17 Haumia Way, Otara, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | 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. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Tautua Aoga Amata are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
|
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whāngai Establishing |
|
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whāngai Establishing |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whāngai Establishing |
Tautua Aoga Amata is an immersion Samoan language centre. It is governed by the Pasifika ECE Alliance group. A newly appointed centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the service. She is supported by the service provider and a team of three qualified teachers and three teacher aides.
Children’s interests, strengths and abilities inform the curriculum. Children benefit from nurturing and responsive relationships with teachers, and their Samoan culture language and identity is affirmed. Language development is fostered well through the centre’s immersion in Samoan culture. Leaders and teachers have established positive relationships with parents and whānau.
Teachers have regular professional learning and development opportunities. Networking within the organisation provides further opportunities for teachers to share and learn new knowledge to inform their teaching practice.
Leaders have established a shared understanding of internal evaluation. This has resulted in changes in practice and improved outcomes for children. External mentoring of leaders and teachers continues to build their confidence in and knowledge of evaluation practices.
The recently appointed, experienced head teacher demonstrates sound knowledge and expertise. She is well positioned to guide practice at all levels of the service. There is an expectation that teachers will contribute to progressing the goals in the service’s annual plan.
New systems and processes have been implemented to ensure licensing requirements are maintained. Leaders recognise the need to ensure effective systems are in place to monitor and sustain these requirements over time.
Tautua Aoga Amata will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tautua 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:
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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
7 April 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Tautua Aoga Amata |
| Profile Number | 10325 |
| Location | Auckland |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 8 aged under 2. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
27 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Samoan 27 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
7 April 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2016 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tautua Aoga Amata is a full immersion Samoan language centre located in Otara, Auckland. This all-day service has a strong emphasis on gagana Samoa and aganu'u Samoa. The centre is licensed for 35 children with up to eight children under two years of age. Children are from diverse Pacific backgrounds and most are Samoan.
The service is governed and managed by the Pasifika ECE Alliance group. The professional services manager mentors the staff to improve their practice. They are also supported by a business manager and administration officer, a caretaker and two relievers who work closely with the five registered teachers.
The board and staff have made good progress in addressing the areas identified in the 2012 ERO report. They have worked collaboratively to re-establish and develop a clearer focus on internal evaluation. They continue to work with the Alliance to strengthen this area of their work.
Parents have chosen this centre because of the focus on Samoan language, culture and identity. There is good evidence of parents' contribution and involvement in the programme. They relate well to teachers and leaders and support the vision and philosophy of the centre to promote gagana Samoa and aganu'u Samoa.
Teachers who are fluent in and model gagana Samoa support children well to learn the language. Some children respond in Samoan.
Teachers are caring and supportive of children. They work well together as a team and relate well to parents and whānau.
Children in the centre are adventurous and confident to take risks in their play. They are encouraged to explore and make choices to develop their play ideas.
Children up to two have access to all areas of the curriculum and are able to enjoy play with others of different ages, especially in the outdoor environment. These children are confident to play outdoors and enjoy developing their play ideas amongst older children. They benefit from tuakana/teina relationships that support them to be more independent.
The centre environment shows the emphasis that teachers give to children's learning. The environment is culturally inclusive, and literacy and numeracy are promoted both indoors and outdoors. There are some good opportunities for physical activities. Teachers could now look at ways to reorganise the environment to be more focused on learning.
The programme promotes the strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Improved documentation shows children's learning. Teachers use children's interest and strengths to plan for the programme. Children's learning in portfolios are revisited by children and their families.
Ongoing work towards improved professional practice, supported by the Alliance Group, continues to be a focus for the centre. Teachers receive good professional support through the appraisal process and teachers identify their development areas through goal setting. There are sound management and health and safety practices in place
Strategic planning is led by the Alliance Group and leaders at the centre are supported to implement strategic changes. The professional manager provides mentoring and coaching to build leadership capability. The internal evaluation process begun recently is informed by indicators of best practice and outcomes for children.
Centre leaders and the professional manager are clear about the future focus areas. These include:
embedding management practices that are aligned to strategic priorities
strengthening teaching/ planning and assessment practices and documentation
building partnerships for learning with parents and whānau
embedding robust evaluation to ensure teacher practice and the environment are more challenging, engaging and learner focused.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tautua 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.
The next ERO review of Tautua Aoga Amata will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
23 June 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 |
Otara, Auckland |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10325 |
||
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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 |
35 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
30 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 15 Girls 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Samoan Cook Island Māori Niue Tuvaluan |
1 23 3 1 2 |
|
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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 |
1:9 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
April 2016 |
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Date of this report |
23 June 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2012 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
December 2008 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2006 |
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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 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.