Main West Coast Road, West Melton
View on mapERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
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Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
West Melton Playcentre is a parent-led early childhood service in Selwyn administered by Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa – Playcentre Aotearoa. It operates from a purpose-built building and serves the local community by providing four morning sessions per week. Regular support is provided by a Centre Advisor.
The service curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The daily programme is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Their preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their participation. The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor experiences. Those responsible for monitoring health and safety should continue to support the service to maintain compliance with Playcentre Aotearoa policies and the regulatory standards.
Next steps include:
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS7, HS8.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
18 June 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | West Melton Playcentre |
| Profile Number | 70148 |
| Location | Christchurch |
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Service type |
Playcentre |
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Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2. |
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Service roll |
35 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4, NZ European/Pākehā 28, Other ethnic groups 3. |
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Review team on site |
May 2021 |
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Date of this report |
18 June 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, November 2014; Education Review, March 2012. |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
How well placed is West Melton Playcentre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
West Melton Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
This playcentre operates under the guidance of the Canterbury Playcentre Association. The playcentre is a parent cooperative. Parents are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the programme and centre operation.
West Melton Playcentre has four morning sessions a week. It provides a mixed-age group programme where younger children play and learn alongside their siblings and older children.
The centre has made good progress towards addressing the recommendations from the 2012 ERO report with the help of external professional support and the association. This includes building on planning and assessment practices to increasingly make the children’s learning more visible. Self review is an area that is now well led by a number of playcentre parents. They are encouraging newer members of the parent group to develop these understandings and skills.
This review was part of a cluster of 11 playcentre reviews in the Canterbury Playcentre Association.
The playcentre philosophy of parents and children learning together through play is highly evident in practice. Parents and children are warmly welcomed and well supported to become part of the playcentre community. Positive relationships are actively promoted and fostered between adults and children. ERO observed adults working cooperatively, and children caring for one another and playing well together.
The learning programme is a child-led, play-based programme that values children’s opinions and preferences. Adults notice and follow children’s interests. They help children to develop their oral language skills so that they are able to express and build on their ideas. Infants and toddlers are well included in all aspects of the centre programme.
ERO observed children who were comfortable and confident to freely explore and make their own choices, demonstrating a good sense of belonging. Adults and children were enjoying each other’s company and having fun together.
The playcentre is well resourced and provides a wide range of interesting learning experiences. Literacy and mathematics learning is well integrated into children’s play. The playcentre has a close link with the local school. This connection supports a positive transition for children and families.
The playcentre is well led and managed by an enthusiastic and dedicated group of parents. These parents model effective learning interactions that support children's learning and wellbeing. The parent group is reflective and focused on ongoing improvement. This helps new parents to make a valued contribution to the ongoing life of the playcentre.
The parent group has identified, and ERO agrees, that the next steps are to continue to:
This is the third cluster review of a number of playcentres that ERO has undertaken in collaboration with the association. Each of the previous cluster reviews have identified emerging strengths from all playcentres reviewed. This process has resulted in key next steps for the association to further support playcentres to improve learning outcomes for children.
The association has made some good progress in addressing the recommendations from the previous two cluster reviews. This includes:
Further work is required to develop a stronger understanding of the government’s focus on priority learners so that the association can better support parent groups to respond to these children.
There continues to be significant change occurring in the structure of governance and management at association and federation levels. This has had a major impact on the association’s positive response to ERO’s recommendation from the previous cluster review, to document future planning.
During this cluster review the association has identified, and ERO agrees, that the next steps for the association include:
Before the review, the staff and management of West Melton 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 West Melton Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
10 November 2014
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 |
West Melton, Canterbury |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70148 |
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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 |
23 children, including up to 8 aged under two |
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Service roll |
28 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 15; Girls 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indonesian |
3 24 1 |
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Reported ratios of adult to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2014 |
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Date of this report |
10 November 2014 |
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Most recent ERO reports These are available at www.ero.govt.nz |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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Education Review |
May 2008 |
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Accountability Review |
June 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:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
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.