|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Houghton Valley Playcentre is one of 19 parent-led early childhood centres governed and administered by the Wellington Playcentre Association (the association). The Playcentre is licensed to provide mixed-age, sessional education and care for 25 children, five mornings a week. This includes provision for 15 children up to the age of two, at any one time. The Thursday session is bilingual in te reo Māori and English. Kaiarahi Mātauranga Māori are employed to enrich the quality of te ao Māori and te reo Māori in the curriculum and act as a role model for adults and children.
A council, of elected volunteer representatives from each of the association's member centres, oversees the association at the governance level. This work is assisted by an operations manager and general manager. An executive committee administers the adult education programme. A centre support worker is employed to visit the centre and provide professional advice and feedback to strengthen practice and promote improvement. Responsibility for the day-to-day operation is undertaken by centre-elected office holders.
Curriculum planning and implementation is a shared responsibility. Each session is supported by a duty team of parent educators who hold Playcentre training certificates. A good proportion of centre members are involved in the association's training programme, many holding Course Two or above.
The association philosophy, 'Whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together', is articulated as empowering parents and children to learn, grow and play together. This underpins practice and was reaffirmed by the association and Houghton Valley Playcentre at their 2016 annual general meetings.
The playcentre membership and management committee has changed significantly since the May 2014 ERO report. This ERO evaluation found centre leaders would benefit from improved association support to assist members to identify priorities for development and improve internal evaluation practices. ERO also identified members' approach to assessment, planning and evaluation to support children’s learning and improving bicultural perspectives in the curriculum, required development.
Both the association and the playcentre responded positively to the areas identified for improvement. Considerable development and ongoing improvement is evident and sustained in the playcentre.
Internal evaluation and strategic planning were undertaken by association personnel to bring about changes to both the structural and organisational culture of the organisation. Clear boundaries between governance and management were expressed and changes made to improve support to individual centres.
The New Zealand Playcentre Federation, which the Wellington Association is part of, is planning a significant restructure for 2017 that includes amalgamating associations. Playcentres will become part of a regional hub, supported by a regional manager and support persons.
This review was part of a cluster of ten in the Wellington Playcentre Association.
Houghton Valley Playcentre's curriculum effectively supports all children's holistic development. Children play amicably together, actively engaging in a range of appropriate learning experiences. Parent educators know children and their preferences well. Adults work collaboratively to support children's play choices, provoke their curiosity and encourage their sustained involvement in learning activities. Children's developing social skills and relationships are nurtured. A positive tone and inclusive practice is highly evident throughout the centre.
Teaching and learning follows the playcentre philosophy of families growing together. The adult training programme effectively supports members to provide a curriculum that reflects the principles, strands and goals of Te Whāriki well. Session duty teams have shared understanding of what they want children and families to experience while at playcentre. Strategic and programme planning supports this. Children's interests, strengths and parent's aspirations are continually discussed and shared. This contributes positively to continuity of learning for children.
Members are highly reflective practitioners and through ongoing internal evaluation continue to improve the very good practices that currently take place for assessing children's learning and curriculum developments. Session evaluations and sharing children's learning stories provide adults with timely and useful information that assists them to recognise children's learning and progress. As a consequence it also helps them to plan ongoing learning experiences that are highly responsive to all children’s interests.
A comprehensive internal evaluation was undertaken, during 2014, to discover how well the association and centres included te reo and tikanga Māori as part of a culturally responsive curriculum. Houghton Valley Playcentre participated in this process.
The playcentre now offers a bilingual session one morning a week. The session draws families from beyond the Houghton Valley community who desire this kaupapa and the guidance and experience of ngā Kaiarahi Mātauranga Māori. Te ao Māori is also evident in the other sessions offered. Strategies in place, support centre members to build their knowledge, understanding and cultural competencies. Te ao Māori is meaningfully woven through experiences, rituals and activities and is an integral part of teaching and learning.
Appropriate and meaningful literacy, mathematics, science activities and excursions in the local community are a core component of the curriculum. The youngest children are well supported to access learning experiences and activities. They are embraced and nurtured within a culture of care. Reflecting the cultures, languages and identities of all children and families is a current focus of development. ERO's evaluation affirms this focus.
The outdoor environment has had a significant upgrade since the previous ERO report. Members continue to evaluate how well the changes made ensure children are enticed to explore and engage with the spaces and equipment available. Children have plentiful opportunities to lead their own learning and play alongside their peers as they engage in this well-considered learning environment.
Houghton Valley Playcentre members are an enthusiastic group of parents and whānau who bring valuable and varied skills and knowledge to their roles. The high levels of involvement of the centre's community and their collective responsibility to children, provides a positive platform for learning. Well-developed systems support the smooth day-to-day running of the playcentre.
The association is an improvement-focused organisation. The 2014 ERO reviews found the support provided at the centre level by association support workers was appreciated. ERO also recognised that formalising this arrangement to provide a more effective approach to responding to the needs of individual centres was a next step for development. The association, as part of reviewing their structural organisation, reviewed the position of centre support workers and made improvements to human resource management. Timely and relevant leadership and guidance is provided for its member centres.
The centre's internal evaluation processes are learner focused, very well implemented and appropriately guide ongoing decision-making. The dual purpose of self review for accountability and improvement is well understood. Planning priorities are aligned to the service and association vision and positioned in improving teaching and learning.
The centre support person and duty teams provide effective leadership that contributes positively to children’s early learning experience. Helpful strategies are in place to support newer members to the centre to document and record children's learning and progress.
Association and centre leaders should continue to improve outcomes for children and families by using internal evaluation effectively to ensure the very good practice occurring is sustained and prioritised developments are achieved.
Before the review, the staff and management of Houghton Valley 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.
The next ERO review of Houghton Valley Playcentre will be in four years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
30 June 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.
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Location |
Wellington |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
55359 |
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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 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
40 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 21, Girls 19 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
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Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
May 2017 |
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Date of this report |
30 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
May 2014 |
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Supplementary Review |
February 2012 |
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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:
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.