190a Naenae Road, Naenae, Lower Hutt
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 |
Not meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Not meeting |
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Health and safety |
Not meeting |
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Governance, management, and administration |
Not meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.
Matiti Tokelau Akoga Kamata has provided education and care from a Tokelauan language and cultural perspective for over 20 years. The service is on the grounds of St Bernadette's School in Naenae. The roll consists mainly of children from Tokelau and Samoan heritages. Long serving staff include the centre manager who oversees daily operations.
Teachers engage in positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The service is not meeting regulatory standards in a significant number of areas. Teachers’ practice and knowledge of relevant theories to support children’s learning and development are not evident. The service’s premises and facilities, health and safety and governance, management and administration and curriculum criteria do not currently meet regulatory standards.
Effective governance and management systems, and ongoing self-review that supports improvement, have not yet been established. ERO is not assured that the service has the capacity to make improvements without support and involvement from the Ministry of Education.
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
adults providing education and care demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development, and knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education
a tempering valve or other accurate means of limiting hot water temperature is installed for the requirements of criterion HS13 to be met
a procedure outlining how the service will ensure hygiene and infection control outcomes are met when washing sick or soiled children
a space (away from where food is stored, prepared, or eaten) where a sick child can be temporarily kept at a safe distance from other children (to prevent cross-infection), lie down comfortably and be supervised
furniture and items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) that will be used by more than one child over time are securely covered with, or made of, a non-porous material
a designated space is available to support the provision of restful sleep for children under the age of two at any time they are attending; the space is located and designed to minimise fluctuations in temperature
a current fire evacuation scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service
a written emergency plan that includes at least a communication plan for families and support services and evidence of review of the plan on at least an annual basis and implementation of improved practices as required
a record of emergency drills carried out and evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service’s emergency plan
a procedure for ensuring that children do not have access to food or liquids while in bed; a record of the time each child attending the service sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time
equipment, premises, and facilities checked on every day of operation for hazards to children; consideration of hazards must include cleaning agents, medicines, poisons, and other hazardous materials; hazards present in kitchen or laundry facilities; vandalism, dangerous objects, and foreign materials (e.g., broken glass, animal droppings); poisonous plants; and bodies of water
temperature of warm water delivered from taps that are accessible to children no higher than 40°C, and comfortable for children at the centre to use
water stored in any hot water cylinder kept at a temperature of at least 60°C
completing documentation required for excursions, evidence of parental permission and approval of adult:child ratios for regular and special excursions, the signature of the person responsible giving approval for the excursion to take place and the first aid requirements in criterion HS25 are met in relation to those children and any children remaining at the premises
rooms used by children are kept at a comfortable temperature no lower than 18°C (at 500 mm above the floor) while children are attending
a procedure for accident, illness and injury, outlining the service’s review and implementation of practices as required
records of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service that includes evidence of parental acknowledgement
a written child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014
an ongoing process of self-review and internal evaluation, which helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care
a process for human resource management; including selection and appointment procedures; job/role descriptions; induction procedures into the service; a definition of serious misconduct; and discipline/dismissal procedures
all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014; safety checks must be undertaken, and the results obtained before the worker has access to children; the results of the safety checks must be recorded, and the record kept as long as the person is employed at the service; every children’s worker must be safety checked every three years; safety checks may be carried out by the employer or another person or organisation acting on their behalf
an annual budget that guides financial expenditure.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C4, PF24, PF26, PF27, PF30, PF37, HS4, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS12, HS13, HS14, HS17, HS24, HS27, HS28, HS31, GMA6, GMA7, GMA7A, GMA9.
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.
The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
26 October 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Matiti Tokelau Akoga Kamata |
|
Profile Number |
55441 |
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Location |
Naenae, Lower Hutt |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 7 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
29 |
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Review team on site |
August 2022 |
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Date of this report |
26 October 2022 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, November 2017; Education Review, June 2015 |
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Matiti Tokelau Akoga Kamata has provided early childhood education and care from a Tokelauan language and cultural perspective for over 20 years. It operates from a purpose built facility on the same site as St Bernadette's School in Naenae and is licensed to cater for 30 children including 7 up to 2 years of age.
The centre serves mainly children and families who are Tokelauan or Samoan, as well as children and families from other Pacific cultures. There is a smaller number of children who are Vietnamese, Somalian and Palagi.
The centre is spacious and well organised. Separate indoor and outdoor spaces are available for the older and younger age groups. Staff provide many opportunities for mixed age play. Babies and toddlers are well supported by their teachers to join older children for shared group play times.
The centre philosophy promotes aganuku and gagana whaka-Tokelau. The philosophy is based on strong Talitonuga, Christian beliefs and values, within the Catholic faith. It uses Te Whāriki, New Zealand's Early Childhood Curriculum, and encourages children's holistic development and parent partnerships.
Most teachers, including the pule takitaki, the centre manager, are experienced and qualified educators. All have strong connections to the Tokelauan community and are fluent in the Tokelauan language. An administrator provides effective support for the daily management of the akoga. A governance board replaced the management committee in 2015. It is well led and provides governance and management support for the akoga.
ERO's 2015 report noted many positive aspects about the care and education for children. However it highlighted concerns about the governance and management of the centre. This 2017 ERO report identifies that significant progress has been made in all areas within the past two years.
Children and families experience a warm and welcoming centre environment at Matiti Tokelau. Children settle easily into the routines of the day and are content and secure with their teachers and friends. The centre environment is well organised and resourced with increasingly natural materials. Displays, photographs and artefacts reflect the Tokelauan heritage.
With a curriculum firmly based on aganuku and gagana whaka-Tokelau, children talk and sing in Tokelauan during the learning day. They experience positive, culturally appropriate interactions with their teachers. These good practices support children's strong sense of belonging in the centre and pride in their language, culture and identity. In addition, teachers show value for Māori as tangata whenua incorporating te reo and tikanga in the programme.
Babies and toddlers experience nurturing and affectionate care from their teachers. Teachers communicate effectively with parents about the learning and other needs of their little ones and follow home routines and preferences. The environment provides natural and tactile learning resources. There is appropriate space and variety to invite children's exploration. In response to these good practices, children are settled and happy in the centre.
Teachers provide good support for children to play in areas of their choice. Children have ample space and time for uninterrupted play. Children play well with each other in groups or independently as they prefer. They are friendly and kind to each other and older children are especially caring towards the babies and toddlers. All children engage enthusiastically in group times organised and led by teachers.
Teachers plan collaboratively. They respond well to what they notice and recognise about children's interests and strengths. Children have good opportunities for literacy and numeracy learning in the context of their play. They also enjoy learning activities in science and the creative arts.
Learning stories include leo matua, parents' voice. and some show clearly what children have learned. Centre leaders identify that teachers would benefit from continued support to further improve the quality of learning stories. In particular they should consider how to make better use of parents' voice. They are also keen to promote the use of children's dispositions from a Tokelauan perspective.
Significant improvements have been made to the management and governance of the akoga. External expertise has supported these improvements. The centre is on a better and more professional footing. Improvements include:
making roles and responsibilities for the pule takitaki and teaching staff clear and documented
sharing leadership and management tasks across the teaching team, including appointing key staff to lead and improve the curriculum
targeting professional learning to the needs and interests of teachers and leaders
developing a good strategic planning and internal evaluation / self-review model
reviewing and updating all policies and procedures and aligning them to legislative requirements.
Teachers value the opportunities for professional learning. They are using action-based research approaches to improve their practice and the environment for children. The teachers' appraisal system connects to this research approach and is aligned well to the Education Council requirements.
The governance board is led by a skilled and capable chairperson. He recognises that as the fourth chairperson in two years, there needs to a greater level of stability for the board. Currently, the board is seeking parent and community representation for the board.
Centre managers agree that key next steps for the centre include:
providing to the governance board reports that are more evaluative, showing the impact of work completed and next steps
promoting inati / inquiry into the effectiveness of leadership throughout the akoga and from a Tokelauan perspective
continuing to focus on the teachers' role in children's learning, identifying and applying deliberate acts of teaching
further supporting teachers to reflect on their professional practice.
Before the review, the staff and management of Matiti Tokelau Akonga Kamata 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.
The next ERO review of Matiti Tokelau Akonga Kamata will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
9 November 2017
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 |
Naenae, Wellington |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
55441 |
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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 |
30 children, including up to 7 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
28 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 17 Boys 11 |
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Ethnic composition |
Tokelauan |
14 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2017 |
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Date of this report |
9 November 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
May 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
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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:
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 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:
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.