Laingholm Playcentre - 25/05/2015

• On this page:

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

1 Evaluation of Laingholm Playcentre

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

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

Background

Laingholm Playcentre in West Auckland is a parent-led service that provides four morning sessions each week. It is a family cooperative and caters for up to 26 children per session from birth to school age.

Laingholm Playcentre’s philosophy is based on the Playcentre philosophy that children learn through child-led play with the support of their parents as first educators.

The centre is part of the Auckland Playcentres Association, which provides Playcentre adult education, frameworks of management, policies and procedures, and personnel support. Each centre contributes to the make-up of the Association and has representatives at Association level.

At present the Playcentre Federation is undertaking a restructure with the aim of maintaining the viability of Playcentres throughout New Zealand. This is likely to change the current structure of the Auckland Playcentres Association.

The centre's 2012 ERO report highlighted many positive features and these continue to be evident. The report recommended that members continue to strengthen self review and incorporate a more bicultural focus in programmes. Members have increased their understandings and capabilities in these areas.

This review was part of a cluster of nine Playcentre reviews in the Auckland Playcentre Association.

The Review Findings

Children benefit from opportunities to learn alongside trusted adults. They explore their interests in a safe and nurturing environment, where they are valued and respected. Children are supported by adults who are highly responsive to children’s verbal and non-verbal cues. Parents encourage their children to follow their preferences and make choices in their play. Children play well in a mixed-aged programme that supports friendships and independence. These aspects link to the Laingholm Playcentre philosophy.

Centre members plan programmes that respond to children’s individual interests and cater for different age groups. They provide well for infants and toddlers to support their exploration and sense of belonging. Effective planning provides clear direction to broaden children’s learning experiences.

Centre members reflect regularly on children’s successes and interests. They discuss ways to extend children’s learning. Adults use self review to guide improvements to the programme and practices in order to promote positive outcomes for all children. They attractively present individual records of children’s learning.

Te reo Māori is meaningfully integrated into the programme and the learning environment. A parent leads initiatives to include biculturalism in the programme and is supported by all centre members. ERO encourages the centre to continue to explore ways to strengthen their bicultural approaches.

Centre members have refined the Playcentre framework of policies and procedures to ensure they relate to this centre‘s context. They use systems well to guide centre operations. Sound self review provides a foundation for improvement.

All members are encouraged to take an active role in supporting centre practices. Office holders recognise the need to increase training levels to promote shared understandings and consistent practices. A paid educator is employed to extend children’s and adults’ learning.

The Association’s strategic plan provides a guide for governance and is regularly monitored. Management and governance processes are well established. The Association provides assistance for centres, and appropriate Playcentre training courses. It provides regular visits each term from a curriculum and programme supporter. Association office holders are highly committed to the Playcentre philosophy and to maintaining Playcentre as a valuable education option for parents/whānau.

Key Next Steps

Centre members identified key next steps that appropriately include:

• improving assessment records to better show children’s learning progress over time
• extending older children’s learning through more complex play
• continuing to promote new leadership through modelling and in-centre support.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Laingholm 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Laingholm Playcentre will be in three years.

Dale Bailey Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

25 May 2015

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 and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

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.