Poetiare O Rongomai

Education institution number:
10232
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Cook Island ECE service
Total roll:
16
Telephone:
Address:

20 Rongomai Road, Otara, Auckland

View on map

Poetiare O Rongomai - 03/02/2021

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

Not meeting

Health and safety

Meeting

Governance, management and administration

Meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

Poetiare O Rongomai is governed by the Poetiare Malo Amata Trust. The centre manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the service. She leads a team that comprises three qualified teachers and three support staff. Most children on the roll are of Cook Islands heritage.

Summary of Review Findings

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. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development.

Consistent implementation of health and safety practices is required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

  • the premises conform to any relevant bylaws of the local authority and the Building Act 2004 (building warrant of fitness expired 2019) (PF3).

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

  • all indoor and outdoor items and surfaces, furniture, equipment and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use (bark in outdoor play equipment areas) (PF5)
  • parents/caregivers must give prior written approval to their child’s participation and of the proposed ratio for regular and special excursions (HS17)
  • all children’s workers who have access to children being safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

3 February 2021

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name

Poetiare O Rongomai

Profile Number

10232

Location

Otara, Auckland

Service type

Education and care service

Number licensed for

27 children.

Percentage of qualified teachers

80%+

Service roll

22

Ethnic composition

Cook Island Māori 20
other Pacific 2

Review team on site

October 2020

Date of this report

3 February 2021

Most recent ERO report(s)

Supplementary Review October 2018
Supplementary Review June 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:

  • 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.

Poetiare O Rongomai - 26/10/2018

1 Evaluation of Poetiare O Rongomai

How well placed is Poetiare O Rongomai to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

The service needs support to further develop the quality of the learning programme, improvement and consistency in teaching, sustainable and effective governance and quality internal evaluation.

The Poetiare Malo Amata Trust, has taken over the governance and management of the centre following the resignation of the previous long-serving licensee and centre manager. The 2015 ERO report identified that improvements were needed in the areas of teaching and management. These have not been addressed. A new centre manager and head teacher have been appointed to develop and implement an action plan for the centre.

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Poetiare o Rongomai is licensed to provide full-day care and education for up to 27 children between two and six years of age. The centre operates from a building with a large outdoor play area set within the grounds of Rongomai Primary School. The centre has easy access to the school's playing fields, garden and bush areas.

The Cook Island language and culture form the basis of the philosophy and teaching practices that are strongly influenced by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. Most children enrolled are of Cook Island heritage. Four staff members are native speakers. Parents and trust members provide extra support for the Cook Island language to children and ānau who attend this service.

The Poetiare Malo Amata Trust represents the Cook Island Community and is committed to the maintenance of the Cook Island language and culture. Trustees are responding to the dilemma of losing a language nest and the opportunity to enrich their akapapa'anga in their language and customs.

The Review Findings

Positive relationships are evident between teachers, children and families. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging and are proud of the focus on Cook Island culture. Staff recognise the importance of continuing to provide opportunities to support the culture, language and identity of all children.

Centre staff are committed to developing strong relationships with parents, whānau and the local community. They regularly communicate with parents about the learning programmes and centre operations. Parents are invited to contribute to the centre at all levels of operation.

A strategic plan and policy framework has been adapted for the centre. Leaders continue to review these documents to guide and improve the effectiveness of centre-wide practices to promote positive learning outcomes for children. However, there are several areas that need to be urgently addressed. These include:

  • assessment, planning and evaluation, and responsiveness to children's interests, strengths and abilities

  • clarifying expectations for teachers to record the assessment of children's learning in portfolios

  • leaders building professional capability and teaching practice through critical reflection and ongoing internal evaluation

  • increasing children's access to a wide range of challenging and natural learning resources for their creative and explorative play

  • using the resources and spaces to support children’s independent decision-making and extending the learning challenges for older children.

Teachers have participated in Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities (SELO) and other professional development. The learning from this professional development has not improved teacher practice. Leaders recognise that assessment and planning should respond to children’s interests and learning in the daily programme. However, this is not evident in centre documentation.

Key Next Steps

The centre leaders are currently rebuilding staff capacity and consistency in teaching practice. Centre leaders agree that the priorities for the centre's development are to:

  • ensure that the curriculum supports children's competence and confidence through increased child-led, play-based learning

  • provide children with an effective range of experiences to enhance their learning and development

  • support teachers to develop teaching practices that facilitate more sustained and complex play

  • make greater use of outcomes from internal evaluation and appraisal to improve the quality of teaching and learning practices

  • develop a review cycle for policies and procedures that includes monitoring their alignment with the centre philosophy and practice.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Poetiare O Rongomai 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 practice, the managers should ensure that:

  • risk analysis and management processes and practices for excursions are robust

  • hazards in the environment are promptly identified and minimised or removed.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified several areas of non-compliance relating curriculum, management and governance. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

  • building teachers' understanding and use of the revised Te Whāriki, and their knowledge of relevant theories and practices in early childhood education

  • ensure the service is effectively governed and managed in accordance with good management practices, including personnel management, annual planning, and internal evaluation.
    Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008: C2, C4, GMA 6-8; Vulnerable Children's Act 2014.

Development Plan Recommendation

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. ERO will monitor this plan.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Poetiare O Rongomai will be within two years.

Violet Tu’uga Stevenson

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Raki - Northern Region

26 October 2018

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

Otara, Auckland

Ministry of Education profile number

10232

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

27 children aged over 2 years

Service roll

21

Gender composition

Girls 11 Boys 10

Ethnic composition

Pākehā
Cook Island Māori
other Pacific

2
18
1

Percentage of qualified teachers

50-79%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Over 2

1:8

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2018

Date of this report

26 October 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Supplementary Review

June 2016

Education Review

May 2013

Supplementary Review

August 2010

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 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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.