Mamaku Playcentre

Education institution number:
40082
Service type:
Playcentre
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
9
Telephone:
Address:

1 Karamu Street, Mamaku

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Mamaku Playcentre - 16/08/2018

1 Evaluation of Mamaku Playcentre

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Mamaku Playcentre is a parent-led service that provides education and care for children from birth to school age. It is located in Mamaku Village near Rotorua. The playcentre is licensed for up to 30 children, including 15 under two years of age. It offers three morning sessions each week. The current roll of 15 includes eight children of Māori descent.

During 2018 playcentres are transitioning from operating as The New Zealand Playcentre Federation (NZPF) with 32 regional associations to a national organisation with six offices. In the central North Island eight associations have merged into a regional hub renamed Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region (PACNIR). This region includes 95 playcentres spread over a large geographic area. During the organisation transition there is some overlap between the previous Rotorua association systems and new national approaches. At the time of this ERO review there is considerable uncertainty as new processes become established.

The new governance management structure consists of a regional manager and a centre support coordinator whose role is to access guidance and management support for the playcentre. Currently the centre receives some administrative support. A national professional learning and development team is in the early stages of planning for additional learning support to build members’ capability as first teachers of their children.

Responsibility for centre leadership is shared among a small number of members. A focus for this playcentre is to engage members in training. A member with appropriate qualifications enables the centre to receive Ministry of Education funding for some sessions.

Through the playcentre’s philosophy, members hold the belief that parents are the primary educators of their children. They aim to promote learning through play in child-led activities and build strong relationships between adults and children.

ERO’s previous review in May 2015 identified key next steps for improving children’s access to indoor resources, wall displays, noise levels and self review for programme improvement. Centre members have made good progress in addressing these areas. Parents' understanding of effective teaching practice continues to be an area for ongoing development.

This review was part of a cluster of four playcentre reviews in the Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region.

The Review Findings

A dedicated, core group of experienced members provide effective shared leadership for the playcentre. They have developed useful annual management plans to consistently guide centre direction. Self review is well planned and documented and is focused on improving outcomes for children and their families. A recent development is centre members’ participation in the Rotorua Playcentre Cluster. This group provides a wider support network for parents as educators. Shared leadership is contributing to sustainability of the playcentre for children and families.

The playcentre philosophy underpins the curriculum. Children enjoy making choices from a wide variety of readily accessible, quality resources. They confidently lead their play and learning in a mixed-age setting. Care routines are responsive to individual needs and preferences. A recent focus has been the establishment of vegetable gardens to promote healthy eating and sustainability in a meaningful context for children. There are many opportunities for children to express their ideas, be creative and add complexity to their play and learning. Children benefit from attending with their parents and extended family members who recognise and value children’s interests and provide continuity of learning between home and playcentre.

Positive relationships at all levels are a strength of the centre. There is a warm and welcoming culture where children and their families develop a strong sense of belonging. Children demonstrate confidence and trust in adults and develop close friendships with their peers. Interactions between adults and children are caring and inclusive. Adult interactions model and promote respect and cooperation, fostering teamwork among members and children’s social competence. Members have developed positive and productive relationships within the wider community and with specialist agencies. These relationships enhance childrens’ wellbeing, sense of belonging and support positive transitions to school.

Te reo Māori is promoted and valued. Centre members have implemented a deliberate approach to increasing their knowledge and use of te reo Māori in the centre. Some families have documented their pepeha in assessment portfolios, sharing their culture and identity. Māori children and families enjoy an environment where their culture is affirmed and celebrated.

Assessment, planning and evaluation continues to be developed. Experienced members provide some useful models for assessment. There are regular opportunities for parents to work together to identify and document aspirations for children and aspects of their learning. Attractive and up-to-date centre displays are personalised to children and contribute to continuity of their interests and learning across sessions.

Children up to two years of age benefit from nurturing and responsive care and interactions. The environment is calm and settled. Breast feeding mothers receive collective support from other members. Specific spaces and thoughtfully chosen equipment support uninterrupted sleep, play and exploration for this age group.

The centre would benefit from more effective support from the PACNIR during a time of transition. NZPF is in the process of updating existing polices to meet legislative requirements. A particular strength of playcentre is the two-house model initiative for governance. Te Whare Tikanga Māori promotes self-determination for Māori members through regular hui and targeted funding and enacts the partnership aspect of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Key Next Steps

ERO has identified the need for PACNIR management to develop a strategic approach to professional development in relation to implementing the revised Te Whāriki.

Playcentre members' next steps are to participate in ongoing learning to:

  • build understanding of effective teaching and children’s learning in a child-initiated, play-based curriculum

  • fully implement the revised Te Whāriki.

Recommendation

ERO recommends that the NZPF and PACNIR give urgent priority to developing robust systems for:

  • tracking, monitoring and reporting quality assurance and compliance in individual playcentres.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Mamaku 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.

Action for compliance

ERO identified an area of non-compliance related to health and safety.

  • Governance needs to develop and document a child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
    [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS31]

In order to improve practice, centre members need to consistently implement daily hazard checks.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

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

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

16 August 2018

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

Location

Mamaku, near Rotorua

Ministry of Education profile number

40082

Licence type

Playcentre

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

15

Gender composition

Girls 8 Boys 7

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā

8
7

Review team on site

June 2018

Date of this report

16 August 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

February 2012

Education Review

September 2008

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.

Mamaku Playcentre - 11/05/2015

1 Evaluation of Mamaku Playcentre

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

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

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

Background

Mamaku Playcentre is a parent-led service that provides education and care for children from birth to school age. Located in the village of Mamaku near Rotorua, the centre operates three morning sessions each week. The centre is licensed for 30 children, including 15 under the age of two years. At the time of this ERO review the centre’s roll of 19 included 13 children of Māori descent.

Since the 2012 ERO review there have been significant developments of the centre’s building programme including establishing a covered verandah area, a new dining space, as well as refurbishing the kitchen, bathroom and office areas. There has also been further development of the centre’s playgrounds.

The centre has experienced a recent growth in its roll. On the day that ERO attended the centre three new families were visiting with a view to enrolling their children. Leadership of the centre has remained the same and more members are committing themselves to undertaking playcentre training.

Mamaku Playcentre operates under the umbrella of Rotorua Playcentre Association, which acts as its governing body. The association strongly endorses playcentre philosophy, and aims to empower parents to be the first and best educators of their children. It expects that parents will act as volunteer leaders and managers for their playcentre. The association employs staff to provide centre parents with guidance and support. The knowledgeable operations manager is readily available to assist with information, and an experienced Centre Support Officer attends playcentre sessions and meetings to advise and mentor members. The association receives reports from the Centre Support Officer and the centre that provide assurance of compliance with licensing, health and safety and other operational requirements.

Playcentres offer a recognised adult education qualification, designed to assist parents to provide appropriate learning opportunities for their children. The association offers training towards this qualification for all members. In addition, the association recently provided professional development through a Ministry of Education contract. An experienced tutor assisted the association and its centres to use self review to promote and evaluate the organisation’s strategic goals.

Through its strategic plan, the association provides a framework for centres to set their development goals. These relate to their Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitment, the vibrancy of their communities of learning, their recognition in the wider community, and their sustainable future.

This review was part of a cluster of six playcentre reviews in the Rotorua Playcentre Assocation

The Review Findings

Mamaku Playcentre continues to provide a valuable service for the whānau and children of the Mamaku community.

Children enjoy participating in the child-initiated programme. They have access to a wide range of good-quality resources and equipment. Particular features of the programme include:

  • regular trips into the local and wider community
  • the natural integration of literacy and mathematics learning through children’s play
  • celebration of significant events for children and the community.

The recently renovated indoor area provides spacious play areas for children and comfortable facilities for adults. There are many opportunities for children to explore and experience safe physical challenge in the extensive, well-maintained and presented outdoor play areas.

The centre has well-established relationships with Mamaku School that support children and their families as they transition to school. Māori children’s sense of identity and culture is recognised and celebrated in wall displays and celebration of significant events such as Matariki. Members are continuing to develop their confidence in using simple te reo Māori with children.

Individual children’s portfolios celebrate their creativity and their involvement in the programme. Some members are effectively identifying their children’s learning and progress in these portfolios.

Members provide nurturing and caring relationships with children. They actively involve themselves alongside children in play. ERO observed some of these members effectively promoting children’s problem solving and oral language skills through their involvement in play. A feature of the centre is the way that members support each other by sharing their parenting skills and knowledge. ERO observed supportive tuakana-teina relationships where older children were very supportive of their younger siblings and peers.

The centre leaders provide good-quality leadership. They are enthusiastic about ongoing centre development and have successfully overseen the major redevelopment of the centre’s facilities. Leaders are conscious of the importance of growing leadership skills among parent members to support ongoing sustainability.

Key Next Steps

Centre leaders and members should review the layout of the recently renovated indoor learning environment to:

  • maximise children’s access to the centre’s resources
  • use wall spaces to display children’s creativity and learning at children’s eye level
  • investigate ways to minimise high noise levels.

The association has agreed that recognising and celebrating the learning for both adults and children is an essential part of valuing the ‘Playcentre experience’. Adding a goal to the association and centre strategic plans for identifying and building on programme successes would focus attention on the quality of learning opportunities and outcomes for children.

To implement this goal, agreed indicators are needed that identify effective teaching practices that build programme success. These indicators should include interactions that foster children’s language development, and intentional teaching strategies to engage in, and extend, children’s learning.

Consideration could also be given to including a responsibility for identifying and modelling quality teaching interactions, and providing feedback, as part of centre support visits. Including references to Ministry of Education guidelines would assist centres to evaluate their programmes and identify areas for further improvement.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Mamaku 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 Mamaku Playcentre will be in three years.

Dale Bailey

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

11 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

Location

near Rotorua

Ministry of Education profile number

40082

Licence type

Playcentre

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2

Service roll

19

Gender composition

Girls 14

Boys 5

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

13

6

Review team on site

February 2015

Date of this report

11 May 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

February 2012

 

Education Review

September 2008

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.