Akaroa Playcentre - 09/03/2020

• On this page:

• 1 Evaluation of Akaroa Playcentre
• 2 Information about the Early Childhood Service
• 3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

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

Akaroa Playcentre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Akaroa Playcentre is the only early childhood facility in Akaroa. It is a small centre licensed for 25 children and operates two morning sessions a week from 9.15am - 12.15pm. Children from birth-to-school age attend the centre with their parents/caregivers.

The centre operates as a parent cooperative under the governance and management of Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa – Playcentre Aotearoa. The playcentre employs a centre coordinator. Playcentre Aotearoa employs a centre support worker and an administrator who regularly visit to support the parents and coordinator. A high number of parents have completed, or are in the process of gaining, playcentre qualifications.

The Review Findings

Children and their families experience a strong sense of belonging in the centre. They enjoy its welcoming and inclusive culture. For many of the adults who have no extended family in New Zealand, this is where strong relationships are built and they are supported with parenting young children. Adults participate in meaningful and authentic interactions with children. Children are settled, confident and well engaged in the programme.

Children benefit from a wide variety of interesting learning experiences within and beyond the centre. The localised curriculum was established as parents identified the importance of their children knowing about and appreciating their unique environment. Group learning experiences are well planned and central to the programme. Adults are very responsive to children's needs, interests and strengths. Bicultural practices are evident in the environment, documentation and programme.

The centre is very well resourced. Children have easy access to materials which enables them to make choices and lead their own learning.

The centre coordinator leads by example and models high quality assessment and planning practices. Learning records show how individual children are planned for and how their learning dispositions, interests and strengths are recognised and extended. Their learning goals are visibly displayed and reviewed as they are achieved. This practice should become even stronger when parents take a greater role in it.

Internal evaluation processes are robust and lead to positive improvements.

Adults have a clear understanding of the Mid-Canterbury strategic plan and have developed a useful annual plan that shows how the strategic goals will be achieved.

Playcentre Aotearoa has a well-established philosophy that acknowledges and values parents as the first educators of their children. It provides a broad range of support for playcentres, including nation-wide training courses and personnel who liaise with and assist centres. The effective implementation of a recently-reviewed policy and procedure framework will help parents and whānau to ensure that children have safe and healthy learning environments while at playcentre.

Key Next Steps

The key next steps for the playcentre parents, with the support of the centre support worker, are to continue to strengthen:

• the use of te reo me ona tikanga Māori practices across the programme

• the philosophy, to more explicitly include valued outcomes for children's learning

• assessment and planning practices, by involving parents more fully in the process.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Akaroa 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.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region - Te Tai Tini

9 March 2020

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

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

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.

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.