Nau Mai Mokopuna

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

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Nau Mai Mokopuna is a privately owned service in Kaitaia. It is licensed for 25 children, including 10 up to two years of age. Most of the children enrolled are Māori. The centre’s philosophy highlights te reo Māori me ōna tikanga. It prioritises a nurturing environment and strong relationships.

Summary of Review Findings

The curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Adults providing education and care engage in positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The premises include quiet spaces and areas for physically active play.

An annual plan guides the service’s operation. Adults providing education and care have opportunities to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents.

Compliance

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

• providing a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning (C8)
• providing sufficient quantity and variety of (indoor and outdoor) equipment, and materials appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending (PF4)
• mitigating the risk caused by a tree located close to a fence to ensure that children are not able to leave the premises without the knowledge of adults providing education and care (PF13)
• ensuring all workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

12 March 2021 

Information About the Service

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.

1 Evaluation of Nau Mai Mokopuna

How well placed is Nau Mai Mokopuna to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Nau Mai Mokopuna requires support to improve the quality of the programme and centre management, in order to better promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Nau Mai Mokopuna (NMM) is a privately owned kaupapa Māori early childhood education service in Kaitaia, Muriwhenua, Te Hiku o te Ika. It has been established in a residential house and is licensed to provide for up to 25 children including 10 up to two years of age.

The owner has employed a manager who is responsible for centre operations, two other qualified teachers and support staff.

All tamariki are Māori. The centre’s philosophy highlights te ao Māori me ōna tikanga. It prioritises a nurturing environment and strong relationships for tamariki and whānau. Infants and toddlers share the spacious indoor and outdoor areas with older children.

The Review Findings

Whānau and tamariki are warmly welcomed into the centre. Tamariki enjoy each other's company, showing respect for one another and their teachers. They benefit from mixed-age play that provides them with opportunities for tuakana/teina roles. Infants and toddlers are nurtured and cared for in the environment. Teachers encourage self-management skills and are responsive to children's needs and preferences.

Teachers enact whakawhanaungatanga, supporting tamariki to work collaboratively with one another. They are competent in using te reo Māori me ōna tikanga in authentic contexts. Parents were pleased to report that their tamariki are quickly developing language competency. Whānau have a strong sense of belonging in the centre, for themselves and for their tamariki.

The centre's curriculum affirms kaupapa Māori and te ao Māori, and fosters children's identity and success as Māori. Deliberate teaching supports these perspectives. Portfolios present meaningful information about the tamariki, learning and playing, and about the kaupapa of the centre. However, learning stories are not consistent and are not yet showing progress over time. Teachers should focus on improving planning, assessment and evaluation. They should also increase their understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and ensure that it is visible in curriculum documents and displays.

The managers have reviewed and developed plans to redesign the sandpit, which at the time of this review, was not in use because of previous safety concerns. A more deliberate approach to the management and provision of resources in this environment would encourage children to explore, investigate, engage and make choices in independent learning.

Attention to financial management is vital for the sustainability of the centre. There is a need to redesign and more effectively monitor financial systems, policies and practices.

The manager is knowledgeable, a competent leader, and is supported by her head teacher. She continues to lead staff in developing useful processes for internal evaluation. She is assisted by an early childhood education mentor to implement and evaluate teacher appraisal processes.

The owner and manager continue to consult with teachers to link strategic and annual plans and the centre's philosophy. Staff could review the philosophy to ensure that they are enacting its values and promoting their desired outcomes for tamariki. They have begun to consult with whānau as part of this review.

Key Next Steps

The owner and manager are aware that many practices need to be established or improved. They agree that their priorities are to:

• strengthen quality assurance processes and increase the rigour of internal evaluation
• clarify the roles and lines of responsibility of the owner, manager and head teacher
• provide effective leadership to induct new staff, further develop programme quality and continue to promote leadership opportunities for all staff
• develop effective management planning so that annual and strategic goals are progressed and new initiatives are sustained
• organise policies so that staff and parents have access to a complete and current set of policies and procedures
• ensure effective financial management supports the centre’s viability and sustainability.

A key next step for teachers is to focus on learning outcomes rather than on activities in their planning, assessment and evaluation to strengthen provision for children's learning. 

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Nau Mai Mokopuna completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement andSelf-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

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance during the review. To meet requirements the Nau Mai Mokopuna owner and manager need to:

• ensure that the curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning and interests
• implement an ongoing process of self review to help maintain and improve the quality of education and care
• provide access for all provisionally registered teachers to an appropriate induction and mentoring programme and ensure that they are formally evaluated and provided with appropriate feedback.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C2, GMA6.

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends that the service consult with the Ministry of Education and plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report. 

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Nau Mai Mokopuna will be within two years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

13 February 2017 

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 

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.