Pavilion Recreation Grounds, Akaroa
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Akaroa Playcentre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 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 |
Akaroa |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70010 |
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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 |
25 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
18 |
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Gender composition |
Female 11 Male 7 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā |
4 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
0-49% |
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Reported ratios of staff 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 |
November 2019 |
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Date of this report |
9 March 2020 |
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Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
June 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
November 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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Akaroa 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 co-operative with parents encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the centre’s programme and operation. Playcentre philosophy is based on the belief that children reach their full potential when their parents understand their development and take part in the learning process. A coordinator with higher playcentre training takes responsibility for facilitating the programme each session.
The playcentre is open for two sessions a week. Many of the children are enrolled for one session a week and some families travel a considerable distance to attend the playcentre. Since the November 2010 ERO review, there has been an increase in the number of sessions provided and the indoor play space has been expanded. In response to ERO’s previous recommendations the parent group has made most progress in increasing parents’ involvement in assessment and planning.
The playcentre philosophy is strongly evident in the way the playcentre operates. The parent group operates as a successful parent cooperative. Relationships among parents are positive and parents support each other well during the programme, and through sharing advice on how to best support their children. This includes helping parents access additional support for children with specific learning needs.
Extended whānau are welcomed and good use is made of parents' strengths and skills in the programme, and in managing the playcentre.
Adults interact with all children in positive, caring and respectful ways. They support children to successfully build relationships with other children and parents, and often extend these relationships beyond the playcentre.
Children are benefitting from a programme where adults notice and respond to their interests and ideas. Positive features of the programme and environment include the opportunities children have to:
actively explore a wide range of resources and take part in experiences that capture their curiosity and encourage them to explore and develop their ideas
play with children of different ages, including very young children interacting with older children
make meaningful links to local people, places and things through outings in the local community and visitors to the playcentre.
The parent group is making good use of family and community resources to support success for Māori children as Māori and promote a more bicultural curriculum.
Infants and toddlers are well involved in all aspects of the playcentre programme. Adults support infants and toddlers while also giving them the time and space to explore independently. Adults are responsive to the ways very young children communicate and make good efforts to respond to their preferences.
Adults use a range of effective ways to extend children’s learning. Parents are now more involved in recognising and writing about children’s learning. Parents with higher playcentre training are good role models for others in their interactions with children and assessment of children’s learning.
Contact between the playcentre and local schools is becoming more regular and purposeful. This is supporting children and their parents when children transition to school.
Parents use meetings to regularly reflect on aspects of the programme and discuss how the playcentre programme and environment can be improved. Current focus areas include improving the outdoor environment and reviewing how well the programme supports children’s learning about numeracy.
Since the 2010 ERO review, there has been an increase in the number of parents involved in playcentre education courses. This involvement, supported by delivery of the training in the local area, has had a positive impact on the quality of programme for children’s learning.
Informative guidelines from the Canterbury Playcentre Association help the parent group understand and meet their legislative and health and safety requirements. The parent group finds the support of the centre support person from the association useful.
The parent group and ERO agree that the following developments would help sustain and build on current practices:
strengthening planning and assessment records to more clearly identify children’s learning over time in assessments and how it links to planning the programme
developing a clearer process to guide and record self review so that it is better understood and involves more parents
developing long term planning to show centre priorities more clearly, and provide a more planned approach to centre development.
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.
The next ERO review of Akaroa Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region
20 June 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.
|
Location |
Akaroa, Banks Peninsula |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
70010 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 10 aged under two |
||
|
Service roll |
29 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 17 Boys 12 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Other Ethnicities |
2 22 1 4 |
|
|
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 |
April 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
20 June 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Supplementary Review |
November 2010 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
July 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
April 2008 |
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.