24 Garelja Road, Henderson, Auckland
View on mapTaulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata
Taulapapa Leata Su’a Aoga 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 |
Not meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified a non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Background
Taulapapa Leata Su’a Aoga Amata is a Samoan language immersion early childhood service located in the grounds of Henderson South Primary School. A manager supports a qualified centre supervisor, a qualified teacher, a support teacher, and a centre cook. The philosophy guides the promotion of Gagana Samoa underpinned by Christian values to support children’s learning and development.
Summary of Review Findings
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The curriculum provides children with a range of opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. It respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect each other’s cultures.
Actions for Compliance
ERO found an area of non-compliance relating to:
-
having suitable human resource management processes and practices that include induction and a system of regular appraisal.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7.
The service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
-
Ensuring every children’s worker is safety checked every three years. Safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf (GMA7A).
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
10 July 2023
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Taulapapa Leata Su’a Aoga Amata |
Profile Number |
10062 |
Location |
Henderson, Auckland |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
Service roll |
18 |
Review team on site |
February 2023 |
Date of this report |
10 July 2023 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, September 2016 |
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:
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having its first ERO review including if it is part of a governing organisation
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previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
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that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
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that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
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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:
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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:
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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:
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discussions with those involved in the service
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consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
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observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
Taulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata - 18/03/2019
1 Evaluation of Taulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata
How well placed is Taulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Taulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Taulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata is located in the grounds of Henderson South Primary School. It is licensed for 50 children, including up to 10 children under two years of age. Most of the 25 children currently enrolled are Samoan. The aoga philosophy guides the promotion of gagana and aganu'u Samoa, Christian values and children learning through play.
The aoga is governed by the Taulapapa Leata Su'a Aoga Amata Trust board. An aoga manager has overall responsibility for centre operations. Three of the four qualified teachers have full practising certificates. A new head teacher was appointed in 2018.
The 2016 ERO review found that there were significant areas of non-compliance around governance and management, strategic and annual planning, teaching and learning, as well as assessment, programme planning and evaluation. This review finds that very good progress has been made in all these areas. The centre is now much better placed to promote positive outcomes for children.
The Review Findings
Children experience a programme that affirms and values their identity, language and culture. Children play confidently, choosing areas of play that interest them. Respectful and caring relationships between children and adults foster a strong sense of belonging. Teachers know children well and work effectively with parents and aiga to support children's learning.
Children under the age of two years settle quickly and receive nurturing and caring support. Trusting relationships with teachers, parents and aiga are evident. Children benefit from opportunities to interact with older children and are well supported to transition through age-related learning areas.
Teachers have made significant progress in planning, assessment and evaluation. They have benefitted from participating in high quality external professional learning and development (PLD). Teachers plan collaboratively, regularly reflect on their own practice, and increasingly respond to individual children's interests, strengths and capabilities. Their new learning is impacting positively on the quality of the programmes provided for children. Teachers are motivated to continue to access external PLD to build their knowledge and capability.
The programme responds effectively to children. Teachers recognise the importance of children learning through play. Early literacy, mathematics and science are visible and discrete play areas promote children's imaginative play. Children have opportunities to participate in more complex play. Teachers should continue to seek ways of extending learning through children's play and exploration.
Relationships between children and adults are warm and respectful. Children have opportunities to share their learning and knowledge with other children and adults. Teachers promote positive behaviour and social skills. They could support children to further develop social competencies such as conflict resolution and problem solving.
Leaders and teachers share a commitment to enacting the aoga philosophy and promote positive outcomes for children within a fa'a Samoa context. Teachers use and gently encourage children to speak gagana Samoa. More consistent use of Samoan would support children to build and maintain their fluency. A priority for teachers is to strengthen gagana and aganu'u Samoa in the programme to encourage engagement and positive outcomes for children.
Governance and management practices have improved and the board is meeting more regularly. The manager and administration staff have worked positively to review and update health and safety policies and procedures. The recently developed strategic plan is underpinned by an extensive annual plan that guides effective implementation and supports the future direction of the aoga. The board should maintain a regular meeting cycle, including an annual general meeting, to ensure that it continues to meet legal and licensing requirements.
Key Next Steps
Next steps in continuing to sustain and build on good practices, are for the board and staff to:
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review and increase the use and visibility of gagana Samoa in the curriculum and learning environment
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continue to prioritise teachers' professional learning and development and to build on their knowledge and current learning theories
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continue to develop planning, assessment and evaluation processes to consolidate the implementation of Te Whāriki, the revised early childhood curriculum
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maintain effective governance and management practices, including a regular meeting cycle and annual general meeting.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Taulapapa Leata Su'a 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.
In order to improve current practices, the board and staff should strengthen teacher appraisal processes and align teachers' goals with the aoga priorities and teacher development.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
18 March 2019
The Purpose of ERO Reports
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.
2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
Location |
Henderson, Auckland |
||
Ministry of Education profile number |
10062 |
||
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
Service roll |
27 |
||
Gender composition |
Boys 14 Girls 13 |
||
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
||
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
Over 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
November 2018 |
||
Date of this report |
18 March 2019 |
||
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2016 |
|
Supplementary Review |
August 2013 |
||
Supplementary Review |
June 2012 |
3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews
ERO’s Evaluation Framework
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.
ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
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Very well placed
-
Well placed
-
Requires further development
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Not well placed
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
Review Coverage
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.