woven throughout the curriculum, extending children's knowledge of te ao Māori.

Internal evaluation is well understood and used to make significant changes to many aspects of the aoga's operations and curriculum programme. Teachers demonstrate an understanding of the benefit of reviewing and inquiring into their practice. Professional learning conversations enrich teachers' effective practice.

Very good systems are in place to ensure policies and procedures are reviewed regularly. Staff and parents are all involved in the effective systems and processes that lead to positive outcomes for children. The aoga is influential in leading practice in the early learning sector through the teachers' involvement in research, conferences, and publications.

An experienced and skilled manager leads the teaching team, promoting teachers' systematic inquiry into their practice, which further develops their professional capability. The highly supportive management team who are elected parents, committed to promoting and encouraging emergent leadership. There is a strong focus on sustainability of initiatives that impact positively on children's wellbeing and learning at the aoga.

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that the aoga should continue the in-depth research and internal evaluation that guides their high quality innovative practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated 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 A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated will be in four years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

9 November 2017

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

Location

Grey Lynn, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20197

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2

Service roll

49

Gender composition

Girls 26 Boys 23

Ethnic composition

Samoan

49

Percentage of qualified teachers

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:3

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:7

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

October 2017

Date of this report

9 November 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review

August 2013

Education Review

March 2010

Education Review

March 2007

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.

A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated - 25/10/2013

1 Evaluation of A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated

How well placed is A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

A'oga Fa’a Samoa is a well established total immersion Samoan centre, located on the Richmond Road Primary School grounds. The aoga is licensed for 50 children including up to 16 aged up to 2 years. Many children transition into the school’s Samoan bilingual unit. A collaborative transition programme supports children and families.

Managers and staff have a commitment to providing a high quality learning environment that promotes the Samoan language, culture and identity. Samoan values of alofa, tautua and fa’aloalo underpin the aoga’s philosophy and vision for Samoan children and their families. The well qualified teaching team facilitate professional learning for other centres to develop teaching practices. The aoga continues to be involved in research and innovation.

A centre manager works with the management committee to manage aoga priorities. The longstanding teachers display strong commitment and shared high expectations for delivering high quality learning opportunities for children.

ERO’s 2010 report identified many positive aspects of good performance and recommended managers develop their management planning framework. Since 2010, the aoga has made good progress to align the strategic, management and centre plans more clearly.

The Review Findings

Managers continue to focus on maintaining the importance of Samoan cultural identity and preparing children to be culturally secure. Children are fully immersed in their Samoan language and culture and enjoy a sense of belonging at the Aoga. They enjoy each other’s company and are well supported by teachers to be socially competent. Children make choices to play and explore in groups or as individuals and move freely between the indoor and outdoor environments. Children benefit from a culturally rich environment that promotes confidence to be a capable Samoan learner. The cultural values of the Samoan ‘aiga’ enrich children’s sense of identity and they participate enthusiastically in lotu, pese and aoga routines.

Children enrolling in Richmond Rd School benefit from a process that helps to ensure a positive transition into the school’s Samoan bilingual unit. Regular visits to the school and visits from the primary teacher provide support for children and their families. Teachers participate with parents in the school’s interviewing process and help share relevant information with the school about the child.

Teachers at the aoga know their children and their community well. They model competency in the Samoan culture and promote learning in the Samoan language. Teachers ensure that there is a calm and unhurried atmosphere within an environment where the aiga is responsible for the child. Their modelling of caring and supportive relationships benefits the children in their care and their aiga.

The ‘key’ teacher concept has contributed to the success of the aoga’s ‘transition’ process. Teachers maintain close relationships with a group of children that they work with, and monitor their progress and development.

Parents are central to the life of the aoga and are involved in the management of centre operations. Parents’ aspirations and values are promoted. They and aiga are consulted and have opportunities to contribute to self review.

The programme is guided by children’s interests. Teachers plan appropriate activities and support the curriculum with relevant resources including computers for the older children. Teachers’ reflections inform further planning and resources. Resources include stories in the Samoan language that are made to support children’s learning. These stories are available for parents and other centres to purchase. Parents are well informed about the programme and their children’s learning through assessment portfolios and wall displays.

There is a clear understanding of the importance and value of meaningful self review. Managers, parents and teachers focus on making changes as a result of self review. Self review is ongoing and responsive to identified priorities.

Key Next Steps

Centre managers and ERO agree that the aoga could review the aoga’s bicultural curriculum.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated 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 A'oga Fa'a Samoa Incorporated will be in four years.

Dale Bailey National Manager Review Services Northern Region

25 October 2013

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

Location

Ponsonby, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

20197

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

50 children, including up to 16 aged under 2

Service roll

54

Gender composition

Boys 32 Girls 22

Ethnic composition

Samoan

54

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

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

August 2013

Date of this report

25 October 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

March 2010

 

Education Review

March 2007

 

Education Review

October 2002

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.