Mata'aga A'oga Amata

Education institution number:
10143
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Samoan ECE service
Total roll:
9
Telephone:
Address:

25 Murdoch Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland

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Mata'aga A'oga Amata

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

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

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.

Background

Mata’aga A’oga Amata is governed by the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa and provides an immersion curriculum in gagana Samoa. An unqualified centre director supports a team of three qualified teachers and two unqualified relieving teachers. Most children attending are of Samoan heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The 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.

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. The service curriculum provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning. Children have a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.

Consistent implementation and ongoing monitoring of practices is required to maintain regulatory standards.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • Ensuring windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass; or covered by adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken; or effectively guarded by barriers that prevent a child striking or falling against the glass (PF7).

  • Having evidence that the premises are located in a building that has a current fire evacuation scheme approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (HS4).

  • Having a written emergency plan and supplies to ensure the care and safety of children and adults at the service. The plan must include a communication plan for families and support services, and evidence of review of the plan on at least an annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required (HS7).

  • Including in the procedure for children’s sleep, that they do not have access to food or liquids while in bed and are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).

  • Having a documented risk management system with consideration of hazards that must include cleaning agents, medicines, poisons, and other hazardous materials, hazards present in kitchen or laundry facilities, vandalism, dangerous objects, and foreign materials (e.g., broken glass, animal droppings), windows and other areas of glass (HS12).

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

  • Maintaining records of medication (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service, that include evidence of parental acknowledgment they have been advised medication was administered to their child (HS28).

  • Ensuring there is a written child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. The policy should contain provision for reporting of child abuse and neglect, and information about how the service will keep children safe from abuse and neglect, and how it will respond to suspected child abuse and neglect (HS31).

  • Implementing review of the service’s operational documents in consultation with parents and adults at the service (GMA4).

  • Implementing an ongoing process of self-review and internal evaluation to help the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care (GMA6).

  • Ensuring suitable human resource management practices are implemented that include induction procedures into the service and a system of regular appraisal of staff (GMA7).

  • Ensuring before a person is employed or engaged as a children’s worker, as defined in the Children’s Act 2014, a safety check as required by that Act must be completed. A detailed record of each component of the safety check must be kept, and the date on which each step was taken must be recorded, including the date of the risk assessment required to be completed after all relevant information is obtained. These records must be kept by, or available to, the service provider as long as the person is employed or engaged. Every children’s worker must be safety checked every three years (GMA7A).

  • Ensuring an annual plan identifies ‘who’ in relation to key tasks the service intends to undertake each year (GMA8).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

12 June 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Mata’aga A’oga Amata

Profile Number

10143

Location

Grey Lynn, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

22 children, including up to 6 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

80-99%

Service roll

14

Review team on site

April 2023

Date of this report

12 June 2023

Most recent ERO report(s)

Akanuku | Assurance Review June 2021

Education Review, March 2017

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 license 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.

Mata'aga A'oga Amata

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

Meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

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.

Background

Mata’aga A’oga Amata is governed by the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa and Board of Trustees. The service provides a full immersion education and care programme that is deeply grounded in Samoan cultural values. The programme is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the Christian faith.

Summary of Review Findings

Children are provided with opportunities to develop knowledge and an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The unique place of Māori as tangata whenua is acknowledged. The service’s curriculum supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect each other.

Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum is informed by assessment that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning and interests. Opportunities are provided for parents to communicate with teachers about their child’s learning.

The governance board and acting centre manager should implement and monitor systems and procedures to ensure the service is meeting regulatory requirements.

Compliance

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

  • ensuring children’s use of the environment is not unduly restricted by design limitations that do not support effective supervision of children (PF2)
  • ensuring equipment and material is stored safely and can be easily and safely accessed by adults, and where practicable, by children (PF8)
  • providing a space where a sick child can be temporarily kept at a safe distance from other children (PF27)
  • ensuring there is a first aid kit that has adequate provisions for the treatment of minor injuries (PF28)
  • ensuring that furniture and items intended for children to sleep on are covered with a non-porous material (PF30)
  • implementing a nappy changing procedure to ensure safe and hygienic practices are consistently met (HS3)
  • having a current fire evacuation scheme approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (HS4)
  • having a designated assembly area for evacuation purposes (HS5)
  • having a list of safety and emergency supplies sufficient for the age and number of children and adults at the service (HS7)
  • having evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan (HS8)
  • implemented a documented hazard management system that includes hazards identified in the licensing criteria (HS12)
  • developing a process for the assessment and management of risks whenever children leave the premises on an excursion, and ensuring parents give their written permission before children leave the premises on a special excursion (HS17)
  • taking all practicable steps to ensure that children who become ill are kept at a safe distance away from other children to prevent the spread of illness (HS26)
  • having a complaints procedure that includes the option to contact the local Ministry of Education office (GMA1)
  • development of suitable human resource management practices, including selection and appointment processes (GM7)
  • ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A)
  • development of an annual plan to guide the service’s operations (GMA8).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

3 June 2021 

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name Mata’aga A’oga Amata
Profile Number 10143
Location Grey Lynn, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

22 children, including up to 6 aged under 2

Percentage of qualified teachers

50-79%

Service roll

18

Ethnic composition

Māori                     1
Samoan                17

Review team on site

March 2021

Date of this report

3 June 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review, March 2017
Education Review, September 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 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.