225 Te Puna Road, Tauranga, Tauranga
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.
Te Puna Playcentre is a small, rural, parent-led cooperative education and care service located in the Tauranga suburb of Te Puna. It caters for a mixed-age group of children from birth to six years. The playcentre is licenced for 25 children including up to 15 up to the age of two years. There has been a significant reduction in roll numbers since the 2015 ERO review with the current roll being 10 children. Centre members hold appropriate playcentre qualifications that meet Ministry of Education licencing requirements. Two sessions are held each week on Wednesday and Thursday mornings run by parents.
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. This region includes 95 playcentres spread over a large geographic area. During the organisation transition there is some overlap between association systems and new national approaches. At the time of this ERO review there is some uncertainty as new processes become established.
The governance management structure consists of a regional manager and a centre support coordinator who provide guidance and management for the playcentres. A centre administrator and centre support worker were appointed in early 2018 to provide support and guidance for centre operations. 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 across centre members. A high proportion of members hold higher levels of playcentre qualifications.
Te Puna Playcentre aims to promote the playcentre philosophy by focusing on parents and caregivers playing and learning alongside the children. The centre mission statement refers to families and whānau learning and exploring together in a friendly, supportive and fun environment. Members see playcentre as an extension of home and maintain the paramount place of parents and whānau in making decisions about their children’s education and care.
The playcentre has a postive reporting history. Since the 2015 ERO report members have responded effectively to areas identified for improvement in the report, including taking part in advanced playcentre course training.
This review was part of a cluster of six playcentres in the Western Bay of Plenty under the governance of Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island.
Centre leaders effectively implement the philosophy and vision to promote positive learning outcomes for children. Effectively planned and spontaneous internal evaluation is leading to improved outcomes for children. Internal evaluation is ongoing and responsive to identified priorities. Members provide strong, collaborative leadership for centre sustainability. Leaders foster members' involvement in the service and support each other in their roles. There are high levels of relational trust and leaders have established a culture in which children are valued, celebrated and affirmed for who they are and what they bring to the learning.
The curriculum provides rich opportunities for children to learn through their interests, strengths and social interactions. A bi-cultural review has increased the use of Māori language and culture throughout the programme. Members place high value on meeting the individual needs of toddlers and infants. They have designed an appropriate area for young infants to explore and enjoy nurturing social interactions. Literacy and mathematics are well integrated through children’s interests and meaningful activities. Oral language and children's thinking are encouraged through learning conversations with adults.
Assessment portfolios include a range of perspectives from other members that contribute to each child's learning story. These portfolios enable children to revisit their play. Regular session evaluations are undertaken as a team to plan opportunities and projects to extend learning. Children can initiate and direct their own learning through access to high quality resources in a spacious learning environment.
Members skilfully notice, recognise and respond to children’s learning. Children engage in sustained and complex learning opportunities. The mixed-age group enables tuakana/teina relationships where older children take some responsibility for younger children. Children develop positive friendships with their peers and learn to interact with a wider group of adults. Both members and children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging to the centre.
Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island is in the early stages of providing support for centres during a time of transition. Existing polices and systems are supporting centre operations until new systems developed by Playcentre Aotearoa are implemented. The strategic and annual plans are yet to consistently guide regional and centre direction. A particular strength is the Te Whare Tikanga Māori initiative, which promotes self-determination for Māori members through regular hui and targeted funding, and enacts the partnership aspect of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The key next step for centre members is to use internal evaluation processes to develop a localised curriculum to support children's transition to school.
In addition, ERO has identified the need for Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island management to develop:
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Puna 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 related to appraisal.
The current appraisal process does not meet Ministry of Education regulatory requirements. Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island needs to ensure suitable human resource management practices are developed, documented and implemented.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7.]
The next ERO review of Te Puna Playcentre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
29 June 2018
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 |
Te Puna, Tauranga |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40006 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
10 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 6 Boys 4 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other |
1 8 1 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2018 |
|
|
Date of this report |
29 June 2018 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2015 |
|
Education Review |
September 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 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:
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.
Te Puna Playcentre is a parent-led cooperative education and care service located in a rural area close to Tauranga. It caters for children from birth to school age from the local community. The centre enjoys a close partnership with the neighbouring school which many children attend when they begin their primary school education.
The centre operates under the playcentre philosophy of children and adults learning together within a supportive, safe and nurturing environment. Three sessions are held each week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Each session is run cooperatively with all parents working with and alongside their own and other children to develop each child’s skills and build confidence.
The playcentre operates under the umbrella of the Western Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association (WBOPPA). Parents benefit from the support and guidance of a liaison officer and an administration officer provided by the association. WBOPPA also provide training workshops and useful documentation and frameworks to guide centre operations. These guidelines are underpinned by the association’s philosophy, which is highly evident in members’ practice.
While overarching governance structures and support are provided by WBOPPA, individual parents are able to undertake specific leadership roles within the centre. In addition, parents are encouraged to undertake playcentre course qualifications to build their knowledge and understanding about early childhood education and care.
Since the last 2011 ERO review, significant progress has been made in developing strategic planning and self-review processes, including the bicultural dimension and assessment practice.
This review was part of a cluster of six playcentre reviews in the Western Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association.
The centre provides high-quality education and care for children and families. Parents work closely with and alongside children to promote each child’s wellbeing and learning. Strong partnerships and supportive centre relationships are contributing to a settled and purposeful environment for parents and children. ERO observed children engaged in learning and exploration while confidently communicating with parents. Interactions observed between children and adults were respectful, caring and affirming.
The environment is well planned to invite children’s interest and stimulate their thinking. Parents plan the outdoor area to provide many opportunities for children to explore, challenge their developing physical skills, and take risks in a closely monitored setting. Parents also ensure the outdoor area is well kept. Good systems are in place to ensure children are safe and equipment is well maintained.
The daily programme is flexible and responsive to children’s emerging ideas and interests. Parents skilfully notice opportunities to become involved in children’s learning. They affirm and encourage the development of children’s theories and learning. During the session observed by ERO, parents demonstrated an in-depth understanding of playcentre philosophy and a wide range of area content knowledge to support and extend children’s learning. ERO also observed children independently accessing equipment, making choices and being included in decision making.
Parents have a sound understanding of early childhood education assessment practice, including Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and children’s developing social competencies.
A record of each child’s development and learning is kept in individual child portfolios. These useful and attractive documents make episodes of learning visible and provide evidence of children’s long-term development and thinking over time. Portfolios also provide a valuable resource for children to share their experiences and revisit important learning.
The centre is well placed to promote each child’s early literacy and mathematical development. Parents listen carefully to children and purposefully foster their oral language skills. These skills are developed through learning conversations, effective questioning, and for younger children, appropriate responses to non-verbal signals.
Bicultural practice is well established in the centre. Māori families are well represented amongst centre membership. These knowledgeable and experienced parents are contributing to the programme by effectively supporting the participation and success of all children and families attending. There are strong and reciprocal partnerships among families and a commitment to embracing te reo Māori as a functional language. Displays and resources, interactions with adults, and daily routines provide children with access to te reo and tikanga Māori practices as part of their daily learning.
Strategic planning processes and centre review are contributing to ongoing improvement to the service for children and families. Daily end-of-session evaluations provide an effective forum for spontaneous ongoing reflection and improvement. Planned and documented review of specific aspects of centre operations ensure decisions about improvement are based on sound evidence gathered from a range of sources.
ERO and the centre agree that it is important to encourage parents to take part in increasingly advanced playcentre course training. This is likely to lead to improved long-term sustainability of the service, and continuation of the quality service currently being provided.
Before the review, the staff and management of Te Puna 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 Te Puna Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer-Northern Northern Region
27 February 2015
|
Location |
Tauranga |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40006 |
|
|
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 |
23 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 12 Girls 11 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other European Other |
5 15 2 1 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2014 |
|
|
Date of this report |
27 February 2015 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2011 |
|
Education Review |
August 2008 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2005 |
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:
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.