St Leonards Playcentre

Education institution number:
81038
Service type:
Playcentre
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
7
Telephone:
Address:

1 Pukeko Street, St Leonards-Dunedin

View on map

St Leonards Playcentre - 13/11/2014

1 Evaluation of St Leonards Playcentre

How well placed is St Leonards Playcentre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

St Leonards Playcentre is a small parent-led playcentre in north Dunedin. The centre is open five mornings a week and employs an educator for each session. Educators work closely with parents. Parents attending believe in providing a supportive environment for parents and children, both socially and emotionally, while learning together.

Since the ERO review in 2011, there have been some changes in playcentre members. The adults continue to work to respond to the recommendations in the 2011 report.

This review was part of a cluster of 12 playcentre reviews in the Otago Playcentre Association (OPA).

The Review Findings

The parents at St Leonards Playcentre are improvement focused. They work together to provide a safe, stimulating learning environment for children and families in the local community and from further afield.

A particular strength is the emphasis on relationships. There is a strong sense of whanaungatanga and of shared ownership of the place and the programme. New families, especially those new to the community, have found support and friendships through the playcentre. Children settle quickly on arrival and show a strong sense of belonging.

Parents carefully identify each child’s interests, strengths and abilities. They then specifically plan individual, small and large-group learning experiences that link back to these. As a result, children enjoy a wide range of interesting activities and experiences.

Adults encourage children to learn social skills and form meaningful friendships with one another. They promote the development of children’s language, love of books and interest in written words. 

Children have many experiences that encourage creative expression, such as dramatic play and music. In the outdoor area the spacious grounds allow children to explore and learn through physical and creative play.

Other aspects of the playcentre programme that positively impact on children include:

  • the wide range of good quality resources and equipment used to extend and promote children’s development and learning
  • the high number of caring adults to support and extend children’s thinking and learning through purposeful interactions
  • interesting excursions into the community that link back to children’s interests and learning.

Children often venture into the community for excursions. They explore the harbour and visit places such as the museum and local library. Strong links with the local school help children in their transition to school. Parents effectively use Facebook and a web site to keep everyone well informed.

Parent council members share the running of the centre and meet regularly to review aspects of the service. A team reflects on the daily programme and topics identified as needing improvement are investigated and researched. The council receives good support from an OPA advisor. Self-review processes are in place and improvements result in positive outcomes for children.

As part of this review, ERO investigated how well the centre supported children’s early mathematics learning. St Leonards Playcentre integrates mathematical learning well.

Key Next Steps

ERO agrees with the playcentre leaders that their next steps for improvement are to continue to develop:

  • parents’ and children’s confidence and competence in te reo Māori and to integrate Māori perspectives into the programme
  • self-review processes and practices, including implementing a schedule for reviews of key aspects that impact on children.

Governance

The Otago Playcentre Association is facing challenges and uncertainty as the Playcentre Federation and the training they provide undergoes a period of restructuring. During this time, the association has made it a priority to focus on the daily operations of the playcentres. This includes:

  • managing an association-wide system for all aspects of health, safety and compliance
  • ongoing provision of playcentre training.

ERO found that the association needs to:

  • strengthen the appraisal process for all employed personnel
  • ensure that association policies provided to the centre are regularly reviewed
  • be more responsive and timely to training needs to enable playcentres to meet licensing and employment requirements.

Each playcentre has the ongoing support of a centre advisor. This includes:

  • regular visits to provide informal and formal feedback and encouragement
  • helping parents know what to do to the meet licensing requirements.

Centre advisors should find ways to make best practice common practice across the association, for example, through effective self review and planning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of St Leonards 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of St Leonards Playcentre will be in three years. 

Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region

13 November 2014 

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service 

Location

Dunedin

Ministry of Education profile number

81038

Licence type

Playcentre

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 15 aged under two

Service roll

23

Gender composition

Girls 12 Boys 11

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
European
English
Other ethnicities

  2
12
  2
  1
  6

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:2

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

August 2014

Date of this report

13 November 2014

Most recent ERO reports

 

Education Review

June 2011

Education Review

February 2008

Education Review

December 2004

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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. 

St Leonards Playcentre - 17/06/2011

1 The Education Review Office (ERO) Evaluation

St Leonards Playcentre is one of 38 playcentres that operate under the Otago Playcentre Association.  A parent council is responsible for the day-to-day management.  The playcentre is open for five sessions a week.  Very capable educators work effectively with confident parent helpers to run lively programmes that actively engage children and adults.  Strong team work and supportive centre-home links are a feature of this centre.  Adults are encouraged to share their various strengths for the benefit of the whole playcentre community.  These include the promotion of Māori language, culture and values.

Children play and learn in a mixed-age setting.  A welcoming and secure family atmosphere characterises the centre.  Adults and children know each other very well.  Children of all ages confidently approach any adult for support.  The very good ratio of adults to children means that children can enjoy many individual interactions with adults. 

Children are encouraged to explore the many possibilities for interesting and challenging play in a vibrant learning environment.  They enjoy a wide range of highly engaging learning experiences that include many opportunities for literacy, numeracy, science, dramatic play, music and movement.  Children and adults have fun together.

Other positive features of this centre include:

  • effective planning for individual children and groups, with a good balance between planned and spontaneous learning experiences
  • very good processes for building on children’s learning and responding to parents’ aspirations
  • children’s focused involvement in an enjoyable programme that includes many opportunities to develop their social and cooperative skills.

The educators and parent group are reflective and improvement focused.  They agree with ERO that their next step is to formalise aspects of their self-review processes.  They also need to continue their efforts to build the confidence of all adults to use te reo Māori in their everyday interactions with children.

Overall, the centre has good practices in place to support children to learn in a healthy and safe environment.  There needs to be more consistency in carrying out appropriate risk-management procedures for excursions outside the centre.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children.  Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again within three years.

2 Review Priorities

The Focus of the Review

All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education.  For ERO this includes the quality of:

  • the programme provided for children
  • the learning environment
  • the interactions between children and adults. 

ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.

The Quality of Education

Background

The centre philosophy emphasises the importance of children working and playing together happily in an inviting and friendly environment characterised by positive interactions between children and adults.  There is an expectation that children’s learning will be extended through a focus on individual interests.  There is also the expectation that playcentre will be a place where parents find support and friendship and continue to learn.

Areas of strength

Sense of community.  A spirit of goodwill and warmth characterises relationships and interactions at the centre.  Relationships between children and adults and among adults are caring and respectful.  Children are supported to develop their social and communication skills in an inclusive environment, where adults are alert and sensitive to their needs.  Adults work cooperatively and value each others’ strengths.  Parents form strong friendships and support networks through their involvement in the playcentre.

Assessment practices.  The educators and parents have a very good knowledge of each child and their family context.  Educating the child is seen as the responsibility of all adults in the playcentre community.

Adults focus on the development of the whole child.  They regularly discuss and analyse what the children are learning.  They decide as a team what they can do to further support children to learn.  They can show how they have built on children’s learning and responded to parents’ aspirations.  The children’s profiles provide a valuable record of their learning.

Learning interactions.  Adults intentionally engage children in purposeful conversations and activities to extend their thinking and oral language.  Very good adult to child ratios mean that children of all ages receive high levels of individualised attention.  Children, including infants, approach adults with confidence.  Adults skilfully question children to challenge their thinking and promote learning.  Adults are strategically positioned so that all children benefit from their interest and support in all areas of play.

Variety of learning experiences.  Children benefit from a wide range of highly engaging and enjoyable learning experiences.  They have many opportunities to explore numeracy and science concepts and to develop skills in areas such as dramatic play, music and movement.  Adults respond effectively to children’s emerging interests and to parents’ priorities.  They consciously promote deep and sustained learning.

Planning.  Educators have involved parents in the development and use of very effective planning practices for individuals and groups of children.  Planning and practice link very well to Te Whāriki.  Adults carefully differentiate their planning so that they can meet the specific needs and strengths of individual and small groups of children.  They record explicit strategies to promote learning and at their daily planning and reflection meetings discuss how they can best meet children’s learning needs.

Bicultural dimension.  Children and their families have good opportunities to learn about aspects of te ao Māori.  An educator with strengths in te reo and tikanga Māori supports and encourages other adults to develop their knowledge and confidence.  Children and adults can easily access appropriate Māori resources and prompts.  Key Māori values such as a sense of whānau, ako, aroha and manaakitanga underpin the life of the centre.

Early literacy.  Educators and parents use a variety of strategies to stimulate children’s interest in written and spoken language and build their communication skills.  Children have easy access to a wide range of books.  Adults frequently read to them and involve them in conversations about the book.  Children, with help, make their own books.  Adults support and extend children who show an interest in the alphabet and writing.  Early literacy experiences occur in authentic contexts.

Learning experiences.  Children play and learn in an attractive and stimulating environment.  The indoor and outside spaces are designed so as to entice children to engage in interesting activities.  There is a wide range of resources to meet the varying interests and needs of infants, toddlers and older children.  The environment supports children to develop their skills across many areas, including music, dramatic and physical play.

Areas for development and review

Aspects of self review.  The educators and parent group are highly reflective and improvement focused.  An important next step is to formalise aspects of the
self-review process.  Although the playcentre association has developed some
self-review procedures, the centre does not have any framework of expectations or follow any written procedure for planned review.

Use of te reo Māori.  The parent council and educators need to continue to build the confidence of all adults to use te reo Māori in their everyday interactions with the children.

3 National Evaluation Topic

Overview

ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports.  This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement. 

Partnerships with Whānau of Māori Children in Early Childhood services

As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:

  • this service understands and values the identity, language and culture of Māori children and their whānau, particularly when the child and whānau transition to the service
  • managers and educators have built relationships with whānau of Māori children
  • this service works in partnership with whānau of Māori children.
Background

At the time of this review there were two children who identified as Māori on the roll.

Areas of strength

Relationships.  Very positive relationships are evident between the parents of Māori children, the educators and other adults.  One of the Māori parents talked about how much she and her child enjoy being part of the playcentre community and have built friendships through this.  Māori, and other children, are totally comfortable to approach other adults.  The centre builds wairua, aroha and a sense of whānau.

Bicultural dimension.  One educator has strengths in te reo and tikanga Māori.  She frequently uses te reo Māori and shares aspects of Māori culture with the children and their parents.  These experiences range from traditional celebrations, music, dance, sharing of stories, to different ways of approaching assessment.  She has encouraged others to increase their collective understanding and skills in these areas. 

Partnership.  The lead educators meet each term with parents to discuss the parents’ goals for their child and the child’s learning interests and priorities.  Parents’ goals and the children’s thoughts are recorded and then later revisited to see how well these were met.  It is easy to see in the learning stories, how the educators have responded to the parents’ goals and the child’s emerging interests and learning.  The ideas and contributions of Māori parents are valued and acted on. 

4 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff of St Leonards Playcentre completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement  and Self-Audit Checklist.  In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

  • administration
  • health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial and property management.

During the review, ERO looked at the service’s documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures.  ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:

  • emotional safety (including behaviour management, prevention of bullying and abuse)
  • physical safety (including behaviour management, sleeping and supervision practices; accidents and medication; hygiene and routines; travel and excursion policies and procedures)
  • staff qualifications and organisation
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

During the course of the review ERO identified one area of non-compliance.  There is no record of signed approval or risk analysis for excursions in 2009 and 2010.  This year (2011), the correct procedures have been carefully followed.

Action

In order to address the concern above, the parent council must ensure that whenever children leave the premises on an outing:

4.1. assessment and management of risk is undertaken and parent approval sought.
[Source 1998 ECE Regulations 27]

5 Recommendation

ERO and the parent council and the centre educators agree that:

5.1 they address the areas for review and development as outlined in Section 3 and the action in Section 4 of this report.

6 Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children.  Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again within three years. 

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services

Southern Region 

17 June 2011

About the Centre

Type

Sessional

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998

Number licensed for

25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Roll number

26

Gender composition

Girls   11
Boys   15

Ethnic composition
 

NZ European/Pākehā  22
Māori                              2
European                       2

Review team on site

February 2011

Date of this report

17 June 2011

Previous three ERO reports

 

Education Reviews       February 2008
                                    December 2004
Accountability Review   October 1999

17 June 2011

To the Parents and Community of St Leonards Playcentre

These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on St Leonards Playcentre.

St Leonards Playcentre is one of 38 playcentres that operate under the Otago Playcentre Association.  A parent council is responsible for the day-to-day management.  The playcentre is open for five sessions a week.  Very capable educators work effectively with confident parent helpers to run lively programmes that actively engage children and adults.  Strong team work and supportive centre-home links are a feature of this centre.  Adults are encouraged to share their various strengths for the benefit of the whole playcentre community.  These include the promotion of Māori language, culture and values.

Children play and learn in a mixed-age setting.  A welcoming and secure family atmosphere characterises the centre.  Adults and children know each other very well.  Children of all ages confidently approach any adult for support.  The very good ratio of adults to children means that children can enjoy many individual interactions with adults. 

Children are encouraged to explore the many possibilities for interesting and challenging play in a vibrant learning environment.  They enjoy a wide range of highly engaging learning experiences that include many opportunities for literacy, numeracy, science, dramatic play, music and movement.  Children and adults have fun together.

Other positive features of this centre include:

  • effective planning for individual children and groups, with a good balance between planned and spontaneous learning experiences
  • very good processes for building on children’s learning and responding to parents’ aspirations
  • children’s focused involvement in an enjoyable programme that includes many opportunities to develop their social and cooperative skills.

The educators and parent group are reflective and improvement focused.  They agree with ERO that their next step is to formalise aspects of their self-review processes.  They also need to continue their efforts to build the confidence of all adults to use te reo Māori in their everyday interactions with children.

Overall, the centre has good practices in place to support children to learn in a healthy and safe environment.  There needs to be more consistency in carrying out appropriate risk-management procedures for excursions outside the centre.

Future Action

ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children.  Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again within three years.

When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take.  You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.

If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz. 

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services

Southern Region

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT REVIEWS

About ERO

ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.

About ERO Reviews

ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews.  The purpose of each review is to:

  • improve quality of education for children in early childhood centres; and
  • provide information to parents, communities and the Government.

Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s  self review.

Review Focus

ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.

  • Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.
  • Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review.  ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.
  • National Evaluation Topics – This strand contributes to the development of education policies and their effective implementation.  The information from this strand is aggregated by ERO for its national evaluation reports.  Topics for investigation are changed regularly to provide up-to-date information. 
  • Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues.  The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.

Review Recommendations

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement.  A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue.  There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.