2200 State Highway 2, Maramarua
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.
Maramarua/Kopuku Playcentre is a small rural playcentre operating under the umbrella of the Counties Playcentre Association. The centre is located in the grounds of Maramarua School on State Highway 2 in the Thames Valley. It is licensed for 25 children from birth to school age, including 10 under two years of age. At the time of this ERO review there were 9 children on the roll, 7 of whom were Māori. In 2014, the centre was re-licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 2008.
Parents from the local area cooperate to provide opportunities for their children to learn and play in a well-resourced environment. In accord with the national playcentre philosophy, parents value the provision of a caring, learning and sharing environment. They consider it important for their children to grow emotionally, physically and mentally alongside each other, within their families and as part of their community.
The 2013 ERO review noted that parents and association support personnel had worked hard to improve the playcentre environment and re-establish regular sessions and programmes for children. The centre needed to continue to develop the programme, document self review and increase the use of te reo Māori in the programme. Since the 2013 review the centre has continued to make improvements in these areas. A liaison facilitator from the association attends centre meetings to support parents make decisions for the day-to-day operation of the centre.
Recently there have been changes to parent membership as children have moved to school. An experienced association support worker has been recruited to guide sessions and help with programme documentation while new parent members are completing their training.
This review was part of a cluster of 8 playcentre reviews in the Counties Playcentre Association.
Children are highly engaged in sustained play and exploration in varied and interesting contexts. Parents prepare the environment and join children in their play. Children are able to make choices and initiate imaginative and cooperative activities that make good use of the inviting and well-resourced learning areas. They confidently explore the natural outdoor environment and develop their physical skills through active and challenging activities. They are also able to use the school playground at specified times. Aspects such as literacy, mathematics, science and the creative arts are well integrated throughout the programme. Together with their parents, children develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds.
The playcentre has a warmly welcoming culture that includes visitors as contributing members. Parents are well informed and undertake playcentre adult education. Warm, caring, respectful relationships are evident among parents and children. Children use language well to initiate play and make their preferences known. Positive guidance strategies are used by adults to develop children's social awareness and problem-solving skills. The centre includes aspects of bicultural practice through displays and parents are working to increase the everyday use of te reo Māori. Adults and children enjoy meeting and forming positive relationships in an inclusive, supportive and cooperative environment.
The programme is supported by a qualified playcentre support worker. She guides parents' participation in the programme and assists them to record documentation related to planning, assessment an evaluation. This documentation, together with an inclusive approach to self review, enables parents to evaluate the implementation of the programme. Parents are gaining skills that increase their understanding of early childhood education and confidence to interact with children and extend play.
Parents share information about their children's interests, and aspirations for their children's development. They develop individual goals each term and display them to inform ongoing planning. Parents notice, recognise and respond to children's learning. They record learning stories, and gather photographs and examples of children's art. Some of these records are displayed to identify and share children's ongoing learning, progress and development over time.
Centre leaders are aware of the playcentre's responsibility to support children with additional learning needs, and seek assistance from the association as appropriate. Significant elements of children's involvement and learning are visible to parents, contributing to their awareness of the quality of the programme and its influence on children's learning.
Centre leaders are experienced playcentre members who make a valuable contribution to the service. Parents share responsibility for working alongside children in the programme. They attend meetings to share information and make decisions about improving outcomes for children. Parents and association personnel have raised funds and made extensive improvements to the playcentre playground. Centre leaders, along with association personnel, enjoy making playcentre sessions available to families in the local and wider community.
The Counties Playcentre Association provides a comprehensive training programme for parents of children attending playcentres. It also provides administrative support and a framework of policies and procedures to be implemented by the centres. The playcentre philosophy is based on that of the Playcentre Federation and places children, and parents as first teachers, at the heart of all operations. More qualified and trained members have enabled sessions to extend children’s learning and support conversations among children and adults. Parents demonstrate a commitment to implementing association expectations and following the playcentre philosophy.
The playcentre should continue to support and encourage parents to undertake Course 2 playcentre training. This training is necessary to increase the complexity of the interactions between parents and children, and enhance the learning for children.
The playcentre recognises the need to undertake an extensive upgrade of the kitchen. The completion of this planned initiative, with the association's continuing support, will enhance the quality of the environment for parents and children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Maramarua/Kopuku 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.
ERO identified an area of non-compliance.
2.The service provider must ensure that furniture or equipment that could topple and cause injury or damage is secured. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6]
The next ERO review of Maramarua/Kopuku Playcentre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
14 March 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.
|
Location |
Maramarua near Pukekohe |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25205 |
|
|
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 |
9 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 7 Girls 2 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā |
7 2 |
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Review team on site |
December 2016 |
|
|
Date of this report |
14 March 2017 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
June 2009 |
|
Supplementary Review |
September 2008 |
|
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.
Maramarua/Kopuka Playcentre is a rural parent cooperative operating under the umbrella of the Counties Playcentre Association. It is licensed for 25 children from birth to school age. The roll consists of eight children, including three identified as Māori, who come from the surrounding rural area. The playcentre is located in the grounds of Maramarua School in the Thames Valley and benefits from a positive relationship with the school. At the time of this ERO review, the centre was about to be re-licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 2008.
The 2009 Supplementary ERO report stated that good progress had been made. Since this report there have been changes in the membership of families, and new office holders appointed. A liaison facilitator from the association attends meetings and supports parents. A recently appointed support worker guides parents and models interactions with children during morning sessions.
The association provides a comprehensive training programme for parents of children attending playcentres. It also provides administration support and a framework of policies and procedures to be implemented by the centres. The playcentre philosophy is based on that of the Playcentre Federation and places children, and parents as first teachers, at the heart of all operations.
Parents and association support personnel have worked hard to improve the playcentre environment and re-establish regular sessions and programmes for children. With continued support, parents now need to increase membership and develop an annual plan to guide future self review and improvement.
Parents help children to access resources, extend their play, and manage themselves independently within the playcentre programme. ERO observed respectful and responsive interactions and conversations. Children experience flexible routines and are able to lead their own play, or engage in prepared activities that adults introduce.
All of the playcentre’s sixteen areas of play are available for children and presented in a colourful and literacy rich environment. Children’s sense of belonging is promoted through large photos of themselves and their families/whānau. In addition children’s creative work is attractively displayed and celebrated both on the walls and in their learning portfolios. Learning stories written by parents, describe children’s activities and play at home and during playcentre sessions. They are developing ways to identify what children are learning, and ways to extend and enrich their learning and play.
The co-presidents have been actively involved in acquiring playcentre course qualifications. They have established a welcoming and friendly atmosphere for children, parents and visitors to the centre and have begun to seek new members. They have benefitted from the support and role modelling of the playcentre association staff.
Parents, with the help of the support worker, have begun to review the vision for this playcentre to reflect the local context and provide direction for future improvement. In addition, the co-presidents have started to review policies and self review processes to better reflect the aspirations and goals of the present families. There are good systems to monitor health and safety. Effective support from the association provides opportunities for parents to further their training, and learn how to manage finances and other operations.
The next steps for the playcentre parents are to review the following aspects:
ERO recommends that the playcentre association continue to work with parents to achieve the next steps outlined in this report. This is likely to build sustainability and support for the playcentre during times of membership change.
Before the review, the management of Maramarua/Kopuku 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 Maramarua/Kopuku Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
2 September 2013
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 |
Maramarua, Auckland |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25205 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 4 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
8 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 4 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
2 September 2013 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Supplementary Review |
June 2009 |
|
Supplementary Review |
September 2008 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2007 |
|
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.