Young Crescent, Drury
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.
Drury Playcentre is a parent-led, sessional early childhood education service. It is part of the Counties Playcentre Association and is situated in a rural area of Drury near Papakura. The centre is licensed for 29 children, including 15 under two years. It offers two supervised sessions per week, catering for up to 18 children from birth to school age, in a mixed-age setting.
The centre's philosophy reflects the aspirations of the Playcentre Federation, of whānau and children learning together through child-initiated play. The programme is guided by Te Whāriki, Early childhood curriculum.
The playcentre operates as a parent cooperative run by volunteers and is governed by a regional body with national governance from New Zealand Playcentre Federation (NZPF). During 2018, playcentre is transitioning from operating as a federation with 32 regional associations to becoming one national body with six regional offices. The Auckland region is now made up of 45 playcentres from the Auckland, Tamaki and Counties Playcentre Association. A regional manager oversees the governance, management and administration for this region and has a team of staff to support individual playcentres. The restructuring includes policies, technology and adult education. There continues to be a period of transition for all playcentre whānau and staff as they adapt to new systems and responsibilities.
The federation employ a part-time centre support worker (CSW) and centre administrator (CA) to manage day-to-day operations, curriculum and administration. Since the last review in July 2015 a buddy system has been established to support new families' sense of belonging and understanding of the value of a child-led programme. Some progress has been made toward strengthening members' bicultural practice which includes the appointment of a bicultural officer. Further development has been hindered by significant membership changes over the last 18 months. At the time of this review key leadership positions remain vacant. To enable the playcentre to meet licensing requirements a qualified early childhood teacher attends each session. Other members have or are working towards attaining course two and course three qualifications.
This review was part of a cluster of three playcentre reviews in the Counties Playcentre Association.
Children are empowered to make choices about their learning. They engage in long periods of sustained and uninterrupted play, promoting dispositional learning. The mixed-aged, family-like environment encourages peer learning and reciprocal relationships. Independence and self management are actively encouraged through responsive and flexible routines. Literacy, mathematics and science are authentically woven into children’s play. Planned excursions into the wider community focus on extending the learning identified in planning. The large outdoor environment provides many opportunities for children to explore, take risks and develop their physical skills.
Children experience positive and meaningful learning interactions with parents and other adults. Members are beginning to develop culturally responsive practices that promote Māori children's sense of belonging and give other children a greater understanding of their bicultural heritage. Te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated into the daily programme through karakia and waiata, affirming the language and culture of Māori children and their whānau. Members recognise the need to further strengthen bicultural practice.
Children are valued and viewed as capable and competent learners. Children with additional needs and their families are thoughtfully and respectfully included into the programme. The language and culture of children from diverse cultures are acknowledged in the environment. Transitions into and out of the centre are individualised and a buddy system supports new members. Children benefit from learning partnerships where they are valued for what they bring to their learning.
Babies and toddlers benefit from a separate space that allows them to freely explore, promoting curiosity and independence. There are shared understandings about managing children's behaviour in a positive and respectful way that builds their confidence. Children up to two years of age benefit from interaction with older children.
The centre has well-considered processes that guide assessment, planning and evaluation. Members write learning stories for their own children which highlight children's friendships, interests and learning experiences. There are regular opportunities for parents to share their aspirations and knowledge of their child as a learner. This information supports all members to respond to each child's interests, dispositions and learning. End of session programme evaluations support the identification of next steps for learning. There is a need to further strengthen assessment and individual planning.
Collaborative leadership opportunities allow members to extend and share their knowledge and skills. Roles and responsibilities are divided amongst the members. Members recognise there is an urgent need to fill key positions. They are actively encouraged to undertake training to support building capability and meet licensing requirements. Family commitments and distance of professional development opportunities remain a challenge for members' participation. A strategic and annual plan are improvement focused, including building members capacity and focused on positive outcomes for children. Self review is developing and informs decision making. Children benefit from experienced leaders who role model quality practice that’s focused on positive learning outcomes.
The regional management team take responsibility for specific tasks relating to effective operations of individual playcentres. Newly appointed regional personnel are making progress with existing systems and establishing 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. The teams is aware of the unique strengths and needs of the playcentre and the Regional Manager provides professional leadership to sustain improvement, growth and the focus on fostering positive learning outcomes for children.
With the centre having many new members there is a need to offer mentoring and guidance to ensure:
that the centre philosophy reflects the current community body, acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi and aligns to the revised Te Whariki
consistency with assessment, planning and evaluation.
In order to improve and strengthen practice the Auckland Playcentre regional leaders should continue to:
revisit the commitment to Te Tiriti partnership to increase bicultural understanding and integration of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori to support playcentres' practices
clarify and upskill playcentre support roles
build regional office capability to embed new parent education programmes and qualifications
improve understanding and use of internal evaluation as a tool to guide practices
develop, evaluate and report against a regional long-term and annual action plan aligned to goals for improvements at national and regional level
embed and evaluate how effectively the new playcentre structure and systems support all learners including Pasifika and children with additional needs.
Before the review, the staff and management of Drury 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 Drury Playcentre will be in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
9 October 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.
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Location |
South Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25201 |
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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 |
29 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
18 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 11 Girls 7 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
0-49% - Parent-led |
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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 |
July 2018 |
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Date of this report |
9 October 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2012 |
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Education Review |
March 2009 |
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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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Drury Playcentre is an established parent cooperative that serves a semi-rural suburb. It is located next to Drury School. It operates under the auspices of the Counties Playcentre Association, which provides Playcentre training, policies and procedures, and support from association personnel. Each playcentre contributes to the make-up of the Association and has representatives at association level.
At present, Drury Playcentre is experiencing a period of change after a significant number of more experienced members finished their time at playcentre. While membership of the centre is building, new members require nurturing to engage with playcentre training. The few remaining experienced members are managing the bulk of the responsibility for the smooth day-to-day operation of the centre, with support from paid educators employed by the Association.
Centre members provide education and care for children from birth to school age on three mornings a week in a mixed age group. Children and their parents/whānau are encouraged to attend regularly. At present 22 children are enrolled to attend sessions.
The 2012 ERO report noted the settled enjoyment children were taking in their play and the warm, welcoming atmosphere created by members. The report highlighted self review and planning processes as areas for improvement. ERO also recommended a stronger focus on building bicultural understanding. These next steps remain a priority for the centre.
The national playcentre organisation is currently undertaking a restructure which is likely to change the current structure of the Counties Playcentre Association.
Children are settled, engaged in self chosen play and friendly. They are eager to access the wide range of activities and experiences provided for them. They play well, talking together and sharing their ideas. Most children are comfortable with adults. They seek assistance from adults and respond to interactions with them.
Current members have welcomed a number of new families since the beginning of the year. New centre members are becoming aware of the shared nature of Playcentre responsibilities and expectations and are becoming willing to contribute. Some have enrolled in Playcentre training and are beginning to feel confident about sharing their thinking. This is a positive aspect of the centre’s redevelopment. Good leadership by long-standing members is a feature of the centre’s growth.
Centre members have established processes for assessment, planning and evaluation of learning programmes. It would now be useful for them to review these processes to create opportunities for newer members to take a more active role in noticing, recognising and responding to children’s learning. Linking the three processes in the planning cycle would also allow centre members to document the learning outcomes for each child and to plan to support their development over time.
Centre members have taken some appropriate steps to increase the focus on bicultural learning in the centre. All members are learning waiata, and words in te reo Māori. The Association’s bicultural group has visited the centre to give support. Centre members should continue to build on this sound commitment to reflecting the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Centre members could consider establishing contact with Drury School as a first step in learning more about bicultural support for children’s learning.
The centre's outdoor environment provides interesting spaces and physical challenge for children. The indoor area provides areas of play and storage for a large range of resources and materials. Centre members should review the extent to which the arrangement of inside areas of play provides children with prompts and space to extend their play. Providing attractive and interesting places to explore should help children to sustain and develop their play. It is also important to make adequate provision for infants and toddlers in the programme environment.
Key next steps for centre development include continuing to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Drury 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 Association should establish robust quality assurance systems and training for Association personnel, in order to improve the effectiveness of support provided for centres.
The next ERO review of Drury Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
6 July 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.
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Location |
Drury, Auckland |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25201 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
29 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
22 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 14 Boys 8 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan |
5 16 1 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2015 |
||
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Date of this report |
6 July 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 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.