Aoga Amata Preschool 2020 Limited

Education institution number:
90400
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Samoan ECE service
Total roll:
47
Telephone:
Address:

87 Severn Street, Clifton-Invercargill, Invercargill

View on map

Aoga Amata Preschool 2020 Limited

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

CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesNot meeting
Health and safetyNot meeting
Governance, management, and administrationNot meeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children. 

Background

Aoga Amata Preschool 2020 Limited is owned and managed by a qualified teacher. The team of six registered teachers and seven unqualified support staff provides a curriculum that promotes Gagana and Aganu’u Samoa. Almost half of children attending have Pacific heritages, and a high number are tamariki Māori

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 provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. The curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own cultures and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. 

Leaders and teachers must ensure policies and procedures guiding the governance and management of the service are implemented and followed. An increased level of monitoring of health and safety practices is required. 

Actions for Compliance 

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

  • providing a means of drying hands that prevents the spread of infection for adults preparing food
  • ensuring the premises has a current fire evacuation scheme approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand
  • ensuring the written emergency plan includes all required aspects as specified by the licensing criterion
  • ensuring adults providing education and care carry out each type of drill with children (as appropriate) on at least a three-monthly basis
  • ensuring before a person is employed or engaged as a children’s worker, as defined in the Children’s Act 2014, a safety check as required by that Act must be appropriately completed.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF21, HS4, HS7, HS8, GMA7A.

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance: 

  • Ensuring equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children, including hazards in the outdoor play area relating to play equipment and outdoor surface area (HS12.) 
  • ensuring furniture and items intended for children (aged under 2 years) to sleep on are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (that is, a material that does not allow liquid to pass through it) that protects them from becoming soiled, allows for easy cleaning (or is disposable); and does not present a suffocation hazard to children (PF30).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education 

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.

Next ERO Review 

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

14 December 2023

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameAoga Amata Preschool 2020 Limited
Profile Number90400
LocationClifton, Invercargill
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for55 children, including up to 15 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers80-99%
Service roll51
Review team on siteNovember 2023 
Date of this report14 December 2023
Most recent ERO report(s)Akanuku | Assurance Review, November 2020; Education Review, March 2019

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 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. 

A'oga Amata Preschool - 16/11/2020

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
CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

A'oga Amata Preschool provides Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and Aganu'u Samoa (Samoan culture) for children in a family-orientated, semi-rural setting. Most children attending have Māori or Pacific heritage. The March 2019 ERO report found that the service required further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children. Significant progress is evident.

Summary of Review Findings

The curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and is responsive to children’s language, culture and identity. Adults engage in positive interactions and support children’s developing social competence. They provide opportunities for parents to contribute to their child’s learning and collaborate with external agencies to support children. The children have opportunities to experience a range of learning experiences in premises that are designed to support different kinds of play.

There are suitable systems for governing and managing the service and appropriate documentation and records are developed, maintained and regularly reviewed.

Actions for Compliance

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

  • rooms used by children are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 16 degrees (at 500mm above the floor) while children are attending (HS24).

Next ERO Review

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

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

16 November 2020

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameA’oga Amata Preschool
Profile Number90400
LocationInvercargill
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for55 children, including up to 15 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers50-79%
Service roll43
Gender compositionMale 21, Female 22
Ethnic compositionMāori 9, NZ European/Pākehā 4, Samoan 17, Cook Island 6, Other ethnicities 7
Review team on siteSeptember 2020
Date of this report16 November 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

Education Review, March 2019; Education Review, May 2015.

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.

A'oga Amata Preschool - 11/03/2019

1 Evaluation of A'oga Amata Preschool

How well placed is A'oga Amata Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

A'oga Amata Preschool requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

Since the 2015 ERO review, the long-standing owner has implemented a new leadership structure which places greater responsibility on the teaching team to carry out governance and management roles and responsibilities. The owner implemented these changes with the intention of growing shared leadership across the team. This restructure has proved unsuccessful. Greater support, training and guidance need to be implemented to assist the owner and teachers as they carry out these new responsibilities. As a result, the next steps from the previous review have not been addressed and additional areas for improved practice have been identified.

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

Background

A'oga Amata Preschool, in South Invercargill, provides a Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) and Aganu'u Samoa (Samoan culture) foundation for learning and wellbeing. This long-established service welcomes children from birth to school age in a family-orientated, semi-rural setting. Most children attending have Māori or Pacific heritage.

The Review Findings

Children and their families continue to enjoy a strong connection to A'oga Amata Preschool, with warm and caring relationships highly evident. Teachers and teacher aides know children's cultures, backgrounds and interests. They work alongside each family to seek their aspirations.

The owner and the teaching team demonstrate strong commitment to the service and to the community. Adults work collaboratively to support children to develop confidence and a sense of belonging. Children show ownership of the centre resources, and engage for sustained periods in their chosen activities. There is a settled, yet busy tone to the centre.

Children follow well-established routines, with an awareness of related cultural protocols and expectations for respectful behaviour. Tuakana/teina relationships are evident with the older children supporting younger peers. The teaching team actively promotes the service's philosophy and values, and affirms children who demonstrate these in their play and interactions.

Children aged under two years are cared for in a designated area of the centre. Since the previous ERO review, the owner has made some changes to the outside space to better accommodate the developmental needs of these younger children. Further review and improvements are necessary inside and outside to enhance the quality of the resources, and create a safer and more responsive environment for children to explore.

Changes to the organisational structure means that staff roles are rotated around the team a number of times each year. This has created instability and uncertainty for the team and for centre operations, impacting on various aspects of the programme. For example, while teachers remain caring and nurturing, there is insufficient time to build meaningful relationships with the youngest children in primary caregiving roles before teachers are rostered into the next area.

At the time of the 2015 ERO review teacher appraisals, self review and planning had been improved. These developments have not been sustained or progressed. Good quality mentoring and professional development are urgently needed to support the owner to improve these aspects of practice.

The owner now needs to strengthen the systems and structures that support governance and management to provide a more strategic and coherent approach to the centre's improvement. This should provide clarity and greater support for teachers. Key goals and valued outcomes for children should be prioritised and worked towards in a more systematic and effective manner.

Key Next Steps

The owner and the teaching team agree that next steps include:

  • improving the physical environment and curriculum for children under two years of age, and providing more individualised care routines for these younger children

  • revisiting the budget to ensure adequate funds are available and are allocated to maintain the quality of resources for children

  • refining aspects of teachers' planning and assessment for consistency and quality

  • providing sufficient targeted training and professional development to assist staff to be successful in their roles, including external support to develop leadership at all levels

  • continuing to develop self review to evaluate and improve the quality of centre practices.

The owner also needs to improve the quality of the appraisal and ensure that all members of the teaching team are appraised.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of A'oga Amata Preschool 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.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to policy review, sleep routines, and excursions. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

  • develop and review health and safety processes and practices to meet current legal requirements

  • amend the child protection policy and review the personnel policy and processes to reflect current requirements in relation to the Vulnerable Children Act

  • improve excursion processes and planning to more clearly identify and manage risks

  • develop good quality systems to manage centre finances, and address the areas for improvement identified in the centre's current auditor's report

  • keep parents and whānau informed about the centre's use of equity funding and how this is used to improve learning outcomes for children.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS7-18,31, GMA1-10; Vulnerable Children 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.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

11 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

Invercargill

Ministry of Education profile number

90400

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

55 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

39

Gender composition

Boys 22 Girls 17

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Samoan
Cook Islands Māori
other ethnic groups

18
4
8
6
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

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

December 2018

Date of this report

11 March 2019

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

March 2012

Education Review

July 2008

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:

  • 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.

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.