2 Hapua Street, Remuera, Auckland
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.
Newmarket Playcentre is a well established centre, which operates as a family cooperative. It is one of 16 centres in the Auckland Playcentre Association.
Centre practices are based on the Playcentre philosophy of families learning and growing together. The centre offers five sessions per week for up to 25 children, including up to 15 under the age of two. In addition, the Association operates two SPACE sessions each week at the centre, for new parents and their infants.
Since the 2013 ERO report the centre has maintained effective management practices, extended children's leadership and strengthened internal evaluation. They have also strengthened planning and evaluation and introduced a new Child Education officer role, to ensure that programmes remain focused on children.
The Association continues to provide a sound management framework and support personnel to assist centre members in managing their centres. It administers centres’ funding and provides an adult education programme for parents/whānau to achieve Playcentre qualifications.
The Association management team has a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi bicultural partnerships with whānau Māori. There is an expectation that adults and children will gain an understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori.
Playcentre Aotearoa is in the process of a national restructure. As a result, it is expected that a new regional manager and centre support personnel will be appointed towards the end of 2017.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Auckland Playcente Association.
Responsive and caring relationships contribute positively to children’s emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging. There is a culture of support and respect for children and their families. Parents/whānau enrich children's conversation as they affirm and build on the children’s strengths. Infants benefit from nurturing, individualised care and access to all areas of the centre. Toddlers can explore, make discoveries, be independent and are quickly reassured when necessary. Adults work together collaboratively in the care and education of all children at the centre.
Children learn in a well resourced, attractive environment that acknowledges children’s interests, meets the needs of the mixed-age group and fosters curiosity and exploration. The outside area is well equipped and offers a variety of physically challenging activities. Children’s creative expression through art, music and dance, is valued and enthusiastically supported. They have many opportunities to use literacy, mathematics and science as part of their play. Children engage in sustained purposeful play, have fun and are developing a positive attitude to learning.
Children are confident and capable learners. Their leadership and problem-solving skills are encouraged as is their sense of empathy and responsibility. They engage in self-chosen activities and older children play cooperatively. Children develop friendships and skills for working in a group.
Centre members are keen to continue to deepen and enhance their bicultural practices, which are an integral part in this centre's practice.
Centre members have sound programme planning systems that reflect Playcentre philosophy and link to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Assessment information shows children engaged in play and group experiences. Session evaluations inform planning and assist with continuity of learning. A variety of adults contribute to children’s individual assessment portfolios, which show how learning has developed over time.
Strong leadership and sound management systems contribute to the ongoing sustainability of the centre and continued high quality practices. Experienced centre members mentor and support newer members in understanding Playcentre philosophy, centre expectations and how to support child-initiated play. All members have a role in centre management through consensus decision making. Internal evaluation and strategic planning are undertaken collaboratively, and information is shared in a variety of ways.
The Association management team takes responsibility for specific tasks relating to effective operations. The team is aware of the strengths and needs of each centre and provides strong professional leadership to sustain improvement and growth. Individualised and effective support helps each centre to continue fostering positive learning outcomes for children. The management team works collaboratively with centres as they respond to change, including the national restructure.
Centre members agree key next steps are to:
continue to enhance bicultural practices
explore ways to record in learning stories and programme evaluations, how children make decisions about and lead their own learning
continue to support new members to recognise learning in the context of play and in Playcentre adult education programmes.
To enhance practices in all Auckland centres, the new regional manager and support personnel should consider ways to support centre members to:
increase their bicultural understanding and integration of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori
improve their understanding and use of internal evaluation as a tool to guide and improve practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Newmarket 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 Newmarket Playcentre will be in four years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
17 August 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 |
Remuera, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
22028 |
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Licence type |
Playcentre |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
37 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 17, Girls 20 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
27 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2017 |
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Date of this report |
17 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Newmarket Playcentre operates as a parent-led cooperative in the Auckland City suburb of Remuera. The well established centre caters for up to 25 children per session from birth to six years of age, with five mixed-aged morning sessions each week. The Auckland Playcentre Association provides an administration framework of policies and procedures to support the centre’s operations. The Association also provides a comprehensive adult education programme and personnel to support members.
The Playcentre philosophy places importance on empowering adults and children to work, play, learn and grow together. The philosophy honours te Tiriti o Waitangi. Parents are valued and affirmed as the first and best educators of their children.
The centre has a positive ERO reporting history. The 2010 ERO report noted that children were well engaged in a programme that extended their play and interests. A high level of training amongst centre members was also noted. These positive characteristics continue to be evident.
The Playcentre philosophy is actively promoted in the centre’s everyday practice and, as a result, children are confident, competent, and independent learners. Their play is purposeful and children express themselves well.
Centre members affirm children’s efforts and encourage their involvement in a variety of learning activities. The programme supports mixed-age learning opportunities for all children, including infants and toddlers. Children are supported to develop early literacy and numeracy skills in meaningful ways within the different areas of play. Members model respectful practices, inviting themselves into children’s play and sharing responsibility for all children. As a result, children confidently initiate interactions and develop good social skills. Older children engage in cooperative play with each other.
Māori language and bicultural perspectives are meaningfully integrated into the programme and the learning environment. The inclusion of biculturalism in the programme is a recent development. The introduction has been led by a parent and is supported by all members. ERO encourages the centre to continue to explore the bicultural approach.
Effective planning and assessment practices help members to respond to individual children’s emerging strengths and interests. Members document children’s learning well, using learning stories, descriptions and photographs. These are included in individual portfolios, which are highly valued by the children and their families.
The centre environment is conducive to children’s learning. The well resourced centre provides children with very good opportunities for creative and physical play. Refreshment of the indoor environment has included provision of greater wall display space, which is used to display children’s art and to capture the learning that is happening in the centre. Members regularly review the environment to ensure that the positioning of equipment and resources meets the needs of the different ages of children attending.
The centre is well managed by centre members. Members have refined the Playcentre Association framework of policies and procedures to ensure they are meaningful to the centre’s specific needs. There is a culture of clear expectations and members are well informed and supported in their roles. All members are encouraged to take on leadership roles. These highly developed systems ensure the sustainability of good practices in the centre.
A reflective centre culture supports ongoing initiatives and improvements. Regular monitoring and review cycles inform strategic planning and decision making.
ERO and centre members agree that the key next steps are:
Before the review, the staff and management of Newmarket 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:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Newmarket Playcentre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
20 June 2013
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 |
Remuera, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
22028 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
37 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 14 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Filipino |
32 3 2 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
May 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
20 June 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 2004 |
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.