109 A Taniwha Street, Glen Innes, 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.
Glen Innes Playcentre in East Auckland is a well-established centre located next to Tamaki College. The centre is one of 14 centres in the Tamaki Playcentres Association and is licensed for 25 children, including 15 up to two years of age. It is open for three general sessions each week plus an established 'Big Kids' session for older children, which is run by paid supervisors.
Programmes for children are underpinned by the overarching Playcentre philosophy of whānau and children learning together in a fun, nurturing environment. High levels of parent involvement in training enable them to be the kaiako (teachers) who guide children's learning.
The Association provides a framework for centre management and operations, as well as parent education programmes and personnel to support centre members in their leadership, educator and parenting roles. Te Kimiora o Tamaki, the Association support group for whānau Māori, provides members with advice and guidance regarding their bicultural practices.
Playcentre Aotearoa, the national organisation, is currently in the process of a comprehensive restructure. A regional hub will be established to provide governance, management and parent education support for Playcentres in central, east and south Auckland. While this will mean significant changes at the local Association level, it is expected that support for individual centres will be maintained or strengthened.
ERO's 2014 report noted centre members' collaborative approach to operating the centre. It also noted high levels of understanding about te reo me ōna tikanga Māori, and strong connections with community. These good practices remain evident. Areas for further development at that time included aspects of self-review, strategies for planning programmes and extending children's learning. Good progress has been made in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of three reviews in the Tamaki Playcentres Association.
The Playcentre philosophy is reflected very well in the programme for children and the centre culture. Very committed Playcentre parents/whānau provide an engaging and stimulating environment for children to lead their play. Children's perspectives are valued and respected. Children make their own play choices and have good access to resources.
Children are able to form friendships and are confident to explore together in an environment that promotes whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and a sense of belonging. Infants are especially well catered for in the centre where the environment invites them to explore and discover freely. Children are aware that adults are there to support them in their play in the indoor and outdoor environments.
Children enjoy engaging conversations with adults that prompt them to think and respond. Whānau actively provide a secure environment for children to form trusting relationships with a wider group of adults that help them to feel valued. Adults model desirable practices and strategies that nurture children’s social competence and behaviour.
Centre members' bicultural commitment is highly evident. Parents with confidence in te reo me ōna tikanga help to inspire newer members to understand biculturalism in Playcentre. Including measurable goals for bicultural practice in the centre's strategic plan could help keep a focus on improving responsiveness to Māori children.
Good planning, assessment and evaluation processes are well documented. A reflection process at the end of each session provides an opportunity for parents to discuss children's learning and identify ways to extend learning experiences. Children's learning plans are visible and their individual portfolios record their participation in the programme. These portfolios could be strengthened by parents/whānau focusing more on assessment of the learning that is happening for each child over time.
Parents/whānau have implemented strategies to promote the centre in the surrounding communities and to sustain roll numbers. They have developed teams to share responsibility for key centre roles so that the knowledge and expertise are passed on. More experienced centre members support newer members in various aspects of their parenting, educator and management roles. Effective communication systems help members to share relevant information to the wider whānau and community.
Effective long-term strategic planning guides centre direction. Goals are referred to often and guide annual priorities. The Association's policy framework is well used and informs the centre's daily operations and management systems.
Internal evaluation is used well to support ongoing improvement. Centre members demonstrate a growing capacity to critically evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of centre operations. Multiple voices are gathered and evaluation outcomes are well documented.
Leaders acknowledge the need to update some Association policies to incorporate the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act and recent changes in Health and Safety legislation. The Association is committed to promoting Te Whāriki 2017 in all centres in coming months and continues to provide strong support for meaningful bicultural practices.
Key next steps for centre members are to:
strategically monitor their bicultural practices and the integration of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori
increase their understanding of assessment and planning for children's learning over time.
Before the review, the staff and management of Glen Innes 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 Glen Innes Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
16 November 2017
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Glen Innes, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
22060 |
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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 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
17 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 10 Girls 7 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
Parent led |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
September 2017 |
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Date of this report |
16 November 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
December 2010 |
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Education Review |
August 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.
Glen Innes Playcentre in East Auckland is a well established centre located next to Tamaki College. The playcentre caters for children up to six years of age. It offers three general sessions each week plus a recently established ‘Big Kids’ session for older children that is run by paid supervisors.
General learning programmes are implemented by parents/whānau who are also centre members. Fifty percent of the children at the centre are of Māori or Pacific heritage. The centre has recently been successfully relicensed under the 2008 early childhood education regulations.
Since ERO’s 2010 review of Glen Innes Playcentre, its assessment practices have been significantly improved. An in-depth review of the outside area, followed by fundraising and redevelopment, has also resulted in improvements to the outdoor area. The centre’s physical environment is now attractively presented and appealing to both adults and children, with shade sails, freshly painted buildings, a sensory garden and a refurbished playground.
The centre is one of 16 playcentres in the Tamaki Playcentre Association. The Association provides a management and policy framework to guide centre operations. Liaison officers and other Association staff provide support for the centres, including adult education programmes to encourage children’s learning.
The Association is currently undergoing a structural review to streamline its systems, policies and practices and ensure the long-term sustainability of the organisation. A key priority is to empower playcentre members to take an active role in the governance of the organisation at the Association level.
This review was part of a cluster of six playcentre reviews in the Tamaki Playcentre Association.
The playcentre philosophy of parents and children learning, playing and growing together is very evident. Warm, caring relationships are apparent between adults and children. Members value the strong connections, sense of community and family support that is part of the Glen Innes Playcentre culture.
Children are engaged and active learners who confidently express their ideas and preferences. Older children initiate imaginative and cooperative play. Toddlers are well supported to participate fully in the mixed-age programme. Adults support children’s social competence through encouragement and positive guidance strategies. They promote children’s independence and self-help skills.
The programme and teaching practices are strongly influenced by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Adults plan activities to foster children’s learning and are responsive to children’s ideas. Assessment practices help them to identify what is of interest to children. Adults work as a group to reflect on and adapt their teaching practices to better support children’s learning.
Amongst the group there are members with high levels of understanding around te reo me ona tikanga Māori. It would now be appropriate for other members to build their understandings and skills for promoting Māori language and culture, so that the playcentre’s aspiration of having Te Ao Māori woven into everyday experiences is better realised.
Members make very good use of the expertise of Association staff and are proactive in seeking guidance and support. They work in collaborative and inclusive ways to manage the centre, and are assisted by experienced leaders. A significant current focus for the centre is building and sustaining the roll numbers and improving the training levels of parents. There is an expectation that adults will continue with training, and that experienced members will work with newer members to support them on their Playcentre education journey.
Long-term strategic priorities have been identified and highlight areas such as the indoor environment and on increasing resource and cultural provisions. Families are committed to providing a quality service. Strengthening the centre’s self review would help them in this endeavour.
Association management practices are well established. A current strategic review is focused on streamlining association systems, policies and practices to make them more manageable and to build the operational knowledge of playcentre members. Members report that the Association is very responsive to requests for support and guidance to manage the centre. The Association could now consider how staff can support centres to strengthen their strategic planning and self review practices. Guiding the improved quality of programmes in centres should be a more important aspect of the liaison officer role.
Centre members and ERO agree that next steps include:
The cluster review of six playcentres within the Tamaki Playcentre Association has identified areas of governance and management for the Association to address. These include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Glen Innes 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 Glen Innes Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
18 March 2014
|
Location |
Glen Innes, Auckland |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
22060 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 12 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
20 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 13 Girls 7 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese/Malaysian Niue Samoan Tongan |
6 10 1 1 1 1 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
18 March 2014 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
December 2010 |
|
Education Review |
August 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.