Forkert Road, Ohaupo
View on mapOhaupo Playcentre
Ohaupo Playcentre - 19/06/2019
1 Evaluation of Ohaupo Playcentre
How well placed is Ohaupo Playcentre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Ohaupo Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Background
Ohaupo Playcentre is a parent-led education and care service located just south of Hamilton. It caters for children from birth to school age and operates three mixed-age morning sessions per week. The playcentre is licensed for 30 children including up to 15 children under the age of two years. The current roll of 42 children includes two who identify as Māori.
There has been a recent change of the leadership committee and a significant increase in younger children attending.
During 2018, the New Zealand Playcentre Federation transitioned from operating with 32 regional associations to become one national body with six regional offices. In the central north island, six associations have merged into a regional hub renamed Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region that now includes 95 playcentres over a large geographic area. At Ohaupo Playcentre the president is supported by a leadership committee, centre administrator and centre support worker provided by the Federation to assist with session operation.
Through their national philosophy, the playcentre places emphasis on whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together. Adults and children are empowered to play, work and grow together and parents as first and best educators of their children.
Ohaupo Playcentre has a positive reporting history with ERO. The playcentre has made good progress addressing the recommendations as identified in the 2016 report.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 playcentre reviews in the Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region.
The Review Findings
Children’s interests and strengths are recognised and valued. There is a large range of learning opportunities for children. Children are actively supported to develop their oral language, literacy and mathematical skills. The localised curriculum is underpinned by relevant activities, events and excursions. There is an inclusive approach to children's learning with additional support from a wide range of people within the community. Children under the age of two are well cared for in a nurturing environment that supports their individual development.
Children’s independence and self-management are well supported. The learning environment and resources support and extend children’s learning. Appropriate aged based challenges and activities that support mixed-age play are evident. Learning stories show children's progress and member's response to children’s interests. Children's portfolios as provide a useful documented record of involvement and learning.
Centre leaders have created a positive, inclusive and supportive culture. Recent changes to the leadership committee have focused on reviewing key aspects of the centre's daily operations. There is a growing understanding of self-review and which has informed new learning opportunities and a greater consistency of practice. The leadership committee have well developed induction processes for new members. Sound transition processes with the six local primary schools are in place. Parents fully support the playcentre philosophy and this contributes to children's positive learning experiences. The centre support worker and the centre administrator are building capability through appropriate feedback and feedforward. Their support and detailed reports are leading to improved awareness of quality practice.
The Playcentre Federation’s overarching strategic and individual annual plans guide playcentre direction. Good communication and support between the Federation and regions throughout the restructure has supported ongoing operations. The playcentre philosophy and vision and documented strategic goals have been set. There is now the need to measure the impact of these goals on outcomes for children.
Key Next Steps
To further support children's learning centre members should continue to:
-
develop a consistent approach to the use of Te Whariki the early childhood curriculum in planning and evaluation.
In order to improve practice, the Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island regional leaders should continue to:
-
develop and implement strategic and annual regional plans
-
monitor and strengthen the playcentre’s understanding of internal evaluation to inform ongoing improvement
-
support playcentre personnel to robustly report on the progress towards their appropriate strategic goals
-
strengthen appraisal processes to support centre personnel and administrators to grow the practice.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Ohaupo 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services
Central Region
19 June 2019
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 |
Ohaupo |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
33017 |
|
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 |
42 |
|
Gender composition |
Male 26 Female 16 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
Review team on site |
April 2019 |
|
Date of this report |
19 June 2019 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2016 |
Education Review |
January 2013 |
|
Education Review |
November 2009 |
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
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.
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.
Ohaupo Playcentre - 23/02/2016
1 Evaluation of Ohaupo Playcentre
How well placed is Ohaupo 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
Ohaupo Playcentre is a semi-rural playcentre whose families come from a wide geographical area, including the surrounding rural towns and outskirts of Hamilton. Since the previous 2013 ERO review, there has been a complete turnover of families. This has resulted in the attendance of a majority of younger children under 3, and the closure of the older children’s session. The centre is now open two mornings a week and is licensed for 30 children including 15 under 2 years. There are 29 children on the roll including one child who is identified as Māori.
A new experienced and knowledgeable centre support worker (CSW) has been recently appointed. She is encouraging a strong focus on adult education to upskill new parent members. The centre’s strategic plan sets a clear direction for improvement and there are effective systems and clearly documented procedures to guide practice. The centre is well supported by the Waikato Playcentre Association (WPA).
The playcentre philosophy states that children initiate play with adults who support children’s learning, and value their play and creativity. This philosophy was clearly evident in the playcentre environment where children and their families were warmly welcomed, and children were happily engaged and supported in their learning and play.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Waikato Playcentre Association.
The Review Findings
Ohaupo Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
The playcentre provides support for families by building strong connections with home and members of the local community. Children experience a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging. They benefit from encouragement and support from their own and other parents/grandparents, and reciprocal relationships with other children of mixed ages. Children were observed to be settled, engaged in their play, and independently accessing appropriate resources and equipment within the centre environment.
Interactions among adults and children are positive and affirming of children’s learning and play. Parents model oral language for children. They guide children’s creative and investigative activities, and foster their literacy and numeracy skills. Adults promote children’s social competencies by managing their behaviour positively. Children with special behaviour and learning needs benefit from shared strategies that help guide their interactions. Some te reo Māori was heard and this could be further extended amongst parents and children.
The centre’s natural outdoor environment is spacious and well equipped to promote exploration, physical challenge and experimentation. Children enjoy riding bikes and carts, using the climbing equipment and swings, and playing with sand and water. Parents and grandparents are currently encouraging children’s interest in the natural world and gardening.
The playcentre curriculum is child centred and child led. Parents follow children’s interests, and extend and enrich their learning experiences through excursions into the wider community. Children’s learning experiences are recorded in individual and group learning stories in well-presented portfolios and on the centre walls. There are some examples of good quality narratives that make links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and acknowledge the children’s learning and their next learning steps.
Knowledgeable and capable centre leaders set clear guidelines for new parent members. Roles and responsibilities are well defined and there are clear expectations about what is required during sessions. End-of-session evaluations and spontaneous self review occur regularly and the centre parents agree that these need to be further developed to better reflect children’s learning outcomes.
The New Zealand Playcentre Federation and the WPA continue to provide effective governance, strategic direction, management support and adult education programmes for the centre. This support and training is underpinned by the WPA philosophy 'Whānau tupu ngātahi - families growing together'.
The association’s strategic commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is evident in its leadership model. High value is placed on productive partnerships with Māori whānau, and funding is made available for related professional development. The association’s high quality response to Ka Hikitia has resulted in clear expectations, and a systematic and sequential approach to building members’ understanding, confidence and competence in te ao Maori.
A long-standing kaiawhina continues to support centre members to develop their understanding of te ao Māori and their confidence to integrate this knowledge in the context of playcentre philosophy.
Key Next Steps
Playcentre members, the CSW and ERO agree that next steps for further development include:
- extending conversations with children to further encourage their oral language, inquiry and problem solving skills
- continuing to build capability in writing learning stories that identify children’s learning and their progress and development over time
- deepening the breadth and depth of self review to include areas of the curriculum and learning outcomes for children
- continuing to extend and promote te reo and tikanga Māori.
Management Assurance on Legal Requirements
Before the review, the staff and management of Ohaupo 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 Ohaupo Playcentre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
23 February 2016
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 |
Ohaupo |
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
33017 |
|
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 |
29 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 16 Boys 13 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā |
1 28 |
Review team on site |
December 2015 |
|
Date of this report |
23 February 2016 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2013 |
Education Review |
November 2009 |
|
Education Review |
October 20016 |
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.