Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata

Education institution number:
10182
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Samoan ECE service
Total roll:
28
Telephone:
Address:

3/29 Wickman Way, Mangere, Auckland

View on map

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 

Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding
Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata is an immersion Samoan education and care service. A qualified director and curriculum leader lead a team of four qualified teachers and three support teachers. The service’s philosophy is deeply embedded in Gagana and Aganu’u Samoa and reflects Christian values. Most children attending are Samoan.

3 Summary of findings

Children experience a curriculum immersed in the Samoan language and culture. Their identity as Samoan learners is recognised and affirmed by teachers. Oral language is prioritised, and the curriculum supports multilingual language development. As a result, children’s sense of belonging and wellbeing is supported, and their mana and confidence upheld.

Children have developed nurturing, responsive relationships with their teachers. Learning environments are well resourced and provide good opportunities for children to explore and to be creative and imaginative. Teachers help children to lead their own learning, fostering their independence and
self-efficacy.

Service documentation shows that leaders and teachers have established learning-focused partnerships with parents and aiga. Parents value the care their children receive as part of a curriculum that strongly promotes Samoan cultural values, language, and practices.

Shared leadership and high relational trust across the teaching team is evident. Decisions are collaborative and parents’ perspectives are valued. There is a well-established process for internal evaluation, which is collaborative, and improvement focused. Leaders and teachers are committed to ongoing improvement to support children’s learning and development.

There is a clear vision and strategic direction for the service. Robust governance systems ensure compliance with regulatory requirements is consistently maintained. Leaders have established strong connections with external networks and agencies. These connections support teachers to continue to build their leadership capability and professional knowledge.

4 Improvement actions

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata will include the following action in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • To identify shared understandings (indicators) of effective curriculum and teaching practices and use this information to evaluate the impact improvements are having on children’s learning outcomes.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Fetu Taiala 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.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

4 October 2022 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata

Profile Number

10182

Location

Mangere, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

40

Review team on site

July 2022

Date of this report

4 October 2022

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, June 2016; Education Review, April 2012

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata - 17/06/2016

1 Evaluation of Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata

How well placed is Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata 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

Fetu Taiala is a full immersion Samoan education and care centre in Mangere, Auckland. The aoga is located in a newly established purpose built centre alongside four other Pacific centres. The management and staff have been involved in a one year relocation project. At the time of the ERO review the aoga had been operating at their new facility for two weeks.

The centre is licenced for 40 children including up to 8 aged under two years. It provides for three separate age groups, Fetu Ao (under two years), Fetu Pupula (two to three years) and Fetu Lele (three to five years).

The aoga’s philosophy is to provide a learning programme based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the Tiala mo le Gagana Samoa Curriculum. The context of the programme promotes gagana Samoa and aganu'u Samoa and Christian values.

ERO’s 2012 report identified planning, assessment and evaluation processes and self review as areas for development and review. The centre has made good progress in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children experience a responsive and child centred programme with a focus on developing children’s learning based on their interests. There is a strong focus on promoting the joy of learning for children.

The aoga provides an inclusive and supportive environment for children where they are respected and valued. They enjoy positive and respectful relationships and have a strong sense of belonging in the aoga. Children are encouraged to express ideas and opinions. Teachers are committed to embedding and building on effective practices to promote children’s learning and well-being.

Teachers model Samoan language well and children actively engage in pese, tauloto, ma le tatalo fa'a Samoa. Children converse in gagana Samoa and parents are encouraged to support first language development at home. Some children are adept at leading Samoan performing arts.

Children are keen to learn and willing to engage. They experience a variety of opportunities to learn through their play. Music is celebrated and integrated well into the programme for children. They have good access to a range of resources and the outdoor learning environment. Children enjoy the opportunity to participate in excursions that broaden their learning experiences. Children’s self-management, expression and spoken language are encouraged.

Children under two participate in mixed age play. They are encouraged to be active and to try new things to grow in their confidence. Management have been responsive to this and have implemented a plan to establish a separate under two outdoor play area so that younger children can engage more with one another and explore freely at their own pace.

Children's transition programme into school develops their literacy and numeracy well in the context of play. Successful transition to school has also been further supported by the centre's close relationship with local schools and ongoing opportunities for children to visit the local libraries and Samoan bilingual units.

Teachers’ appraisal processes are established and promote reflective practices. Teachers and management are committed to improving outcomes for children and leadership for staff. Staff have participated in ongoing professional learning and have developed a collaborative and open culture of sharing ideas to support positive outcomes for all children. Management and staff have had opportunities to share their knowledge and practice at local and overseas conferences.

Self review is used well to support ongoing improvement and quality learning for children. Centre policies have been reviewed to reflect current practice. The aoga has developed a strategic plan to guide centre practice.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre managers agreed on the following priorities for development:

To extend children’s learning opportunities, teachers could continue to

  • increase the level of challenge and complexity in the programme by promoting opportunities to develop children’s thinking, creativity and expression

  • focus on developing children's learning dispositions, especially for the under two programme

To ensure ongoing improvements in centre practices teachers and managers should:

  • strengthen internal evaluation processes and strategic planning by including the use of indicators to measure progress.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Fetu Taiala 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

17 June 2016

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

Mangere, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10182

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2

Service roll

37

Gender composition

Boys 22 Girls 15

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Samoan

Tongan

other

6

1

26

2

2

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

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2016

Date of this report

17 June 2016

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

April 2012

Education Review

February 2009

Previously reviewed as:

Sagato Iosefo Aoga Amata

Education Review

July 2005

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.

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata - 26/04/2012

1 The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata is a long-established early childhood centre. Located on the Southern Cross campus alongside four other Pacific centres, the premises are overseen by the Mangere Pacific ECE Trust. The centre is managed effectively by the Tava’esina Trust, made up from parents and community members. The two Trusts work in partnership to ensure that the centre is well placed to provide high quality education and care.

The centre has had a positive reporting history in recent times. Since the last ERO review there have been changes to centre management. Centre managers responded positively to the 2009 ERO report and have participated in a wide range of professional development. There is strong strategic vision and planning and an increased emphasis on self review.

The centre provides total immersion Samoan language. It reflects Christian values and aspects of Samoan traditions. Most children are competent, capable learners who are strong in their sense of belonging and identity. The centre is inclusive of all children from diverse backgrounds and acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori as tangata whenua.

Children are confident communicators in Samoan language and they use this as their language in play, social and learning situations. This enables them to make meaningful connections between home, centre and community experiences. Teachers are thinking about innovative ways to support children’s ongoing language development as they transition to school.

Future Action

ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.

2 Review Priorities

The Focus of the Review

Education reviews in early childhood services focus on the factors that contribute to positive outcomes for children. To reach these findings ERO evaluates:

  • Mana Whakahaere – how governance and management determines the services’ vision/philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
  • Pouārahi – how the leadership and capability of all involved, including educators, enhances positive outcomes for children
  • Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is implemented to achieve positive outcomes for children
  • Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning reflect diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

Within all these areas, ERO considers how the quality and sustainability of partnerships with whānau, and the effectiveness of self review, ensure that the service is well placed to continue to make improvements for the benefit of all children attending the service. ERO’s findings are set out below.

How well placed is Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata to promote positive outcomes for all children?

Background

Since the last ERO report, the management committee have appointed an effective centre manager and supervisor. Both leaders are proactive and skilled in their roles and responsibilities. Staff qualification levels have improved and teachers have participated in a wide range of external professional development including leadership and management. Despite the limited space of the centre, teachers have worked hard to create a purposeful, stimulating environment for children.

Areas of strength

  • The programme is designed to ensure that children understand their heritage, the importance of tikanga Māori and to support children’s sense of identity as Samoan citizens of Aotearoa.
  • Children show a strong sense of identity and pride as young Samoan learners. They are competent and confident in Samoan language and they have many opportunities to learn from their own experiences of Samoan culture.
  • The centre has a family atmosphere that is welcoming and inclusive. Children settle in quickly and confidently choose areas of play. Teachers support children’s choices.
  • Teachers model good examples of Samoan language and positive social and emotional behaviour. Consequently, teachers and children, and children and their peers experience positive relationships.
  • Teachers identify children’s interests and extend their learning. They effectively support child-initiated play.
  • Children are confident communicators. They are articulate and are motivated to share ideas and knowledge.
  • Transitions during the day are smooth and well managed with good opportunities for children to take leadership roles and increase their sense of responsibility and self-esteem.
  • Teachers respond to children’s needs. They set clear expectations of behaviour and daily routines. Teachers have high expectations of children’s capabilities. Children know what to do.
  • The supervisor and teachers have worked together to improve the links between planning, assessment and evaluation for individual and groups of children.
  • Teachers make purposeful use of the environment. Aspects of literacy and numeracy are skilfully blended in the programme and this is evident in the resources available.

Areas for development and review

Centre managers have identified the following areas for further development and review.

  • Teachers could consider ways to be more creative and innovative with planning, assessment and evaluation.
  • Centre managers should continue to strengthen self review and reflective practice in order to ensure that they foster ongoing, sustained improvement.

3 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff of Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelf-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

  • administration
  • health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial and property management.

During the review, ERO looked at the service’s documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:

  • emotional safety (including behaviour management, prevention of bullying and abuse)
  • physical safety (including behaviour management, sleeping and supervision practices; accidents and medication; hygiene and routines; travel and excursion policies and procedures)
  • staff qualifications and organisation
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

4 Future Action

ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.

Makere Smith

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region (Acting)

About the Centre

Type

All Day Education and Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

36 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 years

Roll number

36

Gender composition

Girls 18 Boys 18

Ethnic composition

Samoan 24,

Māori/Samoan 5,

Tongan/Samoan 4

Niue/Samoan 2,

Cook Island Maōri /Samoan 1

Review team on site

February 2012

Date of this report

26 April 2012

Previous three ERO reports

Education Review, February 2009

Previous reports as Sagato Iosefo Aoga Amata: Education Review, July 2005 Supplementary Review, October 2004

To the Parents and Community of Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata.

Fetu Taiala Aoga Amata is a long-established early childhood centre. Located on the Southern Cross campus alongside four other Pacific centres, the premises are overseen by the Mangere Pacific ECE Trust. The centre is managed effectively by the Tava’esina Trust, made up from parents and community members. The two Trusts work in partnership to ensure that the centre is well placed to provide high quality education and care.

The centre has had a positive reporting history in recent times. Since the last ERO review there have been changes to centre management. Centre managers responded positively to the 2009 ERO report and have participated in a wide range of professional development. There is strong strategic vision and planning and an increased emphasis on self review.

The centre provides total immersion Samoan language. It reflects Christian values and aspects of Samoan traditions. Most children are competent, capable learners who are strong in their sense of belonging and identity. The centre is inclusive of all children from diverse backgrounds and acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori as tangata whenua.

Children are confident communicators in Samoan language and they use this as their language in play, social and learning situations. This enables them to make meaningful connections between home, centre and community experiences. Teachers are thinking about innovative ways to support children’s ongoing language development as they transition to school.

Future Action

ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.

When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.

Makere Smith

National Manager Review Services

Northern Region (Acting)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:

  • improve quality of education for children in early childhood centres; and
  • provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.

Review Focus

ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.

Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.

Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.

Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.