Hospital Road, Whangarei
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) | Whakatō Emerging |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | |
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions | Whakatō Emerging Whakatō Emerging |
Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation is a licensed early childhood service located at Whangarei Hospital. The playroom is staffed by one full time hospital play specialist (HPS), two part-time HPS, and a regular reliever who are all qualified and certificated teachers. The playroom provides for children who are patients at the hospital. Most children stay for short periods of one or two days.
There has been minimal progress made in relation to the next steps identified in ERO’s 2020 report relating to developing long-term planning, establishing internal evaluation processes and improving bicultural practices.
Tamariki and whānau benefit from a welcoming, supportive and nurturing environment. This promotes the development of positive relationships between HPS, tamariki, and their whānau. Purposefully designed play equipment provides children and their whānau with opportunities to explore and understand medical equipment and procedures more easily.
Developing a bicultural curriculum that reflects the dual heritages of Aotearoa is in the early stages of development. The service is yet to improve the extent to which te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are integrated into the curriculum, to help them engage with Māori more meaningfully as tangata whenua.
Aspects of assessment that show some information about children’s learning is variably documented. The HPS team are yet to unpack the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and make connections with the centre’s priorities for children’s learning. They are also yet to use the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki to inform planning, assessment and evaluation processes.
Collaborative relationships between leaders, HPS, and multidisciplinary medical teams support the wellbeing of tamariki and whānau. HPS are well-supported to access professional learning and development. There is minimal evidence to show how their learning has improved professional practices or resulted in positive changes for children. Internal evaluation processes for improvement are not currently established.
Management and governance systems to monitor that legal requirements are met are not yet fully implemented. This includes developing and implementing clear expectations about the improvements that are needed and who is responsible for monitoring progress. ERO’s previous report in 2020 identified that HPS were not being regularly appraised. Appraisal processes are currently not consistently undertaken for all HPS. The service is yet to implement a professional growth cycle that meets Teaching Council requirements for certificated teachers.
Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation completed an ERO 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
ERO identified the following area of non-compliance:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7.
The service has provided ERO with evidence to show the following non-compliances have been addressed:
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure the non-compliance identified in this report is addressed.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
22 July 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation |
| Profile Number | 10144 |
| Location | Whangarei |
| Service type | Hospital-based service |
| Number licensed for | 15 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | Notional roll |
| Review team on site | April 2024 |
| Date of this report | 22 July 2024 |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review, June 2020; Education Review, April 2016 |
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation operates under the policies and management of Whangarei Hospital. The service caters for a diverse ethnic community. The playroom located in the children’s ward is used by children and their families when attending hospital. It provides resources and play opportunities for children from birth to 16 years of age.
The playroom is staffed by four qualified Hospital Play Specialists (HPS). The HPS work as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team to provide early childhood education and care, and therapeutic medical play programmes. They implement Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, for all children in the hospital.
Since the 2012 ERO review the long-serving qualified staff team has remained constant. The HPS are developing their philosophy, which emphasises the unique and nurturing learning environment. The team’s vision and mission statement are based on a commitment to play that facilitates learning and develops strategies for coping with medical treatment.
The 2016 ERO report acknowledged positive practices and highlighted areas for improvement that included strategic self review and bicultural practices. HPS continue to address these areas.
HPS are skilled at quickly establishing respectful, caring and trusting partnerships with parents and whānau. They are empathetic, reduce whānau stress and provide learning experiences to help children understand what happens to them in hospital. HPS are strong advocates for children and their families. They work in partnership with families to share information and provide sensitive support.
Children’s emotional wellbeing and resilience are nurtured and ably supported. They have opportunities to play alongside each other and develop friendships. Children experience an inclusive, welcoming and calm environment in the playroom.
A wide range of thoughtfully presented and skilfully adapted resources and activities caters for children’s individual interests, diverse ages and needs. Healthcare play equipment and HPS expertise assists children to engage in medical play and prepare for medical procedures.
HPS have complementary skills and are highly collaborative. They offer programmes in which play is used to assist children with strategies for coping with hospital procedures and to minimise stress for long hospital stays. The languages and cultures of children and families are respected and valued. Volunteers, community groups and the presence of therapy animals contribute to the children’s wellbeing.
HPS are knowledgeable about Te Whāriki. Planning and assessment are focused on positive experiences and programmes for children and are child led where possible. Teaching strategies are responsive to children’s interests, needs and the complexity of their circumstances. Literacy, numeracy and science are woven naturally into children’s play. Group programme books (Daily Diaries) record children’s experiences in the hospital setting. Long-term patients, who return to hospital regularly, have profile books that capture their ongoing learning.
The service is committed to enhancing and embedding bicultural practices. Tikanga Māori concepts and te reo Māori are reflected in the programme and environment. HPS acknowledge the need to further develop a Tiriti-based curriculum and bicultural practices.
HPS have established a variety of useful professional networks in the hospital and education community. Ongoing professional development opportunities are supported by managers.
Self review practices are continuing to be developed. Establishing long-term strategic and annual action plans, and rigorous internal evaluation that is linked to strategic goals, would enable the team to better examine the effectiveness of their practice.
HPS work with hospital-wide strategic goals, budgets and policies. The management team has a good understanding of the strengths of the service and the HPS team. Managers have a strong commitment to enhancing the quality of the play specialists’ service in the hospital.
Key steps for ongoing development include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation completed an ERO Hospital-based Education and Care 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
5 June 2020
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
| Location | Whangarei | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 10144 | ||
| Licence type | Hospital Based Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for / notional roll | 15 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 | ||
| Number of hospital play specialists in the service | 4 | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | ||
| Review team on site | December 2019 | ||
| Date of this report | 5 June 2020 | ||
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | April 2016 | |
| Education Review | May 2012 | ||
| Education Review | February 2009 | ||
ERO’s overarching question for a hospital-based service education review is ‘How well placed is this service to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing?’
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 contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Pou Ārahi– how leadership is enacted to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Mātauranga– whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Tikanga whakaako– how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity, contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness ofarotake– self review and ofwhanaungatanga– 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 have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service responds to children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to two years of age.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to the methodology for ERO reviews in Hospital-based Education and Care Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes 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 contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing and are useful to the service.
Not well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation operates under the policies and management of Whangarei Hospital. The playroom is located in the children's ward and is open Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm. It provides resources and play opportunities for children aged from birth to 16 years of age who are admitted to the ward. The service caters for high numbers of Māori children and their whānau, and this is representative of the community the hospital serves.
The playroom is staffed by two Full Time Equivalent Hospital Play Specialists (HPS) who are qualified and registered early childhood teachers. At the time of this ERO review the service also employed 2 Full Time Equivalent registered teachers. Flexible staffing means that there are five staff on the team, some of whom share a job. They work as part of a multidisciplinary team which also includes a range of other healthcare professionals.
The aim of the HPS is to deliver a holistic service that provides a nurturing learning environment. Their key role is to minimise psychological stress and enhance coping capacities for hospitalised children and their families/whānau by providing educational programmes and therapeutic play, making resources available at children's bedside and, at times, visiting other sites and clinics in the hospital.
Since the last ERO review in 2012 staffing has remained consistent and many staff have been long serving. Volunteers and community groups continue to give their time, contributing to children's wellbeing while they are in hospital. HPS have undertaken some reviews in order to improve outcomes for children.
Hospital Play Specialists (HPS) work in partnership with families. They invite them to participate in and contribute to playroom activities. HPS are skilled at quickly developing respectful and trusting relationships with children and their families/whānau. They consult with parents about possible strategies to help children cope with medical procedures. Positive relationships between families and HPS promote open communication and assist HPS to reduce whānau stress and anxiety during their time in hospital. A sense of belonging and wellbeing for children and their whānau is strongly nurtured.
The playroom provides children and their families with an inclusive, relaxed, calm environment. Children have access to a good range of resources. These include purposefully designed play equipment to enable children to make sense of, and better understand, medical equipment and procedures. HPS put thought into providing a range of experiences and activities to support children's diverse strengths, interests and needs. Children enjoy the opportunity to play alongside other children and confidently participate in playroom activities.
HPS have a good understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Programme planning is highly responsive to the interests and the complexity of children's circumstances. HPS make learning meaningful and challenging. Children's learning dispositions are well supported through child-initiated play and learning. HPS engage in play with children and promote their exploration and creativity. Learning concepts such as literacy and mathematics are naturally included in play experiences.
HPS notice, recognise and respond to children's emerging interests and needs. Therapeutic play at children's bedside and in the playroom is used to minimise psychological trauma and to help children to gain a sense of understanding and control.
HPS are strong advocates for children and their families. They listen to children's and parent's requests and respond appropriately. Long-term patients or patients who return regularly to hospital have profile books that contain photographs of children participating in fun learning experiences with others. HPS have developed a range of effective communication practices to link with early childhood services that children have been attending prior to hospitalisation so that children can retain contact and HPS can learn more about children's wider life experiences.
HPS have established practices that respect and acknowledge tikanga Māori practices. They acknowledge the need to further develop this aspect of the programme by introducing more te reo Māori, local history and kawa. Many parents contribute their expertise in this area, resulting in a learning environment where children and adults learn together.
Hospital managers provide HPS with ongoing professional development opportunities to help them keep up to date with current recommended practices. HPS have established useful professional relationships with other hospital play specialists to share practices and initiatives.
HPS often discuss and reflect on programmes and the support they provide for children and their families. They have undertaken some internal evaluation that has contributed to ongoing improvement in the service they provide. They are continuing to develop their self-review processes to enable them to better evaluate the effectiveness of their practice, service operations and outcomes for children and whānau.
ERO and play specialists contributed to the identification of the service's next steps for ongoing improvement. These focus on continuing to develop and implement:
ERO recommends HPS access external professional development to support them in developing and implementing planned and strategic reviews that are clearly linked to the service's strategic and annual plans and staff appraisal, and that are used to inform management and HPS decisions.
Before the review, the staff and management of Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation completed an ERO Hospital-based Education and Care 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:
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 Whangarei Hospital Play & Recreation will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
29 April 2016
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.
| Location | Whangarei | ||
| Ministry of Education profile number | 10144 | ||
| Licence type | Hospital Based Service | ||
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | ||
| Number licensed for | 15 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 | ||
| Service roll | Variable | ||
| Gender composition | Variable | ||
| Ethnic composition | Variable | ||
| Number of hospital play specialists in the service | 4 | ||
| Reported ratios of staff to children | Under 2 | 1:3 | Better than minimum requirements |
| Over 2 | 1:8 | Better than minimum requirements | |
| Review team on site | February 2016 | ||
| Date of this report | 29 April 2016 | ||
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review | May 2012 | |
| Education Review | February 2009 | ||
| Education Review | January 2006 | ||
ERO’s overarching question for a hospital-based service education review is ‘How well placed is this service to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing?’ 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 contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Pou Ārahi– how leadership is enacted to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Mātauranga– whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Tikanga whakaako– how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity, contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness ofarotake– self review and ofwhanaungatanga– 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 have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service responds to 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 the methodology for ERO reviews in Hospital-based Education and Care Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing. 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 contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing and are useful to the service.