Newcastle Street, Riversdale
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Riversdale Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Riversdale Playcentre is one of 47 playcentres in the recently-formed South Island Southern Region (SISR) hub. The SISR is part of the New Zealand Playcentre Federation (NZPF). The playcentre organisation is nearing the end of an extensive restructure and review. From 2019, playcentres will be part of a national group known as Playcentre Aotearoa.
Riversdale Playcentre is a rural playcentre open for two morning sessions for children from birth-to-school age. Most parents attend with their children. The sessions are led by a paid educator with the support of designated parent help. At the time of this review, the playcentre was transitioning to a new educator in term two following the retirement of a long-serving educator. A centre support worker from the SISR visits regularly. A number of the parents are participating in the playcentre adult education training programme.
ERO's 2017 review found significant areas requiring further development and some aspects of non-compliance. Areas to improve included:
assessment for learning
adult engagement with children and their learning
internal evaluation
educational success for Māori
systems for the effective operation of the playcentre.
The playcentre, with the support of the SISR and external providers, has made very good progress in addressing all of these areas. There have also been improvements to the indoor and outdoor areas. All of the non-compliance actions have been addressed.
There is a strong sense of whakawhanaungatanga in the playcentre. This is evident in the positive culture and welcoming environment for children and their families. Parents' aspirations are for their children to be successful learners at Riversdale Playcentre. Together they have developed clear guiding statements which reflect this aspiration and their commitment to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Children are settled and show a sense of belonging. They play and learn in well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments. The wide range of experiences and resources provide them with choice and challenge. Many of the resources and activities reflect the lives and interests of rural children, and enable them to make meaningful connections to the community. The child-led programme allows them to follow their interests.
The playcentre is building bicultural practice and te reo Māori. This is helping Māori children to know their heritage is valued.
Infants and toddlers benefit from being with their parents during the sessions and from the tuakana-teina relationships in the mixed-age setting. They are able to successfully participate in all the activities and also make use of the dedicated area with resources especially designed for younger children.
Parents have become more involved in supporting their own and other children's learning in the sessions. They are encouraged to share their strengths and ideas and are becoming more confident in setting goals and developing plans for their children's learning. New systems for planning, assessment and evaluation are helping parents develop an understanding of Te Whāriki, the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, and to set goals for their children's learning.
Parents have improved their use of internal evaluation to review aspects of the playcentre operation and programme. This has been aligned to the strategic plan and has led to some positive improvements. The parents work well together to ensure the smooth running of the service.
The parents and leaders at the playcentre agree that their next steps are to embed new systems and ensure that the positive changes are maintained. This includes continuing to:
refine aspects of planning, assessment and evaluation by focusing more on the intended learning
build parent involvement in the playcentre organisation, education and in the assessment, planning and evaluation of children's learning
NZPF have developed and are implementing a clear national and regional management structure. Some of the new roles have had a very positive impact at centre level, with parent council members valuing the increased support they receive.
Of particular significance are:
the centre administrator role which provides sound monitoring of health, safety and compliance
the centre support worker who visits regularly to share best practice and monitor the quality of learning and teaching
the role of a facilitator, available at every session, to role model good practice and empower parents to implement effective early childhood education for their children.
The next steps for the SISR are to:
refine and embed the new NZPF structure, systems and processes, including monitoring and lines of reporting
continue to develop and strengthen the NZPF and individual playcentre internal evaluation processes and practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Riversdale 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.
Alan Wynyard
Director Review and Improvement Services Southern
Southern Region
6 May 2019
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 |
Riversdale, Southland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
90017 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
29 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 17, Girls 12 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
0-49% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
6 May 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
April 2017 |
|
|
Education Review |
September 2013 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
||
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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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 |
Further support and development to strengthen service provision is required. Members should continue to build their understanding and implementation of effective and responsive curriculum delivery, self review and evaluation for ongoing improvement.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Riversdale Playcentre is parent led and provides three sessions each week, for 30 children up to school age. Sessions are led by an experienced, paid educator with the help of members.
The Southland Playcentre Association (SPA) is experiencing a time of change as all playcentre associations throughout New Zealand merge with the New Zealand Playcentre Federation (NZPF) to reduce duplication and make cost savings. This restructure will mean significant changes at the local association level. An interim board has been established at SPA to support playcentres through this transitional period.
The parents and educator have made some progress in addressing the recommendations of the September 2013 ERO report. These included, improving provision for infants and toddlers, strategic planning and self review.
This review was part of a cluster of 13 in the Southland Playcentre Association.
Riversdale Playcentre's philosophy highlights the rural farming community focus. This is actively promoted in the centre in a variety of ways and is the basis for a range of activities in which children to participate.
Planning discussions provide some direction for the day's programme and are generally based on children’s interests. Strengthening the recording of how children's interests are responded to should better support understanding and continuity of learning over time.
Learning goals are established by parents for each child. Members identify the achievement of these goals in the child's learning portfolio. Further developing the understanding of assessment for learning should better guide an individualised approach that is responsive to the child’s emerging interests. Effective evaluation of the individual goals and approach taken, needs to be consistently carried out to inform session planning. This is an expectation of SPA.
Group planning for centre experiences provides a shared direction for the term and is often theme based. The planning process needs to be strengthened to give wider consideration to implementing programme effectively. This should also better support review and evaluation.
A wide range of learning experiences are provided for children. They engage in sustained play. The programme for groups and individuals is educator led. At times children have restricted access to the outdoor environment. They have some time available to self-initiate play. Building an understanding of how to effectively work alongside children during free play, should further promote:
children's independence and decision making skills
extended learning opportunities
a responsive curriculum, based on children's individual strengths, interests and needs.
Toddlers play alongside their peers in all aspects of the environment. Since the previous ERO review the centre has explored and refreshed the range of equipment available for infants and toddlers.
The playcentre has continued to build their understanding of bicultural practice. Members have identified this as an ongoing area for improvement. ERO's evaluation affirms this and revisiting the SPA expectations for practice is a starting point.
Consideration needs to be given to what the centre is doing to support and promote educational success for Māori children.
Parents meet regularly to discuss the operation of the playcentre. Strengthening systems to monitor that policies, procedures and SPA expectations are consistently followed, should enable more effective leadership.
There is an informal approach to self review. The New Zealand Playcentre Federation framework was introduced to this centre in February 2017. Developing a shared understanding of, and formally implementing, effective review and evaluation to better guide centre improvement, is a key next step.
The board has been proactive in developing processes to assist in the smooth transition for playcentres to work under the NZPF. Opportunities have been offered to playcentre members to engage with the SPA to consider how the board could best provide support to services through the impending restructure.
The board has identified a number of systems and processes have lapsed and need improvement. Immediate attention is required to review policies that guide the appointments procedure and health and safety practices. The appraisal process has also lapsed or not been robustly implemented. These improvements are a priority to meet licensing criteria and for monitoring the quality of centre practices.
More consistent, timely and evaluative reporting should be provided to the board to assure them that accountabilities are met and to better inform their decision making.
The playcentre educator and members agree areas for strengthening include:
understanding of assessment for learning
effectively working alongside children
supporting and promoting educational success for Māori children
strengthening systems to monitor that policies, procedures and SPA expectations are consistently followed
effective review and evaluation to better guide centre improvement.
Key next steps for the association are to:
review SPA policies, giving priority to those related to appointments and health and safety practices
re-establish the appraisal process
facilitate the evaluative reporting to the board.
Before the review, the staff and management of Riversdale 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
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to excursions. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
specific assessment and management of risk for special excursions. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS17]
ERO also identified areas of non-compliance for the Southland Playcentre Association in relation to governance and management. To meet requirements the association needs to:
implement a system of regular appraisal. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7]
To improve practice the Southland Playcentre Association should:
ensure policies and procedures for travel by a motor vehicle clearly specify the person responsible for excursion approvals, has verified all drivers have a current full New Zealand driver licence and each vehicle is registered and has a current warrant of fitness.
ERO recommends that the service consult with the Ministry of Education and plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Riversdale Playcentre will be within two years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
5 April 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.
|
Location |
Riversdale, Southland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
90017 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
22 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 14, Girls 8 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā |
3 19 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
5 April 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
September 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
May 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:
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.