290 Massey Road, Mangere, Auckland
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 |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Akoteu Fakailimo’ui is a Tongan language immersion early childhood service. It is governed by the Siasi O Tonga (NZ) Trust Board. A qualified centre manager supports a team of three registered teachers, five unqualified teachers, an administrator and centre cook. Most children attending are of Tongan heritage.
The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Adults providing education and care 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 each other’s cultures. Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups.
The service’s philosophy expresses their beliefs, values and guides service operations.
Next steps include:
implementing an appraisal process that aligns with a professional growth cycle to help teachers to identify improvements in their practice
implementing deliberate teaching strategies to extend the complexity in children’s play.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
11 May 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Akoteu Fakailimo’ui |
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Profile Number |
45172 |
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Location |
Mangere, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
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Service roll |
34 |
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Review team on site |
March 2023 |
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Date of this report |
11 May 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, 2019; Education Review, 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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Akoteu Fakailimo'ui requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Akoteu Fakailimo'ui is a Tongan language immersion service in Mangere East, Auckland. It is adjacent to the Selusalema Church of Tonga and operates under the governance of the Siasi O Tonga (NZ) Trust Board. The management committee consists of church, staff and parent representatives.
The centre's licence has been increased to provide for 50 children, including up to 10 under two years of age. While most children attending have Tongan heritage, the centre welcomes families from other diverse backgrounds. The service has two separate areas, one for infants and toddlers, and the other for older children. The head teacher leads a team of four registered teachers and three teachers who are studying to complete their qualifications.
The centre's philosophy promotes Christian values and Tongan language and culture. Teaching practices and the learning environments are based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and influenced by Reggio Emilia philosophical approaches.
The 2015 ERO report recommended that teachers develop a more engaging and responsive programme and further develop children's Tongan language. It also suggested that teachers should promote parents' involvement in their children's learning, and to use an action plan to guide and monitor ongoing improvement. Managers and teachers have made progress in some of these areas.
Children and their parents are warmly welcomed into the centre. Children are recognised as capable and confident individuals. They are settled and enjoy their relationships with their peers and teachers. The inclusive, responsive and child-centred programme, along with good adult-to-child ratios, contribute to a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing for children.
Learning environments are attractive, homely and challenging. They are designed to stimulate and provoke meaningful learning through children's choices and curiosity. Children experience sustained periods of play that promote their imagination and confidence.
The programme promotes and celebrates leo Tonga and faka Tonga. Teachers also integrate tikanga Māori through te reo Māori, waiata and celebrating cultural events such as Matariki.
Children develop confidence as learners by experiencing the joy of learning in the centre. Teachers skilfully provide programmes for children that integrate literacy, numeracy, science and the arts. Excursions enhance the programme. Music and movement are promoted well.
Children's social and emotional competence is evident in collaborative and respectful relationships and tuakana/teina roles. Many children transition smoothly and settle well into the Sia Ua Tongan bilingual unit at the local school.
Teachers' primary caregiving approaches support infants' needs well. Toddlers access well-resourced areas that provide good opportunities for exploration. They are encouraged to participate fully in the programme and enjoy integrating with older children in mixed-age play.
Children's learning journeys are recorded in portfolios that are informative and celebrate their successes. Parents are involved as partners in their children's learning and are well informed of the range of activities in the akoteu. Parents are encouraged to be involved in the centre during the day. The church has good links with the service, and its members are highly supportive of children's learning.
Teachers use internal evaluation processes to improve aspects of the programme, teacher capability and ongoing centre development. They are involved in professional networks and have high expectations in their commitment to the children in their care. Performance appraisal for teaching staff does not yet include the professional standards. The head teacher should be appraised by a qualified and experienced head teacher.
Centre leaders and teachers should continue to:
focus on and extend children's developing dispositions to support depth in learning over time
promote children's use of leo Tonga in their conversations
evaluate progress towards strategic goals over time against indicators of success and effective practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Akoteu Fakailimo'ui 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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to teacher appraisal and some health and safety provisions. To address these, managers and teachers must:
carry out relevant emergency drills every three months
include the assessment and management of risk in planning for, and records of, excursions
ensure that teachers' first aid certificates are current
implement a system of regular appraisal for all teaching staff.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008, HS 8,17,25, GMA7.
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
3 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.
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Location |
Mangere East, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45172 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 years |
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Service roll |
28 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 14 Boys 14 |
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Ethnic composition |
Tongan |
23 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2019 |
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Date of this report |
3 March 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2015 |
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Supplementary Review |
September 2013 |
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Education Review |
June 2012 |
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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 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.