Glen Iris Grove, Lower Hutt CBD, Lower Hutt
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Lower Hutt Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Lower Hutt Playcentre is one of 17 playcentres in the Hutt Valley region. The service operates for four sessions each week and is licensed for 27 children, including up to 15 aged up to two years. Families enrolled represent a number of cultures. Of the total roll of 31, two children are Māori.
At the time of its May 2016 ERO review, the centre was one of 17 administered by the Hutt Playcentre Association, under the umbrella of The New Zealand Playcentre Federation Inc. In June 2019, the 32 associations nationwide amalgamated into one new entity, a charitable trust called Playcentre Aotearoa. Hutt playcentres are now managed as part of a regional hub (the organisation) within the new entity.
A centre support worker (CSW), employed by the organisation, regularly visits the playcentre and provides professional advice and feedback to strengthen the programme for children. A centre administrator (CA) works with parents and caregivers (members) to support compliance with regulations. Day-to-day management is the role of centre-elected office holders. Some office holders are new to their role. A number of long-serving members are supporting the knowledge and practice of newer members. A session supervisor, with recognised levels of training, provides ongoing support for the implementation of the daily programme.
Playcentre philosophy recognises the importance of parents working together, alongside their children, to support their self-initiated play and promote their learning.
The previous ERO report identified areas for improvement. Good progress has been made in building appraisal and internal evaluation practices. ERO also identified that the playcentre should develop strategies that support the educational success of Māori children and respond to the diverse ethnic groups at the centre. Limited progress is evident in these areas.
This review was one of eight in Playcentre Aotearoa, Hutt Valley region.
Children are very well supported to be independent, imaginative and confident. Adults are highly responsive to their ideas and interests. Sustained, focused play is evident. An inclusive culture is fostered through members' positive approach to supporting children's social competence. Infants and toddlers benefit from caring, respectful interactions with adults and their older peers. Members take collective responsibility for the learning and wellbeing of all children and know them well.
Members actively seek ways to provide extra support for children with diverse learning needs and their families.
The commitment to recognising and celebrating families' diverse cultures, expressed in the service philosophy, is not sufficiently evident in practice. Strengthening and embedding culturally responsive practice is required. The organisation should prioritise support for members in the following key areas:
use of meaningful te reo Māori in daily conversations with all children
working with whānau Māori to build understandings of what educational success looks like for tamariki Māori within this playcentre
gathering information related to the diverse cultures, languages and identities of children and their families, and finding ways to reflect these in the environment, interactions and curriculum.
Members know children well, and regularly record the engaging experiences they provide to support their interests. Assessment, planning and evaluation should be strengthened, to focus more on extending children’s learning, rather than their involvement in activities. Exploring the goals of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and considering how these could guide planning for ‘where to next’ for children, would be a useful first step.
Collaborative internal evaluation processes are becoming embedded in centre practice, with organisation support and guidance. ERO and leaders agree that this is an area for ongoing development. The process would benefit from an increased focus on measurable success indicators, based on positive learning outcomes for children. This would better support members to know how well their practices support children's learning.
Effective distributed leadership promotes smooth day-to-day operation. Long-serving members model Playcentre philosophy and expectations, and offer valuable support to newer members and office holders. A sense of community and collective responsibility is purposefully and successfully fostered.
The CSW works collaboratively to support members in their roles. Relational trust is prioritised. She offers useful guidance, support and encouragement to foster members’ understanding and engagement. At times, written feedback does not include sufficient detail about next steps to strengthen centre practices. The organisation should establish consistent reporting expectations, with a particular focus on promoting the next steps outlined in this ERO report and monitoring necessary improvements.
Across the organisation, children and their families would benefit from increased clarity around how to identify and support children with diverse learning needs, including speech and language. This should involve timely information sharing and guidance for all playcentres.
The restructure of playcentre operation is being carefully worked through to support a new and more sustainable future for the organisation. The regional office provides a range of support for centres. Regional leaders agree that priority next steps are to embed the recently reviewed policy framework and appraisal systems.
Organisation leaders should prioritise support for Lower Hutt Playcentre members in the following areas:
strengthening culturally responsive practices, including the bicultural curriculum, targeted strategies for Māori children, and increasing responsiveness to families from diverse ethnic groups
focusing assessment, planning and evaluation on deliberately extending children’s learning
using measurable, child-focused success indicators in internal evaluation
embedding new policies and procedures, including appraisal, in centre practice.
In addition, the organisation should:
establish clear and consistent practices for providing challenging feedback to centres, focusing on priority improvement areas
ensure that centres receive clear, useful and timely guidance around identification and support strategies for children with diverse learning needs.
Before the review, the staff and management of Lower Hutt 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.
Guiding policies and procedures have been recently revised at national level by Playcentre Aotearoa, to reflect current legislation. To improve practice, members should build their understanding of these new documents and ensure they consistently guide centre practice.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
14 February 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 |
Lower Hutt |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60016 |
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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 |
27 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
31 |
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Gender composition |
Male 16, Female 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
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 |
14 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2013 |
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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.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Lower Hutt Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Lower Hutt Playcentre is one of 17 centres administered by the Hutt Playcentre Association (the association). The association is made up of elected volunteer representatives from its member centres. It provides the members at the Lower Hutt Playcentre with governance and management support. A kaitautoko, a centre support person is employed by the association to provide guidance.
The playcentre is licensed to operate five mixed-age sessions each week for a maximum of 27 children, including 15 up to two years of age. SPACE (Supporting Parents alongside Children's Education) sessions are provided on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
Curriculum planning and implementation is a shared responsibility. Each session is supported by a team of parent educators who hold playcentre training certificates. When necessary they employ a session support person with the level of training that meets legislative requirements for group supervision.
All centre members are involved in the adult education training programme provided by the association. The playcentre has maintained good membership since ERO's June 2013 report.
Lower Hutt Playcentre and the association have a positive reporting history with ERO. Effective practice, identified in the previous ERO report has been sustained.
This review was part of a cluster of eight in the Hutt Playcentre Association.
The philosophy is strongly evident in practice. A well-considered and supportive culture assists new members' transition into the centre. It promotes child-led play and celebrates children's uniqueness through language use when working with children.
Children participate enthusiastically in a varied range of planned and spontaneous learning experiences. Literacy, mathematics, science activities and concept learning are an integral part of the curriculum.
Adults integrate te reo Māori throughout the sessions and children are familiar with these words and phrases. It is timely for members to consider a strategy and process to gather shared information from families who identify as Māori so that children experience educational success as Māori.
Bicultural practice is evident in the centre. Adults have identified a next step is to increase their understanding to engage with families from a range of ethnic groups.
Children’s interests are nurtured within the programme provided and learning is well supported by attentive parent educators. Positive and inclusive practice promotes children’s social skills development, confidence and curiosity. Adults know the children well. Respectful relationships positively contribute to children’s sense of belonging.
Assessment, curriculum planning and evaluation practices are well developed and consistent. There is a good system to provide adults with useful information to be responsive to children’s interests, strengths and if required identified needs. Individual learning profile books attractively celebrate children's progress, showing their developing skills, knowledge and attributes. Adults share the responsibility for writing stories for all children. These are readily accessible to children.
Healthy food options for children are promoted. The outdoor environment is well resourced to enable children to be challenged in physically active play.
The annual plan guides planned activities and provides an overview of the playcentre's operation to promote improvement.
Playcentre members have made good progress in their shared understanding and use of self review. A well-considered process is in place where the focus is relevant to reflect on aspects of the programme to make improvements. Spontaneous review is well understood and regularly undertaken. A next step is for members to focus on evaluating how well practices improve children's learning.
The association is an improvement focused organisation committed to providing timely and relevant support for its member centres. The June 2013 ERO reviews found the support provided at the centre level by kaitautoko was appreciated and supportive. ERO also recognised that formalising this arrangement to promote a more effective approach for responding to the needs of individual centres was a next step for development. An evaluation of the effectiveness of changes to kaitautoko practice in improving outcomes for centre members and children is planned for.
Lower Hutt playcentre members should:
The association:
Before the review, the staff and management of Lower Hutt 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.
ERO identified an area of non-compliance relating to governance and management practices. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following area:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7]
The next ERO review of Lower Hutt Playcentre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
18 May 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 |
Lower Hutt |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
60016 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
27 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
79 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 43, Girls 36 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2013 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
February 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
August 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.