22 Lahore Street, Wairoa
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Wairoa Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wairoa Playcentre is located in Wairoa. The centre provides two weekly morning sessions for 30 children, including 13 up to the age of two. At the time of this review, there were 20 children enrolled.
The centre is administered by Playcentre Aotearoa, Central North Island Region and is supported by a regional manager. National policies are in the process of being developed and distributed to playcentres for implementation.
The Playcentre Aotearoa philosophy, 'whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together', is to empower parents and children to learn, play and grow together. Alongside this, the centre philosophy promotes positive learning experiences to enable children to become confident and competent lifelong learners within a safe, supportive environment.
Whānau and families are valued as the primary educators of their children and share responsibility for the curriculum. Day-to-day operation is undertaken by session support personnel and centre elected office holders. A newly employed centre support worker is beginning to regularly visit playcentres to provide professional guidance and support, strengthen practice and promote improvement.
The February 2016 ERO report identified key next steps for ongoing development at Wairoa Playcentre. These included: assessment, planning and evaluation; building te ao Māori practices; and strengthening knowledge and understanding of internal evaluation. ERO recommended that the association support the centre to develop a plan that outlines how they address these key next steps. Although some progress is evident, these areas still require further development.
This review was part of a cluster of five playcentres in the Tairāwhiti area.
Children lead their own learning within a well resourced environment that promotes their exploration of a wide range of activities. A focus on supporting whānau culture and language within the programme supports an inclusive environment. Positive relationships between parents and adults enhance a sense of belonging. The playcentre philosophy is evident in practice.
Infants and toddlers are nurtured within a culture of care. They demonstrate that they are confident and competent learners in an environment that is responsive to their needs. Attentive adults engage in meaningful conversations to encourage early language development. Routines provide opportunities to foster children's independence and wellbeing. Older children play amicably alongside their younger peers. Tuakana teina relationships are evident.
Te ao Māori and tikanga Māori are purposefully woven through rituals, including karakia and waiata. Regular participation in local community excursions provides meaningful connections to local iwi areas of significance. Guidance from whānau Māori is positively informing centre practices. Further strengthening te ao Māori knowledge and use of te reo continues to be a next step.
A useful planning framework supports parents to develop individualised learning goals for their children. Members work collaboratively to provide a programme that is responsive to their aspirations and children's interests and needs. Individual assessment portfolios capture the progression of learning across the breadth of the curriculum. Further developing all members' understanding of meaningful assessment and planning should strengthen consistent practices.
During a time of change, parents continue to build their knowledge and understanding of the Playcentre way of being. New parents are well supported by experienced centre members to take on official roles and responsibilities. Leaders have identified that a priority is to further access relevant support from the newly employed centre support worker and Playcentre Aotearoa, Central Region to gain professional guidance, support and strengthen practice to promote improvement.
A regular cycle of review is leading to positive changes to the environment. Session evaluations provide relevant information to develop responsive strategies for children who may require additional support. Leaders have identified that a next step is to strengthen their understanding of internal evaluation for improvement.
Playcentre’s national restructuring process has significantly hindered the support and professional development provided to centre members. Regional personnel are in the early stages of rebuilding collaboration and support networks. National systems and processes are yet to be consistently implemented. There is a recent focus on building relational trust and a responsive parent education system to establish more effective operations. A key next step is for regional managers to ensure that expected levels of support occur for each centre.
The appraisal process is currently based on annual review of successes and challenges. This requires further strengthening to better reflect roles and responsibilities, building of capability and evaluation of performance aligned to outcomes for children.
At playcentre level, priorities are to develop and continue to strengthen:
use of assessment, planning and evaluation
kaiako understanding and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori to improve the delivery of the bicultural curriculum
deepen understanding of children's culture, language and identity
develop understanding and use of effective internal evaluation for improvement.
At the governance level (Playcentre Aotearoa), priorities are to:
continue to develop and implement national policies and procedures
ensure ongoing support and education is provided to centre members to grow understanding of quality early childhood education
strengthen the appraisal process for employed staff.
ERO recommends that the regional team actively monitors and evaluates the quality of support provided to playcentres to promote improvement.
Before the review, the staff and management of Wairoa 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.
To improve current compliance practice Playcentre Aotearoa must ensure that:
a regular cycle of policy review is undertaken. The organisation has stated that the implementation of national policies will take place at the beginning of August 2019
the playcentre establishes a shared understanding of the purpose and use of the newly built bench outside the kitchen and once its use is determined there are appropriate procedures in place.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
13 August 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.
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Location |
Wairoa |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
55028 |
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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 |
30 children, including up to 13 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
20 |
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Gender composition |
Female 8, Male 12 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā |
15 |
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Reported ratios of adults 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 |
June 2019 |
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Date of this report |
13 August 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2014 |
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Education Review |
October 2010 |
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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:
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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Since the February 2014 ERO report the Tairawhiti Playcentre Association (the association), has built their internal capacity to provide clear direction and targeted support for Wairoa and other playcentres in the association.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Wairoa Playcentre is one of eight early childhood centres administered by the Tairawhiti Playcentre Association that oversees governance operations. A board of governors provides guidance and support for members. A liaison officer is employed by the board to visit playcentres and monitor how they are meeting legislative requirements.
The playcentre operates two mixed-age sessions weekly for a maximum of 30 children, including 13 children up to two years of age. Of the 21 children enrolled, five identify as Māori. A qualified teacher works alongside the parents to cooperatively provide the programme.
The February 2014 ERO report identified that significant improvement was needed particularly in the following: assessment, planning and evaluation; the bicultural curriculum; success for Māori as Māori; and self review. Members also needed to develop a shared understanding of policies and procedures that guide centre practice and an awareness of how literacy and numeracy experiences should enhance the programme. Key next steps were identified for the association that focused on ensuring the centre was effectively governed and managed.
Playcentre members and the board of governors at the association received targeted support through a Ministry of Education funded programme, Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities (SELO). The Playcentre Federation has also provided ongoing professional development related to the key next steps. Wairoa Playcentre had a full licence issued by the Ministry of Education in June 2015.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Tairawhiti Playcentre Association.
Playcentre members have made some progress in assessment, planning and evaluation, the bicultural programme and self review. They have also developed a clearer understanding of how the policies and procedures guide centre practice and have strengthened a focus on mathematics in the curriculum.
Children participate in a play-based programme. Adults work alongside their own and other children. They use a range of effective approaches to support and extend their play and learning. A designated and inviting play space is available for infants. Members consider and provide for the specific play requirements of this group. Descriptive language is used to extend children’s developing vocabulary.
An atmosphere of fun and exploration is evident. Children work alongside their peers, supporting one another in the activities they engage in. There are increased opportunities for children to be involved with and learn about mathematics. Adults use the opportunities that naturally arise to support children’s developing knowledge in this area. Strengthening the focus on literacy in a play-based setting is a next step for members.
The playcentre philosophy promotes: using children’s interests as a basis for planning; respectful relationships; and expresses a commitment to bicultural practice. This shared approach is led by the supervisor and is reflected in practice.
Recent improvements to the cycle of assessment, planning and evaluation are evident. The use of goals for children assists members to provide more specific support and extension for each child. It also assists them to focus their observations to show how they are supporting the child to reach their goal. Members should continue to strengthen this approach by having specific goals related to the child’s interest to focus learning. This should assist members in being able to more effectively evaluate the impact of the programme provided.
Members have engaged in ongoing learning to strengthen the bicultural programme. At times te reo Māori is spoken and aspects of tikanga Māori are evident. Continued development of the bicultural programme is required. This should include giving greater consideration of te ao Māori through the planning cycle and through children’s assessment information. The association has identified that a next step for them in supporting playcentres is to provide more strategic guidance in promoting success for Māori as Māori. ERO's evaluation affirms this planned development.
Spontaneous review is used to reflect on aspects of practice and focus improvements. Although some progress is evident, development is still required. Key next steps should include the association supporting members to further develop their understanding of the internal evaluation process. Once this is understood, members should be supported to shift from reviewing what they do, to evaluating how well practices support children’s learning.
Adults have an understanding of the implications of the changes required to meet the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014. The Playcentre Association has provided initial guidance in this area.
The board of governors demonstrates leadership in supporting playcentres in their understanding of legislative requirements. Monitoring of these requirements in the playcentre has been supported through the appointment of a liaison officer. In addition, the association has developed:
The association has identified a next step is to develop an internet safety policy. ERO agrees that social networking and appointment policies should also be developed.
The association should assist members to address the key next steps to:
The association should:
ERO recommends that the association support playcentre members to develop a plan that outlines how they will address the next steps identified in this report. ERO will monitor progress against the plan.
Before the review, the staff and management of Wairoa 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 Wairoa Playcentre will be dependent on the progress the centre makes in relation to the action plan.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
18 February 2016
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 |
Wairoa |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
55028 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 13 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
21 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 14, Boys 7 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Pacific |
5 15 1 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 February 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
July 2007 |
||
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.