54 Fairview Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland
View on mapERO’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.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
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.
Fetu’u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool is a Tongan language nest managed and governed by the Tongan Catholic Chaplaincy. The centre manager leads a new team of three qualified staff and one support teacher in training. ERO’s 2020 report found that the service required further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children. Some progress is evident.
The service curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and their interests within the context of Fetu’u Moana. Tongan cultural values of faka’apa’apa (respect) and tauhi vā (nurture positive relationships) are embedded in teachers’ daily interactions with children and their families.
Regular opportunities are provided for children to develop an understanding of the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Teachers provide a language-rich environment that allows children to be confident in their own culture. A range of experiences and opportunities are provided to enhance and extend children’s learning and development.
Ongoing monitoring of health and safety practices is required to ensure all aspects of regulatory compliance are maintained.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Ensuring a tempering valve or other accurate means of limiting hot water temperature is installed for the requirements of criterion HS13 to be met (PF24).
Ensuring furniture and items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) that will be used by more than one child over time are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (PF30).
Thoroughly checking equipment, premises, and facilities every day of operation for hazards to the children (HS12).
Monitoring that the temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children is no higher than 40° Celsius, and comfortable for children at the centre to use (HS13).
Monitoring that water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60° Celsius (HS14).
Ensuring that when children leave the premises on an excursion, assessment and management of the risks is undertaken and adult-child ratios determined accordingly (HS17).
If children travel in a motor vehicle while in the care of the service, a written permission of a parent of the child is obtained before the travel begins (HS18).
Maintaining a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medicine (appropriate to the category of medicine) (HS28).
Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).
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
20 June 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Fetu’u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool |
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Profile Number |
25353 |
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Location |
Papatoetoe, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
31 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 1, NZ European/Pākehā 1, Tongan 16, other Pacific 7, other ethnic groups 6 |
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Review team on site |
May 2022 |
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Date of this report |
20 June 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2020; Education Review, June 2016 |
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.
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.
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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Fetu'u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool requires external support to ensure that the programme for children is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Support is also required to establish effective management processes and a policy framework that complies with current legislation.
Fetu'u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool is not well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Fetu'u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool is a Tongan language immersion service in Papatoetoe, Auckland. It is licensed for 30 children, including up to five aged under two years. Infants and toddlers are integrated into the programme with older children. Almost all children attending are Tongan.
The centre operates under the governance of the Tongan Catholic Chaplaincy with a management committee of church, parent and staff representatives. The centre has two registered teachers who are supported by four other staff.
The centre has a variable reporting history with ERO. The 2016 ERO report identified several areas for improvement, including providing purposeful and challenging learning programmes for children, evaluation of strategic goals, self review and teacher appraisal processes. Centre policies needed to align with legislation and be regularly reviewed. There has been minimal progress in these areas, some of which had been identified in earlier ERO reports.
Significant staffing changes over time have constrained progress in several key areas of service operation. Achieving and sustaining good quality practices remains a challenge for leaders and teachers.
The special character of the centre is evident in practice. Adults promote Catholic and Tongan values. Children have a sense of belonging, know the centre routines well and are confident to lead singing in Tongan and te reo Māori. Teachers and children experience respectful relationships. Teachers are nurturing in their care for children under two.
The programme for children should be more clearly based on Te Whāriki. Leaders and teachers need to develop a motivating and purposeful programme to engage children in their learning. Planning needs to include specific teaching strategies that enable teachers to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the programme for all children.
When designing the learning programme, leaders and teachers need to plan for children's curiosity and creativity through complex play. A focus on promoting learning dispositions and providing opportunities for children to develop social, oral and self-management skills would support this development.
Leaders and teachers should review each area of play to ensure that good quality resourcing supports intentional teaching and helps children to actively participate in learning. A significant improvement in learning resources would promote greater choice and challenge in programmes for children.
The service's philosophy promotes an holistic approach to learning, with a focus on Tongan language and culture. External guidance to write a strategic plan would help the governance committee and leaders to realise their vision for the service.
A policy review schedule should be established to ensure that practices are kept current with changes in legal requirements. Governance training for centre leaders would assist in the development of a policy framework.
Performance management systems need to be strengthened and embedded. Centre leaders need to ensure that the new appraisal system offers specific and useful feedback in relation to the standards for the teaching profession.
Key next steps for the governance committee and centre leaders are to:
develop and regularly review a strategic plan that supports the enactment of the centre's vision
ensure current legal requirements are incorporated in regular policy review
implement performance management processes that guide improved teaching practice and meet Teaching Council requirements.
Leaders and teachers should:
seek assistance to embed the expectations of Te Whāriki, and to establish teaching practices that engage children in their learning
develop internal evaluation that incorporates the use of indicators of effective practice and contributes to improved learning programmes and outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Fetu'u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool 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:
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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to governance and provision for health and safety. To meet requirements, the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
policies that align with current legal requirements
physical safety, including supervision, medication records, excursion policies and procedures
fire evacuation practices
suitable staffing, including appointments process and police vetting.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA6,7,7A, HS8,17,18,28,31.
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Fetu'u Moana Catholic Early Childhood Preschool. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
19 February 2020
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 |
Papatoetoe, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25353 |
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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 |
29 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 16 Boys 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Tongan other ethnic groups |
2 22 5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
0-49% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2019 |
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Date of this report |
19 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2016 |
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|
Supplementary Review |
September 2012 |
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|
Supplementary Review |
August 2011 |
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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.
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.
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.