Matthews Park, North Road, Kaitaia
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kaitaia Playcentre is a parent-led early childhood education service which is part of the Far North Playcentre Association. The centre provides two morning sessions each week for children up to school age who all attend with a parent or caregiver. It currently caters for 15 children, most of whom have Māori heritage.
Parents provide programmes for children that are underpinned by the overarching Playcentre philosophy of whānau and children learning together in a supportive and playful learning environment. The small group of whānau at the centre is working hard to improve parent training levels and to independently manage the centre.
In 2015 ERO reported that the centre was not well placed to provide positive outcomes for children. As a result of that review centre members received intensive support from Playcentre Aotearoa, the national organisation, to help them understand self-review strategies and to operate the centre effectively. Members have also had ongoing help from an Association Centre Support Worker (CSW) who has guided the significant progress members have made in the last year.
Playcentre Aotearoa is currently in the process of a comprehensive restructure. A regional hub will be established to provide governance, management and parent education support for Playcentres north of Auckland. While this will mean significant changes at the local Association level, it is expected that support for individual centres will be maintained or strengthened.
Kaitaia Playcentre is in a phase of growth and development. A small core group of enthusiastic centre members has taken responsibility for leadership of the centre. They are actively seeking new members and warmly welcome and support them to come and learn with their children. The group has a strong commitment to Playcentre adult education and helping their children to participate in meaningful learning experiences.
Children show a sense of wellbeing in the centre. They know about making choices and play happily with their friends, often supporting or encouraging each other. Children benefit from the close attention of caring adults who enable them to take learning risks and sustain their independent exploration. Children are developing the skills to engage in conversations and establish relationships with other adults in the centre. Whānau could further support children's learning by more deliberately including opportunities for early literacy and numeracy learning within their play.
Parents support toddlers very well. They are effectively catered for within the provision for older children and encouraged to explore independently. Some fearlessly tackle physical challenges and delight in their own successes.
Parents/whānau are developing useful strategies to prompt children's learning. They use the 'Day Book' to record interests they have noticed and use this information to plan resources and activities that will promote these interests. Parents capture children's involvement in the programme with photos and learning stories in the assessment portfolios. They could now enhance these records by increasing their focus on children’s individual learning and how adults have helped them to extend their ideas. Whānau continue to build their confidence with implementing bicultural practices and include some aspects of other community cultures.
The centre has had the support of the community to redevelop and improve the outdoor environment. A gifted adventure play structure, new swings and concrete paths, and the use of natural materials have significantly enhanced outdoor learning options. While further work is planned, this project has raised the profile of the centre in the community and fostered a sense of ownership among centre whānau.
The group of parents taking leadership responsibility for the centre collectively guide decisions at regular centre meetings. They are closely supported by their CSW who has helped members develop strategic and annual plans to guide the centre’s operation and maintenance. The CSW has also supported parents to understand the principles of self review and to progress through Playcentre training. The centre is now almost able to independently meet qualification requirements for both its sessions.
Centre members and their CSW agree that key next steps that will support centre progress and sustainability include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kaitaia 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 Kaitaia Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
18 August 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 |
Kaitaia, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
16025 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
15 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 9 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
July 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 August 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
||
|
Education Review |
October 2009 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kaitaia Playcentre is one of six centres under the guidance of the Far North Playcentre Association, which provides a governance and management framework and ongoing support. The centre is situated adjacent to a local park. It is licensed to provide early education for up to 25 children, including 10 up to the age of two years. It is currently providing two sessions a week for a small group of children and whānau, the majority of whom have Māori heritage. The children all live locally.
ERO’s 2013 report identified a number of concerns, including low numbers of committed playcentre whānau, a limited focus on children’s learning, and limited understanding and use of self review. The report also urged the Association to increase and sustain enrolments, to ensure that playcentre philosophy was well implemented in practice, and the tailoring of Association support to meet the needs of each centre.
Since ERO’s 2013 review, the centre has received support from the Playcentre Federation, through a Ministry of Education contract, to improve programme management and self review. Support from a centre operations support person (COS), provided through the Association, will continue for at least two further terms. Association support has focused particularly on increasing membership, building strong relationships amongst families and improving the quality of provision for children’s learning.
The national playcentre organisation is currently in the process of comprehensive restructure. While this will mean significant changes at the local level, it is expected that support for individual centres will be maintained or strengthened.
This review was part of a cluster of four playcentre reviews in the Far North Playcentre Association.
Centre whānau have recently started to improve their outdoor area and to generally improve the environment for children. Some whānau consistently use te reo Māori with their children and the environment also includes recognition of bicultural practice. Some whānau members have supported an Association drive to attract more members to the playcentre.
The Association’s strategic plan provides a good guide for governance and is regularly monitored. Management and governance processes are well established and are continually refined. The Association continues to consider ways to streamline planning and to monitor its centre support. Association office holders are highly committed to the playcentre philosophy and to maintaining Playcentre as a valuable early childhood education option in the Far North.
Since the 2013 ERO review, centre numbers have fluctuated and morale in the centre has been low. At present, there is little evidence that most centre whānau follow fundamental playcentre philosophy of operating as a parent cooperative, and learning and playing alongside their children. Most members enjoy the company of the other adults in the centre and the conversations they are able to have. Little time is now spent working with children, or on setting up and preparing for the next session. Centre whānau need to determine whether they are providing a benefit for their children’s learning while they are in the centre.
Recently, centre whānau and children have been provided with skilled modelling and support from their centre operations support person (COS). However, whānau have not used her modelling to improve their own practices with children and are dependent on her work to maintain sessions.
Some improvements have occurred over the past two years. These have been the result of the Playcentre Federation, acting under a contract from the Ministry of Education, providing ideas and formats for developing documentation. These improvements, however, are not being sustained.
Children generally play close to their parents. This is not always conducive to children learning social behaviour with other children. A stronger shared approach to working with all children and developing a shared understanding of acceptable behaviour would benefit this aspect of children’s development.
ERO and the Association have identified the following concerns relating to the sustainability of Kaitaia Playcentre:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kaitaia 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:
To improve current practice centre members should:
ERO found significant areas of non-compliance in the service related to:
ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence of Kaitaia Playcentre. ERO will not undertake a further education review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets licensing requirements.
The next ERO review of Kaitaia Playcentre will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.
Dale Bailey Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
10 April 2015
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 |
Kaitaia, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
16025 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
15 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 8 Girls 7 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan |
8 5 2 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
10 April 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
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.