78 Tarewa Road, Morningside, Whangarei
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 |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
This service is one of five early childhood services governed by He Puna Marama Trust. A general manager oversees operations and administration. She is supported by two pouwhakahaere who lead ngā pouako based in Tamaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau. The philosophy promotes te ao Māori and success for Māori. Most tamariki enrolled have Māori whakapapa.
The curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to tamariki as confident and competent learners. The preferences of tamariki are respected, and they make decisions about their learning experiences. Tamariki are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development. Ngā pouako engage in meaningful, positive interactions that enhance the learning of tamariki and which nurture reciprocal relationships.
The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Tamariki are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of their cultural heritage.
A policy framework and annual plan guide service operations.
Next steps include teachers:
continuing to develop the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to tamariki and their whānau, ngā pouako and the wider community
increasing the visibility of how ngā pouako respond to the interests and dispositions of tamariki, in assessment, planning and evaluation records.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
30 June 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Mokopuna Early C E and Care Centre |
|
Profile Number |
10294 |
|
Location |
Whangarei CBD, Whangarei |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
47 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
30 June 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2020; Education Review, May 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 |
Mokopuna Early C E and Care Centre requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Mokopuna Early C E and Care Centre needs to improve curriculum provision, health and safety, and governance systems to promote positive outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Mokopuna Early C E and Care Centre is one of five early childhood services, including two in Auckland, governed by He Puna Marama Trust (the Trust). Ngā pouako (teachers) and the Trust give emphasis to te ao Māori and culturally responsive practices that promote success for Māori.
Four pouako are registered teachers. There are three unqualified staff. A head teacher has responsibility for daily management of the centre. The Trust provides governance and personnel to support curriculum development and management systems in individual centres.
ERO's 2016 report recognised teachers' positive interactions with children and their effective communication with whānau. Areas for improvement included curriculum and resourcing, teacher appraisal, self review and strategic planning processes. Some progress has been made in these areas.
There is a positive tone in the centre. Pepi settle confidently, and actively explore the environment. They have frequent access to indoor and outdoor play. Older tamariki develop social relationships with other children and spend time in focused activities of their choice. They are independent learners who demonstrate leadership skills and know the centre routines well.
Teachers’ interactions with children are respectful and caring. Their conversations acknowledge children’s interests and show that they know children and whānau well. Pouako make suggestions to encourage children to try new experiences.
Tamariki experience a curriculum that celebrates tikanga and te reo Māori. They are confident in their Māori culture and are well supported to share their pepeha. Pouako incorporate kupu Māori naturally into conversations and daily experiences. Tamariki actively participate in whakatau to welcome manuhiri. Whānau who spoke with ERO appreciate the centre's commitment to te ao Māori.
Curriculum planning, assessment and evaluation records are an area for development. Pouako write individual learning plans for tamariki but are not yet using these plans well to document and assess children's learning. They could document how they respond to and extend the spontaneous interests of tamariki and show their learning over time.
Teachers have reviewed centre routines and the resourcing provided for tamariki. A focus on improving and evaluating teaching practices could help the relatively new teaching team to develop shared understandings about effective teaching practices. Developing meaningful annual and long-term goals that are specific for this centre could support pouako to have greater ownership of ongoing improvements.
A strong kaupapa Māori framework guides the Trust's vision for children to experience success as Māori. The commitment of pouako and Trust leaders to this vision is highly evident. Further professional development would be useful to help leaders improve teacher appraisal systems. Closer monitoring of how well regulatory requirements are being maintained, particularly relating to children's health and safety, is required.
Key next steps for pouako include:
improving the quality of evaluation, planning, and assessment of children’s learning
refining internal evaluation processes to show the impact of the curriculum and teaching practices on improved outcomes for tamariki
developing and evaluating meaningful annual and long-term goals that are specific to this centre.
Key next steps for the Trust include:
improving teacher appraisal systems
ensuring that regulatory requirements are being maintained.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mokopuna Early C E and Care Centre 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.
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed a non-compliance relating to the review of the service's written emergency plan.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to health and safety and governance. To meet requirements the Trust must ensure that:
parents are informed about all injuries, illnesses and incidents that occur at the service
all children’s workers who have access to children are correctly safety checked in accordance with the Children's Act 2014
the written procedure for safety checking all children's workers is used to document a risk assessment of results from safety checks.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS27, GMA7A.
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
13 March 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 |
Whangarei CBD |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10294 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
46 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 26 Girls 20 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
43 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
13 March 2020 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2013 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
September 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 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.
Mokopuna Early Childhood Education & Care Centre (Tarewa) is located in central Whangarei and caters for infants and toddlers up to two years, and children up to five years of age. The centre welcomes children from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Most children currently attending the centre are Māori.
The centre is one of five early childhood services, including two in Auckland, managed by He Puna Marama Trust. It provides a kaupapa Māori framework with a strong focus on te reo Māori me ngā tikanga. This framework includes the values of tuakana/teina, whanaungatanga and kotahitanga. The centre’s Kai Arahi reo (Māori language advisor) supports the teaching of te reo Māori so that tamariki enjoy learning in a rich bilingual environment.
Nga pouako (teachers) provide tamariki with a spacious learning environment and a strong focus on natural resources. The centre has a separate room for tamariki under two but also encourages younger and older children to play and learn together. Most teachers are experienced and qualified and have worked together in the centre for many years. Children benefit from a committed and collaborative staff with good skills and strengths.
The trust actively promotes access to early childhood learning within Whangarei. It provides an extra 10 free hours of education and care in addition to the Ministry of Education’s 20 hour funding provision. The trust continues to provide good governance and management support for the centre, with the aid of a capable Education Services Manager.
The 2013 ERO report recognised the positive guidance and respectful care within the centre. The report recommended that the centre continue to promote te reo Māori and opportunities for more challenging and creative play for children. Some progress has been made in these areas.
The centre’s philosophy is promoted well with teachers providing a programme based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children have good opportunities to participate in whakatau, kapahaka and ngā pakiwaitara and to share these with whānau. Children experience good transition practices into local primary schools, particularly the adjacent kura kaupapa which is also governed by He Puna Marama Trust.
Children play cooperatively and are confident and content in the centre environment. They settle quickly into the different areas and play at their own pace. The calm, child-focused environment supports children to create meaningful and trusting relationships.
Teachers respond effectively with aroha to children. They are positive, supportive and respectful with children. Teachers value the importance of whanaungatanga and promote children’s social and emotional competence well, including their independence and self-management skills. Tamariki under two are well cared for and often included in mixed age play.
Children appreciate the opportunity to explore and to develop curiosity and enjoy their learning. They have access to all areas of play and learning resources. Teachers follow children’s lead in their learning by supporting and extending their individual and emerging interests. They promote children’s oral language, encouraging children to express themselves and to lead and use te reo Māori. Children with special educational needs are well supported in their play and learning.
Teachers communicate effectively and regularly with whānau, and engage them as partners in their children’s learning. Children’s portfolios are visually appealing with a strong learning focus. Whānau are supportive of the centre's philosophy and appreciate the range of ways that the centre welcomes and includes them.
The pouwhakāko (head teacher) provides opportunities for teachers to develop professional learning. Teachers improve their teaching practices and the learning environment and ensure that the centre’s philosophy is enacted.
Managers are well informed and receive regular reports about the centre's programme and operations. The management team and teachers work collaboratively to promote expectations and improvements to teachers’ practices.
Managers, teachers and ERO agree that the centre’s next steps are to continue:
Before the review, the staff and management of Mokopuna Early Childhood Education & Care Centre (Tarewa) 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 Mokopuna Early Childhood Education & Care Centre (Tarewa) will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
25 May 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 |
Whangarei |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10294 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
39 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 21 Boys 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā other Pacific other |
26 7 3 3 |
|
|
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 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
January 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
25 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2013 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
September 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 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.
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.