36 Lyncroft Street, Mangere, 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 |
|
Curriculum |
Not meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Not meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Not meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Not meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.
Fiti Lagakali Aoga Niue is a bilingual education and care service that is governed by a trust board under the umbrella of the Pacific Island Church (PIC). The manager is supported by one registered teacher and two unqualified teachers. There are two areas for different age groups of children. Most children attending are of Niuean heritage.
The service curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. A language-rich environment is provided that supports children’s learning.
The service is not meeting regulatory standards in a significant number of areas. The service’s premises do not currently meet regulatory standards. Effective governance and management systems, and ongoing
self-review that supports improvement are not evident. Consistent implementation of health and safety practices is required.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
having a service curriculum that is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts
taking positive steps to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children
ensuring all indoor and outdoor items and surfaces, furniture, equipment and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use
maintaining a first aid kit that complies with licensing requirements
having a nappy changing procedure that includes ensuring children are treated with dignity and respect
securing heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage
having a written emergency plan that includes at least: a list of safety and emergency supplies and resources sufficient for the age and number of children and adults at the service and details of how these will be maintained and accessed in an emergency, details of the roles and responsibilities that will apply during an emergency situation, a communication plan for families and support services and evidence of review of the plan on an, at least, annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required
carrying out emergency drills with children on at least a three-monthly basis and having a record of emergency drills and evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan
having a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep to ensure that children are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs, and having a record of the time each child attending the service sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time
ensuring equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children that includes all consideration of hazards required, that accident/incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is taken, and hazards to the safety of children are eliminated, isolated or minimised
ensuring the temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children is no higher than 40°C, and comfortable for children at the centre to use
ensuring that water stored in any hot water cylinder is kept at a temperature of at least 60°C
having evidence of parents/caregivers giving prior written approval to their child’s participation and of the proposed ratio for regular excursions, and completing documentation required for excursions including assessment and management of risk and the signature of the person responsible giving approval
ensuring record of all injuries, illnesses and incidents that occur at the service have evidence that parents have been informed and a procedure outlining the service’s response to injury, illness and incident including the review and implementation of practices as required
having a record of all medicine given to children attending the service that includes evidence of parental acknowledgement
ensuring information is provided to parents about the amount and details of the expenditure of any Ministry of Education funding received by the service and any planned reviews and consultation
having evidence of opportunities provided for parents and adults providing education and care to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents
having evidence of an ongoing process of self-review and internal evaluation that helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care and recording outcomes from the review and evaluation process
having a written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers before employment or engagement of the worker commences that meets the safety checking requirements of the Children's Act 2014; having a record of all safety checks and the results before a person is employed or engaged as a children’s worker, in particular, police vets and risk assessment of unqualified staff and carrying out safety checks every three years
having an annual plan identifying 'who', in relation to key tasks the service intends to undertake each year
having an annual budget that guides financial expenditure.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C2, C11, PF5, PF28, HS3, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS12, HS13, HS14, HS17, HS27, HS28, GMA3, GMA4, GMA6, GMA7A, GMA8, GMA9].
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Ensuring furniture and items intended for children to sleep on that will be used by more than one child over time, are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (PF30).
Ensuring clean individual bedding provided for sleeping or resting children is stored hygienically to avoid cross infection (PF31).
Ensuring parental permission is given for children for any travel by motor vehicle (HS18).
Ensuring rooms used by children are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 18°C (at 500mm above the floor) while children are attending (HS24).
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.
The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
20 February 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Fiti Lagakali Aoga Niue |
|
Profile Number |
10357 |
|
Location |
Mangere, Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
|
Service roll |
17 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
20 February 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, November 2018 |
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.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Fiti Lagakali Aoga Niue is an education and care service that delivers Niue bilingual education for children from birth to six years of age. The centre is one of three Pacific language-based centres including Cook Island and Samoan services located behind the Pacific Island Church (PIC), Mangere.
The service operates on week days from 7.30am to 6pm. It is licensed for 35 children, including up to 10 children under two years of age. Children are mainly of Niue heritage but there is increasing diversity with children who have NZ European/Pākehā and Māori cultural backgrounds.
The teaching staff consists of four qualified teachers, including two who are fluent speakers of Vagahau Niue. All teachers are fully registered. A trust board governs the aoga and has a working relationship with the PIC Church, Mangere. The current manager leads the implementation of the service's programme. Trust members include active members of Niue Ekalesia, Niue and the local community. The day-to-day operations of the service are led by the manager and supported by the administrator.
Children show pride in their identity, language and culture as children of Niue heritage. They have good opportunities to hear and use Vagahau Niue and develop confidence through play. Children engage in opportunities that support their early literacy, numeracy and creative learning. They frequently participate in lotu, singing Niue songs and performing the haka Niue. Children's cultural heritages are affirmed and they show a good sense of belonging.
Teachers are highly committed to the Niue service and their community. They are proud of their language and cultural background as Niue and bring this expertise to their practice. Teachers are inclusive and welcome all children. They have established warm, positive and trusting relationships with children and families. Teachers' interactions with children promote Christian values and fakaalofa (love), fakalilifu (respect), aga fakamotu (culture) respect for children as independent learners. Children are settled and show familiarity with programme routines. Sensitive nurturing care is provided for children under two years of age.
Teachers have benefited from recent professional learning. This has contributed to improved teacher reflective practices and more intentional responses to children's identified interests. Leaders agree that further participation in tailored professional learning and development should continue. Teachers frequently use te reo Māori as well as English language so that all children are included in the aoga curriculum. Good transition practices support children as they move into, within and out of the aoga and on to schools.
The curriculum is becoming increasingly responsive to children's strengths and interests. Children can explore and engage in free play throughout the day. Excursions are used to extend children's interests and make links with the community. Children's portfolios show the positive influence of teachers' professional learning and development.
Managers should continue building teachers' knowledge, understandings, and capability in planning a curriculum that reflects the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Parents have opportunities to contribute to their children's learning through contributions to their children's individual portfolios and at formal interview meetings. Partnerships with parents are sound.
The 2016 ERO report identified significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to curriculum, governance and management. Progress has been made in addressing these issues. However, ongoing external support and tailored professional learning will be necessary to continue to build shared understandings about effective teaching practices that result in positive outcomes for children.
Since the ERO 2016 report, management practices have improved. The service is committed to realising its vision, goals and strategic direction. Management and leaders have a commitment to providing quality early childhood education within a Niue language-rich cultural setting. A strategic plan identifies centre goals and priorities, and records strategies to be implemented. Financial practices have improved and the service is now in a better position to manage funding resources.
Managers have improved the appraisal system and are in the process of including the professional standards. Improved internal evaluation practices are evident. A next step is for managers to develop an annual cycle for the ongoing review of policies. This would help to ensure that policies are regularly reviewed and updated in response to changes to legislative requirements. Managers should now align the service's key documentation and policies with its vision and philosophy.
Service leaders agree that key next steps for the service are to seek external support to further strengthen:
internal evaluation practices, including developing a cycle for ongoing review
the curriculum, so that it more strongly reflects the principles and strands of Te Whāriki 2017 and provides more challenge for children's learning
teacher practice, so that teachers consistently respond to children's strengths and interests and develop their dispositions for learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Fiti Lagakali Aoga Niue 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 found areas of non-compliance. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
update the Child Protection Policy to meet the requirements of the Vulnerable Children's Act 2014
update the Staff Appointment Process to reflect the Vulnerable Children's Act 2014 in policy and practice
strengthen the Excursion's Policy to specify the ratio for adult to child
strengthen Risk Management documentation.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, Health and Safety.
The next ERO review of Fiti Lagakali Aoga Niue will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
29 November 2018
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.
|
Location |
Mangere, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10357 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
24 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 16 Girls 8 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
October 2018 |
||
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Date of this report |
29 November 2018 |
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|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2016 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
June 2013 |
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|
Supplementary Review |
March 2012 |
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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:
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.