39 Havelock Avenue, Palmerston North
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 |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
The service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN is a well-established service providing an immersion gagana Samoa and aganu’u Samoa curriculum. There are two buildings for children between six months and school age. A management committee governs the service. Most of the children enrolled are Samoan and a small number are of Māori descent.
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. It acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.
Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions and nurture reciprocal relationships. A language-rich environment supports children’s learning. The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.
Consistent implementation of health and safety, and governance and management practices is required to maintain regulatory standards.
Key next steps include:
Increasing teacher’s understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, through more targeted professional learning and development opportunities.
Teachers taking a more intentional approach to extending children’s interests and documenting this learning in assessment, planning and evaluation records.
The service has provided ERO with evidence to show the following non-compliances have been addressed:
Ensuring windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass; covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken; or effectively guarded by barriers which prevent a child striking or falling against the glass (PF7).
Ensuring equipment, premises and facilities are checked every day of operation for hazards to the children, including cleaning agents, medicines, poisons, hazards present in kitchen or laundry facilities, vandalism, dangerous objects, foreign materials (e.g., broken glass, animal droppings) and windows and other areas of glass (HS12).
Having evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios for special excursions (HS17).
Having evidence of parental permission for any travel by motor vehicle (HS18).
Documenting the review and implementation of practices in response to injury, illness, and incidents (HS27).
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 (GMA4).
Having evidence of recorded outcomes from the review and evaluation process, including showing how the service has regard for the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) in its operation (GMA6).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
16 October 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN |
|
Profile Number |
52541 |
|
Location |
Palmerston North |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
60 children, including up to 28 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
38 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
16 October 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, July 2020; Education Review, October 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 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 |
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN needs to review aspects of service operations including health and safety, and governance.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN provides an immersion gagana (Samoan language) and aganu’u (Samoan culture) curriculum for children between six months and school age. Families that attend the service are from the local community and the wider Palmerston North community.
A management committee has responsibility for governance of the service. A centre manager has oversight of day-to-day operations and a supervisor leads curriculum provision. Most of the teachers are qualified and registered.
Since ERO's 2016 review, three teachers have achieved higher education qualifications, four teachers gained full registration, and a building extension for children aged over two years has been completed.
The 2016 report affirmed the celebration of a variety of cultural events. It highlighted how well gagana Samoa was integrated into the curriculum and teachers' respectful interactions with children and their families. These positive features have been maintained. Areas for development relating to the assessment of children's learning, and strengthening internal evaluation are yet to be addressed.
The centre philosophy is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, Samoan cultural values and Christian beliefs.
Children are confident to make choices and explore the learning environment. They interact well together in pairs or small groups. At times they invite adults into their play. Children are well supported by teachers to sustain their play for periods of time.
The curriculum for infants and toddlers supports their exploration. Teachers provide these younger children with stimulating experiences in a caring environment. Routines are flexible and organised around children’s individual needs.
The inclusion of culture, language and Christian beliefs are features of the curriculum. Teachers are fluent in the Samoan and English languages. They extend children’s understanding of literacy and mathematical concepts from a Samoan perspective. Teaching practices include waiata and te reo and tikanga Māori. Teachers value and promote songs from other Pacific nations.
Strong responsive relationships with children and their families have been maintained over time. The recent building renovation has given the community a sense of pride in the service. Children enjoy the new equipment that has been purchased.
A strategic plan has been developed. The committee could document an annual plan to prioritise the long-term improvements that have been identified. This includes a governance goal to support and guide the leadership of management committee members.
Key next steps include:
developing a transition to school programme that is aligned to Te Whāriki
supporting children to positively manage their relationships with other children
implementing a curriculum that enables child led and child centred learning, and is consistent with current research, theory and practices in early childhood education
improving the quality of assessment, planning and evaluation processes.
Service leaders agree that they should:
develop clear expectations and procedures to improve the quality of internal evaluation
prioritise building a cohesive team so that all members are contributing to teaching and learning programmes for children
ensure health and safety policies and practices meet licensing requirements.
Before the review, the staff and management of Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN 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 health and safety, and governance and management. To meet requirements, the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
evaluating evacuation drills and how this informs the annual review of the service's emergency plan
ensuring hazards identified in daily health and safety checks are eliminated, isolated or minimised
ensuring that all requirements relating to excursions are undertaken and recorded
developing suitable job descriptions and implementing a system of regular appraisal of all staff
developing a written procedure for safety checking all children's workers and maintaining a record of all safety checks and the results.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS8, HS12, HS17, GMA7, GMA7A.
ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
2 July 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.
|
Location |
Westbrook, Palmerston North |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
52541 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
60 children, including up to 28 aged under 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
50 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 26 Girls 24 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2020 |
||
|
Date of this report |
2 July 2020 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2013 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
April 2010 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS in Palmerston North, is part of the Congregational Church of Samoa (EFKS) community. It is a longstanding service that provides early childhood education based on Christian beliefs in a Samoan cultural context. The aoga is governed by a management committee that includes church, staff and parent representatives. It offers a van pick-up service and caters for up to 40 children over the age of two years in three age-group rooms. Adjacent facilities cater for infants and toddlers, and for older children in after-school programmes.
The aoga philosophy is depicted in a fale framework and is underpinned by gagana and aganu'u Samoa. It emphasises the core value of respect, the importance of relationships with families, and the importance of the care and protection of children. Teachers value community aspirations and promote children's learning in an atmosphere of trust.
The supervisor and three other staff are registered teachers. Another teacher has early childhood qualifications, and other staff are currently working towards early childhood qualifications. Teaching staff are supported by an administrator.
ERO's 2013 report noted that since the 2010 ERO review positive progress had been made in strategic planning, self review and the learning programme provided for children. ERO also noted that managers were focused on continual improvement. Next steps included strengthening self review, particularly in relation to extending and challenging children's learning.
Teachers' practices and programmes for children reflect the aoga philosophy well. Relationships with families and the community are responsive and supportive, and teachers know children very well. Children are familiar with routines and expectations, and teachers promote their skills in self-management and social competence. Children have a good sense of belonging and community.
Gagana Samoa is highly valued and used most of the time by staff. Children's use of gagana is especially visible at group gatherings and through music and performance. Parents are also keen to increase their knowledge of gagana Samoa.
Teachers support children's language development very well. They encourage them to join conversations and respect their ideas. They also include basic kupu Māori in the programme.
Children have good access to well defined areas of play and are able to make choices about where they play. They are confident and respond positively to teachers' expectations that they will play cooperatively and share resources. Teachers are aware of the importance of the centre environment in supporting children's learning.
Programme planning focuses on children's individual interests and links well to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It celebrates a variety of cultural events. Teachers foster children's understanding about healthy food, promote literacy learning and support children's understanding about maths concepts. Individual children's portfolios record their learning experiences and development.
Teachers have begun to develop self-review practices to help them improve programmes for children. It would be worthwhile now to establish clearer shared understandings about good practice for supporting children's transitions into the aoga and on to school.
Opportunities for professional development help teachers to feel more confident in their capability, to continually improve their practice and to develop leadership skills. Increasing shared leadership opportunities should help to develop a more professional culture in the aoga.
The committee has a commitment to high quality provision for children. Good systems and communication processes are in place to support aoga operations, but managers and teachers should be more vigilant in ensuring that health and safety systems are implemented as required. Better quality self review and reporting would assure the committee that legal requirements are being met and that provision for children's learning is of the good quality that they expect.
Managers agree that key next steps to support ongoing development include:
strengthening assessment, programme planning and evaluation by focusing more on dispositional and complex learning and clearly identifying children's learning outcomes
identifying more explicitly, the role of environments in fostering complex, independent learning
aligning strategic and annual plans with the aoga vision and philosophy
implementing more robust internal evaluation that includes a review of committee roles and responsibilities, as well as teachers' appraisal and critical reflection on the impact of their teaching practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN 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.
To improve current practice, managers should review and amend health and safety policies to ensure they meet legal requirements, including:
those specified in the Vulnerable Children Act 2014
records of accidents and emergency evacuation drills
risk assessment and management for excursions
police vetting of all adults who work with children in the aoga.
The next ERO review of Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS PN will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
13 October 2016
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 |
Palmerston North |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
52541 |
||
|
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 |
39 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 20 Boys 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Samoan Samoan/Māori other Pacific |
26 6 7 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
No children under 2 at time of review |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 October 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2013 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
April 2010 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
May 2009 |
||
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 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.