Report of External Evaluation and Review

Report of External Evaluation and Review Elite International School of Beauty & Spa Therapies Limited Confident in educational performance Confident in capability in self-assessment Date of report: 2 December 2014

Contents Purpose of this Report... 3 Introduction... 3 1. TEO in context... 3 2. Scope of external evaluation and review... 5 3. Conduct of external evaluation and review... 6 Summary of Results... 7 Findings... 10 Recommendations... 19 Appendix... 20 MoE Number: 8196 NZQA Reference: C15472 Dates of EER visit: 29, 30, 31 July and 1 August 2014 2

Purpose of this Report The purpose of this external evaluation and review report is to provide a public statement about the Tertiary Education Organisation s (TEO) educational performance and capability in self-assessment. It forms part of the accountability process required by Government to inform investors, the public, students, prospective students, communities, employers, and other interested parties. It is also intended to be used by the TEO itself for quality improvement purposes. Introduction 1. TEO in context Name of TEO: Type: Location: Elite International School of Beauty & Spa Therapies Limited (Elite) Private training establishment (PTE) 40 Triton Drive, North Shore, Auckland Delivery sites: North Shore Campus Newmarket Campus 40 Triton Drive 3 Broadway North Shore, Auckland Newmarket, Auckland First registered: 12 November 1998 Hamilton Campus Wellington Campus 44 Bryce Street 265 Wakefield Street Hamilton Wellington Courses currently delivered: National Certificate in Beauty Services (Beautician) (Level 4) Elite Diploma in Beauty Therapy (Level 5) Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies (Level 5) Programmes are designed to staircase between the levels. Regardless of the programme enrolled in, learners always commence with the Beautician module and, upon completion, can be awarded the level 4 national certificate. Those who enrol in the level 5 diplomas then proceed to the Body module, and upon completion can be awarded the level 5 Elite diploma, if enrolled into the Elite Diploma in Beauty Therapy. Learners enrolled in the Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies must proceed further to and complete the Spa module in order to be 3

awarded for the qualification they enrolled for. Code of Practice signatory: Number of students: Yes for learners age 18 years and above Domestic: around 350 at any point in time International: eight at the time of the on-site visit Number of staff: Management and administration: 10 Tutors: 34 Scope of active accreditation: As per courses currently delivered Distinctive characteristics: The Beautician module has a part-time study option. The Body and Spa modules are delivered full-time only. Learners gender: usually 100 per cent female, although from time to time there may be male learner(s) (at the on-site visit there were two male learners on the Auckland campuses) Other learners characteristics: 19 per cent Māori, 8 per cent Pasifika; the majority of learners are 18-25 years of age Recent significant changes: Elite s parent company, formerly known as Arowna, became the Intueri Education Group (Intueri) and floated on the New Zealand Exchange in late May 2014. The organisation s governance and management structure, for both Elite and Intueri, has undergone significant changes over the past three years. Previous quality assurance history: Other: The previous external evaluation and review (EER) of Elite was conducted in 2012. NZQA was Confident in Elite s educational performance but Not Yet Confident in Elite s capability in selfassessment. Elite receives SAC (Student Achievement Component) funding from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). 4

2. Scope of external evaluation and review The scope of this EER included the following mandatory focus area: Governance, management and strategy International students was also originally included as a mandatory focus area. However, during the on-site visit it became apparent that the sample size was too small to draw any valid findings. By mutual agreement between Elite and the evaluation team, this was removed from the scope of the EER. Other focus areas selected were: Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies (Level 5) Elite Diploma in Beauty Therapy (Level 5) Notwithstanding that all learners commence their study at Elite with the Beautician module (which leads to the National Certificate in Beauty Services (Beautician) (Level 4)), the majority of learners enrol in the Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies programme. In addition, the second-largest programme, the Elite Diploma in Beauty Therapy, was not a focus area at the previous EER. The two focus areas accounted for approximately 80 per cent of Elite learners and, together, provide a fair representation of Elite s operations. Provision of education across multiple campuses One of the findings from the previous EER was inconsistencies in processes and delivery across the four Elite campuses. The evaluation team was interested in examining whether there had been any changes made to address that gap. 5

3. Conduct of external evaluation and review All external evaluation and reviews are conducted in accordance with NZQA s published policies and procedures. The methodology used is described fully in the web document Policy and Guidelines for the Conduct of External Evaluation and Review available at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/registration-andaccreditation/external-evaluation-and-review/policy-and-guidelines-eer/introduction. The TEO has an opportunity to comment on the accuracy of this report, and any submissions received are fully considered by NZQA before finalising the report. Self-assessment materials were delivered to NZQA in a timely fashion to inform the scoping of this EER. The lead evaluator liaised with Elite s campus director to agree on the focus areas and finalise the agenda. The evaluation team comprised two evaluators, one of whom was on the evaluation team at Elite s previous EER. The on-site visits spanned four days, during which all Elite campuses were visited. During the on-site visits, the evaluation team interviewed two members of the Intueri executive team, Elite s campus director, all campus managers, the majority of tutors, and a sample of more than 30 learners from all campuses. Another Intueri group member responsible for the management of Elite between 2012 and 2013, and several other stakeholders including a representative of the responsible industry training organisation, HITO (Hairdressing Industry Training Organisation) were interviewed by phone. A range of documents was also sampled and reviewed. 6

Summary of Results Statement of confidence on educational performance NZQA is Confident in the educational performance of Elite International School of Beauty & Spa Therapies Limited. The organisation demonstrates some strengths in its educational performance. Elite aligns with the government s Tertiary Education Strategy by equipping Māori and Pasifika with a tertiary qualification at level 4 or above Māori learners achieve at a similar rate when compared with the general cohort (see Findings 1.1). Learners acquire up-to-date skills and knowledge relevant to the beauty industry, refine their work attributes (such as customer service, punctuality, personal presentation and hygiene practices), and gain recognised qualifications from an organisation that employers consider to be reputable. All of the above are considered valuable outcomes, especially for those intending to begin a career in this largely unregulated sector (see Findings 1.2). Teaching is effective. Tutors have appropriate adult education qualifications and industry experience. Staff professional development is supported and encouraged by Elite. Teaching is observed regularly and internal moderation processes are sound as supported by external moderation outcomes conducted by HITO. Assessment materials are now consistent across campuses. A positive learning environment is maintained (see Findings 1.4). Governance and management is structured to facilitate the efficient operations of the business which is focused on driving success as expressed in the educational performance indicators. Elite is well-resourced, with governance and management willing to invest in both its infrastructure and its people (see Findings 1.6). However, there remain a number of areas requiring significant improvement: The organisation is unable to determine the effectiveness of its initial interview processes. The evaluation team is of the view that the questions being asked, the format of the questions, and the consistency of conducting the initial interview can be further improved (see Findings 1.3). Issues of concerns previously identified in Elite s 2012 evaluation, such as access to courses for advanced beauty treatment skills, learner understanding of practicum requirements for international examinations, interpretation and application of attendance policy for learners not sitting 7

international examinations, and communications to learners, are yet to be addressed (see Findings 1.3 and 1.5). Some inter-campus inconsistencies in processes beyond assessment and moderation practices are yet to be identified and/or attended to (see Focus Area 2.4). The effectiveness of improved self-assessment is yet to be translated into actual improvements in outcomes, as expressed in the educational performance indicators (see Findings 1.1). Overall, NZQA is willing to express confidence in Elite s educational performance, based on the significant improvements demonstrated in its self-assessment capability over the past two years. The evaluation team believes there is a strong likelihood that the improved self-assessment will have a positive impact on the outcomes of educational performance in due course, and that Elite will continue to improve its processes as identified in this evaluation report. 8

Statement of confidence on capability in self-assessment NZQA is Confident in the capability in self-assessment of Elite International School of Beauty & Spa Therapies Limited. The evaluation team noted significant improvements in Elite s self-assessment. A strong mandate, direction and focus is driven by governance and management for analysing and understanding the organisation s performance in terms of educational outcomes, which leads to an enhanced buy-in and understanding of this critical success factor by staff at all levels, and across all campuses. Sound reporting and monitoring processes are now in place across all operations, accompanied by stronger accountability requirements at management level (see Findings 1.1, 1.2 and 1.6). An effective mechanism an academic working group is in operation to address priority issues. Priorities for the immediate past year have been identified, rightly so, as assessment and moderation practices, including consistency in materials and internal moderation processes across campuses. This had led to improvements in external moderation results as conducted by HITO (see Findings 1.4). The appointment of a campus director who is experienced in the New Zealand tertiary education sector enhances the organisation s understanding of the system, provides credible leadership on selfassessment, and contributes to the embedding of a reflective, continuous improvement culture (see Findings 1.6). Overall, the evaluation team found Elite s capability in self-assessment much stronger than two years ago. Coherent and comprehensive mechanisms are in place to self-identify weaknesses and drive continuous improvements at all levels of the organisation. As a result of this positive finding, NZQA is confident in Elite s self-assessment capability. 9

Findings 1 1.1 How well do learners achieve? The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Adequate. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Good. Understanding learner achievement is an area of significant improvement in Elite s self-assessment. The organisation now has a clear, informed view on completion, progression, retention, withdrawal and international examination success rates, as well as graduate destination outcomes, based on data and statistics. Elite is collating its data and analysing trends by dissecting statistics over time, campuses, programmes and learners characteristics (such as ethnicity). Elite is also benchmarking its performance against other competitors using publicly available information. An enhanced understanding and level of enthusiasm is observed by the evaluation team throughout the organisation, as staff now believe they possess the knowledge of how their actions contribute to the overall success of Elite s learners. Better utilisation of the existing information systems is another contributing factor to such improvement in processes. The actual performance under this key evaluation question remains inconclusive, as the key educational performance indicators remain at 2011 levels (see Table 1), and success in international examinations appears to be steady in recent years (see Table 2). Benchmarks produced by Elite confirm that the organisation is performing below average when compared with six self-identified competitors. This is a major reason behind the performance ratings given to this key evaluation question, as well as the two programme focus areas. Elite collects learners ethnicity data and analyses Māori and Pasifika qualification completion rates separately. The rate for Pasifika is statistically irrelevant due to the small number of learners self-affiliated with that ethnic group. The qualification completion rate for Māori (67 per cent) is comparable to the general cohort in 2013 (68 per cent), with both ethnic groups showing similar enrolment patterns. Given the management focus on, and associated improvement in, self-assessment, the evaluation team believes that learner achievement will improve over time and be in evidence at the end of this academic year. The ratings given reflect that improved processes are in place, but are yet to translate into improvements in outcomes. NZQA looks forward to such actual, quantifiable improvement in the next round of evaluation. 1 The findings in this report are derived using a standard process and are based on a targeted sample of the organisation s activities. 10

Table 1. Elite educational performance indicators, 2011-2013 Year Course completion Qualification completion Progression Retention Elite Ave Elite Ave Elite Ave Elite Ave 2011 80% 86% 74% 81% 8% 23% 79% 75% 2012 73% 85% 66% 82% 7% 23% 70% 77% 2013 80% 84% 68% 79% 8% 23% 59% 77% Source: Elite Ave denotes sub-sector median figures published by the TEC and supplied by Elite. Progression refers to the percentage of learners progressing from the level 4 certificate to a level 5 diploma programme on completion, and excludes learners enrolled in a level 5 diploma from the outset. Retention refers to learners who remain in a course of study for programmes of more than 12 months in duration. Table 2. Elite learners pass rates in international examinations, 2012 and 2013 Year Number of learners registered for the exam Pass rate CIDESCO 2012 95 77% 2013 49 78% CIBTAC ITEC 2012 111 92% 2013 60 93% 2012 88 88% 2013 52 85% Source: Elite CIDESCO: Comité International d'esthétique et de Cosmétologie CIBTAC: Confederation of International Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology ITEC: International Therapy Examination Council Table simplified to enhance readability and to protect sensitive data 11

1.2 What is the value of the outcomes for key stakeholders, including learners? The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Good. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Good. Learners acquire relevant skills and knowledge, refine work attributes (such as customer service, punctuality, personal presentation and hygiene practices) and gain recognised qualifications from a reputable private training establishment, all of which enhance their employability within the beauty industry upon completion. Elite provides assistance and motivates learners to undertake part-time employment during their course of studies, which provides a stepping stone for learners to entry positions in the industry. As this sector is largely unregulated, such practical experience and a qualification are highly valued by the learners and employers interviewed by the evaluation team. Learners may elect to sit any of the three international examinations offered at Elite, which, upon passing, allow learners to further demonstrate their skills and knowledge, as well as facilitating an overseas career, a move desired and fulfilled by many young people. Elite continues to participate in community events, creating opportunities for learners to provide beauty therapy services to the general public. This is valued by the community concerned as well as by the learners (for the experience and for generating a sense of self-worth through community involvement). The evaluation team noted that Elite has made a major effort to keep in touch with its graduates. Only a handful of graduates remained not contactable in the graduate destination outcome dataset (five in 2012 and two in 2013), with the vast majority of graduate outcomes known to the organisation (98 per cent in both 2012 and 2013). Such success in the tracking of graduates is aided by the highly effective local liaison model operating at all campuses each campus manages its own network of contacts, which acts as an intelligence network for Elite to understand the success of its graduates, as well as gathering valuable input from local employers into programme design, review and delivery. Positive outcomes (defined as employment in the beauty industry or a related field and progression to higher studies) for graduates improved from 74 per cent in 2012 to 79 per cent in 2013. An enhanced understanding of the drivers behind the improved outcomes will facilitate further improvement in this key performance indicator. 12

1.3 How well do programmes and activities match the needs of learners and other stakeholders? The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Adequate. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Adequate. Prior to enrolment, learners are invited to visit their desired campus and are provided with information about the programmes they intend to enrol in. A staff member at each campus will also use this opportunity to interview the prospective learner, to understand their motivation, manage their expectations, establish any barriers to learning, and assess their likelihood of success. An updated version of the initial interview form was introduced in July 2014 across all campuses. The evaluation team examined the form and associated records and found inconsistencies in its application, both within each campus and across different campuses. When questioned on the usefulness of the process, campus managers were unable to provide a conclusive answer. The initial interview is a crucial process to an organisation like Elite, which offers programmes that require significant time and financial investment, but there is no evidence of systematic self-evaluation on the effectiveness of this process. The evaluation team is of the view that the questions being asked, the format of questions, and the consistency of conducting the initial interview can be further improved. The evaluation team is also disappointed in Elite s failure to respond to identified weaknesses under this key evaluation question at the previous evaluation. Access to advanced skills within the beauty industry, such as Brazilian waxing and spray tanning, continues to vary from campus to campus. These remain common treatments within the sector, desirable by learners but not covered under the current programmes (possibly as a result of the pending outcomes in the Targeted Review of Qualifications), but the availability of such additional courses or as added content to the Spa module is inconsistent across campuses. There also continues to be confusion among some learners interviewed by the evaluation team on the practicum requirements for international examinations. Furthermore, while some campuses have adopted a staircase approach to enrolment as opposed to enrolling learners into a level 5 diploma at the outset (which may have led to reductions in drop-outs/non-completions), there is no evidence that these reflections and refinements have translated into an organisation-wide, uniform practice. These matters were identified in Elite s 2012 evaluation, but the evaluation team is yet to see progress on this. While Elite is affected by the Targeted Review of Qualifications, which is currently still in progress, the evaluation team is unable to accept that as a reason for such lack of reflection, especially when learners continue to enrol and progress through the existing programmes. Having said the above, the evaluation team acknowledges that some positive practices are in place to meet the needs of learners, such as identifying their preferred learning styles and adapting the lesson plans accordingly to suit, as well as maintaining industry linkages to ensure relevancy of delivery contents. 13

1.4 How effective is the teaching? The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Good. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Good. Teaching is effective at Elite, and there is strong rapport between tutors and learners. All tutors have industry experience and are qualified in adult education. Some possess level 5 and 6 adult teaching qualifications, above the minimum expected of tutors of tertiary vocational education. Tutors are keeping up-to-date with industry trends and developments through ongoing engagement with the beauty sector. A variety of teaching methods is used to engage learners and manage the learning, in particular for challenging theory subjects such as anatomy and physiology. The evaluation team found the diverse backgrounds of tutors in the Wellington campus a particular strength and commend the campus manager for her hiring decisions in order to bring complementary skillsets to the team. The addition of the role of campus director in December 2013 enhanced staff levels of understanding of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework and its application to Elite s own programme structure, as well as bringing in the energy, direction and provision of resources required for the academic working group to be effective. Notwithstanding that the group has been in place since early 2013, it appears the level of buy-in and understanding of its purpose and function became more apparent to staff across the organisation in 2014. While there are a number of areas still under review, such as the suitability of programme content, the academic working group made significant improvements in the consistency of assessment materials, as well as implementing processes for post-assessment moderation practices across all campuses. HITO s moderation visit in May 2014 confirmed that the industry training organisation is now satisfied in general with Elite s assessment and moderation practice, a major improvement from previous visits. Other processes are in place to monitor teaching effectiveness at Elite, such as observation of teaching practices within and across campuses. Tutor evaluations are conducted at the end of each module delivered. Results are collated, analysed and discussed at performance reviews. Evidence shows that learners are generally satisfied with Elite s tutors and their teaching, and any dissatisfaction with the teaching has been followed up. The evaluation team noted with delight that a reflective culture is being embedded within Elite. 14

1.5 How well are learners guided and supported? The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Adequate. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Adequate. The evaluation team observed a strong sense of dedication and passion for beauty therapy training among the tutors. Further learning support and guidance is provided beyond general class times by tutors on an individual and/or group basis depending on learners requirements. The small class sizes encourage engagement with each learner and allow tutors to focus on individual needs. Some effective processes, such as the use of information systems and daily morning catch-ups by the tutors, guide the campuses in directing resources to areas of need, in terms of support and guidance to the learners. A number of surveys are conducted regularly to gauge learners satisfaction and feedback. A class representative system is in place and appears to be an effective bridge between campus management and learners when meetings are held the evaluation team noted some irregularities in the occurrence of such meetings at selected campus. Learners perception and experience of the effectiveness of the class representative system varied. An attendance policy is documented, but its application varies across different campuses. There appears to be confusion among learners and some staff about the interpretation and enforcement of the policy, indicating a communication issue with both learners and staff on this policy. While the evaluation team is satisfied that there is prompt follow-up of non-attendance, the overall attitude of management in applying the attendance requirements is unclear, other than to satisfy eligibility to sit international examinations. International research indicates a positive correlation between attendance and likelihood of completion. There is definitely plenty of room for improvement for Elite to sharpen its practice on this topic. Communication between staff and learners was identified as a weakness at the previous evaluation. While improvements have been observed on information provision in relation to course requirements through different channels (verbal, printed and online), the evaluation team noted that further improvement is required in terms of keeping learners informed on issues resolution when concerns have been raised by learners. This theme is consistent across selected campuses where learners interviewed expressed frustration at the perceived inaction of management after matters were raised through various channels although the evaluation team did find that in most instances a resolution was indeed in progress, but learners were not kept informed throughout. 15

1.6 How effective are governance and management in supporting educational achievement? The rating for performance in relation to this key evaluation question is Good. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this key evaluation question is Good. Intueri and Elite both went through significant changes in organisational structure over the past year. A new campus director position was created in December 2013 with the appointment of a highly experienced and knowledgeable manager within the tertiary education sector to oversee the overall operations of Elite. Intueri implemented a new executive structure around the time of its floating of shares on the New Zealand Exchange in 2014. The new structure has led to clearer, more defined responsibilities and accountability, which helps provide a more effective overall direction and support to Elite, as well as embedding a reflective and continuous improvement culture. Key performance indicators are now set and understood within the organisation, and regular reports with appropriate analysis are prepared for governance and management to monitor progress towards those success indicators and other TEC funding requirements. The evaluation team understands some further changes, aimed at better utilising individual s strengths, are planned for September by Elite s management. Elite is well-resourced. Its campuses are attractive, welcoming, fit-for-purpose and reflect the requirements of the beauty industry. Governance and management shows a high level of willingness to invest in its staff. Professional development is financially supported and the recent All Elite Day initiative in May 2014, where all staff members across all four campuses were brought together was effective in creating a sense of unity and understanding of the organisation s priorities and their purpose, and helped towards creating a reflective culture across Elite. Staff appraisals are conducted regularly in a participatory approach. Elite staff are engaged and feel valued. Elite responded to the findings from the previous round of evaluation. One of its responses was to create the academic working group, comprising tutors across the four campuses, with the original purpose and priority of ensuring assessment and moderation practices are consistent across all campuses. The school has since expanded the academic working group mandate to examine and refine all processes. The evaluation team found the academic working group to be effective and evolving in the right direction in terms of its leadership, membership and focus. The initiative has led to a number of process improvements since its inception. For example, assessment materials, standard lesson plans and learner survey forms are now consistent across the four campuses; and Elite has designed the processes and is about to implement cross-campus post-assessment moderation. While this line of work continues, the evaluation team is satisfied that processes are in place to identify inconsistencies, to align processes, and to manage this important aspect effectively. 16

Overall, the evaluation team found improvements to self-assessment practices under this key evaluation question, with sound processes and analysis in place across different levels of Elite. There is evidence that the organisation is using its information in a meaningful manner, which leads to improvements in outcomes. 17

Focus Areas This section reports significant findings in each focus area, not already covered in Part 1. 2.1 Focus area: Governance, management and strategy The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Good. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Good. 2.2 Focus area: Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies (Level 5) The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Adequate. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Good. 2.3 Focus area: Elite Diploma in Beauty Therapy (Level 5) The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Adequate. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Good. 2.4 Focus area: Provision of education across multiple campuses The rating in this focus area for educational performance is Adequate. The rating for capability in self-assessment for this focus area is Good. The evaluation team found the academic working group to be effective in addressing priority concerns as directed by governance and management. The focus for the immediate past year has been on assessment and moderation practices, including materials and process consistencies across campuses. However, attention must now turn to other inconsistent processes (examples as identified throughout this report), as well as creating opportunities to share learnings and reflections on successes from one campus to the whole organisation on matters beyond assessment and moderation, as the evaluation team observes a number of strengths and/or initiatives in operation at one campus but not replicated at other locations at the time of the on-site visit by the evaluation team. For example, the Mairangi Bay campus appears to excel in international examinations, Hamilton campus operates a well-received buddy/class teacher system, and the Wellington campus has exceptional strength in using and analysing data to inform decision-making as part of its self-assessment practice. However, there is no evidence that such best practices are communicated or considered across the organisation. 18

Recommendations NZQA recommends that Elite International School of Beauty & Spa Therapies: Design and implement ways to measure learners improvement in work attributes, as per Elite s 2014 action plan. Further analyse and understand the drivers behind the changes in performance under this measure through graduate feedback and destination outcome data. Review the effectiveness of the initial interview process and improve on the questions and the information collection methodology. Ensure the initial interview process and documentation are applied consistently within and across campuses. Ensure learners have access to in-house courses on advanced beauty treatment skills, regardless of campus. Analyse the insights from differing outcomes arising from different enrolment approaches (as in whether to adopt a staircasing approach or enrolling into a level 5 diploma at the outset), and make an informed decision on whether to adopt an organisational practice consistently across the organisation, with the learners best interests at heart. Reflect on the current attendance policy for learners not sitting international examinations, adopt an organisational approach, and ensure learners understanding of the policy as well as consistent interpretation and application across campuses. Review communication channels, processes and procedures to ensure learners are kept informed of any progress to resolve concerns raised with campus management. Review the effectiveness of self-assessment mechanisms in areas pertaining to learner support and guidance. Ensure sufficient opportunities and operations are in place to facilitate the sharing of learnings, reflections, successes and best practices from one campus to the whole organisation on matters beyond assessment and moderation. Continue to refine, evolve and align processes across different campuses, focusing on consistencies beyond assessment and moderation practices. 19

Appendix Regulatory basis for external evaluation and review External evaluation and review is conducted according to the External Evaluation and Review (EER) Rules 2013, which are made by NZQA under section 253 of the Education Act 1989 and approved by the NZQA Board and the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. Self-assessment and participation in external evaluation and review are requirements for maintaining accreditation to provide an approved programme for all TEOs other than universities. The requirements are set through the NZQF Programme Approval and Accreditation Rules 2013, which are also made by NZQA under section 253 of the Education Act 1989 and approved by the NZQA Board and the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. In addition, the Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2013 require registered private training establishments to undertake self-assessment and participate in external evaluation and review, in accordance with the External Evaluation and Review Rules (EER) 2013, as a condition of maintaining registration. The Private Training Establishment Registration Rules 2013 are also made by NZQA under section 253 of the Education Act 1989 and approved by the NZQA Board and the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. NZQA is responsible for ensuring non-university TEOs continue to comply with the rules after the initial granting of approval and accreditation of programmes and/or registration. The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors Committee (NZVCC) has statutory responsibility for compliance by universities. This report reflects the findings and conclusions of the external evaluation and review process, conducted according to the External Evaluation and Review (EER) Rules 2013. The report identifies strengths and areas for improvement in terms of the organisation s educational performance and capability in self-assessment. External evaluation and review reports are one contributing piece of information in determining future funding decisions where the organisation is a funded TEO subject to an investment plan agreed with the Tertiary Education Commission. External evaluation and review reports are public information and are available from the NZQA website (www.nzqa.govt.nz). The External Evaluation and Review (EER) Rules 2013 are available at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/about-us/our-role/rules/eer-rules.pdf, while information about the conduct and methodology for external evaluation and review can be found at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/external-evaluation-andreview/policy-and-guidelines-eer/introduction/. NZQA Ph 0800 697 296 E qaadmin@nzqa.govt.nz www.nzqa.govt.nz 20