Hobson Street, Ohaeawai
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ohaeawai Playcentre operates as a parent cooperative and is licensed for 20 children, including six under the age of two years.
Programmes for children are underpinned by the Playcentre philosophy of parents and children playing and learning together. The philosophy of Ohaeawai Playcentre links to that of the governing organisation, prioritising children's learning through play in a mixed-age setting. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is acknowledged as a guiding document.
The centre is part of the newly established Northern North Island Playcentre Region. Regional systems support centre members to manage their centres and to provide educational programmes for their children. Playcentre personnel also provide training programmes for parents and whānau to achieve Playcentre qualifications.
The 2015 ERO report identified strategic planning, programme planning and policy review as areas for continued development. There has been some progress in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of 12 reviews in the Northern North Island Playcentre region.
Children are familiar with, and very settled in the centre environment. They comfortably explore the environment, choosing resources for their play. Supportive adults provide a calm pace to the programme and are very responsive to children's ideas and requests. As a result, children are able to sustain their play.
Adults know children's preferences well and support their developing independence. They are good models of oral language and use effective strategies to promote children's social competence.
Learning stories written by parents capture the interests of the children well. Centre resources offer a good variety of experiences for children's play and exploration. Programme planning could include a focus on how effectively centre resourcing promotes children's more complex play and learning.
The Playcentre philosophy is evident in action. The centre's philosophy was established in 2009. It would be timely to review this to ensure it captures a more current vision for the centre and children's learning. Parents and whānau could reflect on how they will enact their commitment to te Tiriti.
Collaborative adults are very supportive of children and each other. Clear goals for centre improvement have been documented and could now be used to guide the centre's strategic direction.
The regional structure is replacing individual Playcentre Associations. Newly appointed regional personnel are making good progress building on existing systems and establishing effective regional management structures for supporting centres. Centre support workers are guided by regional centre support coordinators. Systems are being developed for monitoring the quality of programmes for children, adult education levels and health and safety requirements.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps for centre improvement include:
continued development of programme planning processes to strengthen learning continuity, and increasing the complexity of children's thinking and learning
making visible links in planning documentation between children's learning and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum
using te reo Māori in conversations with children and whānau
reviewing the centre's philosophy statement to clearly state the valued outcomes for children's learning in this unique setting.
The regional manager (acting) and support personnel agree that key next steps include:
implementing and embedding the revised Playcentre training programme
establishing a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of centre support systems, roles and processes.
Before the review, the staff and management of Ohaeawai Playcentre 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 Ohaeawai Playcentre will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
20 December 2018
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 |
Ohaeawai, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
17151 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
20 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
5 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 3 Girls 2 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
20 December 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
September 2007 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ohaeawai Playcentre is a small, rural, parent-led centre. It is managed by whānau volunteers under a shared leadership model. Two sessions are offered each week for mixed age groups of up to 20 children, including up to six infants and toddlers. Eight children currently attend the centre.
The Mid Northland Playcentre Association provides organisational, financial and policy systems to support the day-to-day running of the centre. The New Zealand Playcentre Federation is entering into a period of restructuring and is preparing for a shift from providing localised support for the centre through the Mid Northland Playcentre Association to a national support model.
ERO’s previous report on the playcentre in February 2011 noted its commitment to running a programme based on Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. Since this time there has been a noticeable decline in the use of Te Whāriki to guide centre programmes.
Low roll numbers reinforce ongoing concerns about the sustainability and long-term operation of this Playcentre. Many parents who previously made use of the centre have returned to work. Currently six families participate in the playcentre’s programmes. Some of the parents and children are also involved with other early childhood centres. Centre members have tried many strategies to build community attendance rates, but without success.
The programme offers children a good range of learning experiences, particularly in the indoor area. The outdoor environment should be better presented to add interest and choice. Members take children on regular excursions to broaden their general knowledge, and to extend and stimulate their learning. Attention should now be given to reintroducing the Te Whāriki framework.
Children enjoy the centre environment and range of activities provided. They are articulate, vocal and interested in the play opportunities. Most play independently and enjoy exploring the learning environment. They work alongside their parents and talk with them about their play interests. Encouragement for children to interact more consistently with one another could help children to grow socially and to learn empathy for other children.
Centre members are committed to the use of te reo Māori and incorporate simple words and phrases in their interactions. Tikanga within the playcentre is also being developed. Centre members are strengthening their commitment to biculturalism and this aspect of the programme.
Parents hold various playcentre qualifications. They engage with children with differing degrees of skill, depending on the extent of their training and their knowledge and experience. Together they provide a programme where children enjoy positive relationships with each other. The general quality of adults’ language and questioning is high, promoting children’s communication skills and their thinking and learning abilities.
In addition to playcentre course training, members have benefitted from the Ministry of Education’s professional development. As a result, interactions with children have been improved and learning stories are being implemented. It could now be helpful to use planning, assessment and evaluation processes more systematically to further strengthen children’s learning.
The centre currently operates under the New Zealand Playcentre Federation philosophy. Members could now consider developing a localised philosophy that incorporates the community context.
ERO agrees with the Ohaeawai Playcentre members that the Association should urgently work with members to review the sustainability of the centre.
Should the playcentre continue to operate, ERO suggests that members, with Association support, should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Ohaeawai Playcentre 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:
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 Ohaeawai Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
30 October 2015
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 |
Ohaeawai, Kaikohe |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
17151 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
20 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
8 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 5 Girls 3 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā |
4 4 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
September 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
30 October 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2011 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
September 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
April 2006 |
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.