105 Victoria Street, Lower Hutt CBD, Lower Hutt
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Alicetown Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Alicetown Playcentre is one of 17 playcentres in the Hutt Valley region. The service operates for five sessions each week, and is licensed for 30 children, including up to 15 aged up to two years. Families represent a diverse range of cultures.
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 organisations 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. A recently established new leadership team is in place including newer members. Two session facilitators, with recognised levels of training, provide 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. These included appraisal and professional development for leadership, and internal evaluation. Good progress has been made.
This review was one of eight in Playcentre Aotearoa, Hutt Valley region.
Child-led play and learning is very well supported in the calm, positive learning environment. Adults work collaboratively to promote children’s social competence, creativity, exploration and self-directed learning. The well-presented learning environment invites participation and interest and sustained play. Children are empowered, confident and capable learners who interact well together. Local community excursions extend the curriculum.
Infants and toddlers benefit from caring, respectful interactions with adults and their older peers.
A strong sense of community and belonging is evident. Members take collective responsibility for the learning and wellbeing of all children.
Children and families benefit from well-considered opportunities to engage with te reo me ngā tikanga Māori. Local stories are used effectively to promote children's interest.
Adults are highly supportive of children’s interests. The child-led philosophy is strongly evident in practice. Members should now consider how they can use their knowledge of individual children's interests as a platform for extending their learning, through planning meaningful and challenging experiences.
Members know children well, and regularly record the engaging experiences they provide to support their interests and learning. Further exploring the goals of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and considering how these could guide planning ‘where to next’ for children, would be a useful next step. The visibility of children's cultures, languages and identities and parents' aspirations should be strengthened in records of children's learning.
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 learning.
Long-serving, experienced members effectively support families to actively engage with Playcentre philosophy and maintain a sense of community. Strategies are in place that should sustain operation over time.
The CSW works collaboratively to support centre 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 identifying and supporting children with diverse learning needs, including speech and language. This should involve proactive, 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 Alicetown Playcentre members in the following areas:
continuing to grow culturally responsive practices
growing collective understanding around identifying children with diverse learning and language needs
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 Alicetown 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
17 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 |
60011 |
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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 |
30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
65 |
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Gender composition |
Male 34, Female 31 |
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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 |
November 2019 |
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Date of this report |
17 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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Alicetown Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Alicetown 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 parent committee at Alicetown 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 provide mixed-age sessional education and care for 30 children five days a week. This includes 15 children up to the age of two. Two extended sessions are held on Mondays and Fridays. These focus on achieving the aspirations families and whānau hold for older children.
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 supervisor with the level of training that meets the legislative requirements for group supervision.
Almost all centre members are involved in the adult education programme provided by the association. The centre has sustained good numbers of parents taking advantage of this opportunity for active involvement in their child's education.
The service and the association have a positive reporting history with the ERO. Effective centre practice, identified in the June 2013 ERO report, has been sustained.
This review was part of a cluster of eight services within the Hutt Playcentre Association.
Children’s active exploration through play and learning is well supported by attentive parent educators. A positive tone and inclusive practice permeate the centre promoting children’s social skills development and confidence. Respectful relationships positively contribute to their sense of belonging and wellbeing.
The service’s philosophy strongly reflects the playcentre philosophy of parent led education, free play and the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A strong culture of care, respect and shared responsibility for leading children's play and learning is evident.
Assessment, curriculum planning and evaluation practices provide adults with useful information to help them plan programmes responsive to children’s interests, strengths and if required identified needs. Attractive profile books celebrate individual children's progress showing their developing skills, knowledge and attributes.
Children are physically active and curious explorers. They participate enthusiastically in a varied range of well-planned and spontaneous activities. The youngest children are embraced and nurtured within a culture of care. Literacy, mathematics, science activities and concept learning are integral parts of children’s playcentre experience. The inclusion of te ao Māori and of all children's cultures, languages and identities in the curriculum, continues to evolve.
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 centre level by kaitautoko was appreciated and useful. ERO also recognised that formalising this arrangement to promote a more effective approach to responding to the needs of individual centres was a next step for development. An evaluation of the effectiveness of changes to kaitautoko practice for improving outcomes for centre members and children is planned for.
At Alicetown playcentre the parent-led committee and supervision groups include diverse enthusiastic parents and whānau who bring valuable skills and knowledge to their roles. The high levels of involvement of the centre's community and a collective sense of responsibility to children provide positive platforms for learning.
The previous ERO report identified that centre leaders would benefit from association support to further develop strategic planning and self review practice. The dual purposes of self review for accountability and improvement are understood and increasingly guide ongoing decision making. The association should continue to support the centre to develop strategic and annual planning that contribute to effective internal evaluation.
The association:
Before the review, the staff and management of Alicetown 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 association needs to improve its performance in the following area:
The next ERO review of Alicetown 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 |
60011 |
||
|
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 |
44 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 23, Boys 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2006 |
||
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.