Kaitoke Lane, Claris, Great Barrier Island
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.
Aotea Island Playcentre is a well established centre adjacent to Kaitoke School on Great Barrier Island. The centre offers two general sessions each week for up to 30 children, including up to 15 under two years of age. Currently the roll is 22, and about a third of the children enrolled are Māori.
The centre operates as a family cooperative. Practices are based on the Playcentre philosophy of families learning and growing together. Learning programmes are implemented by parents/whānau who are also centre members.
The 2014 ERO report highlighted the centre’s strengths, which have been maintained. Good progress has been made in the areas for development noted in the report, which included supporting children's learning through play.
The centre is one of 21 in the North Shore Playcentre Association. The Association provides a management and policy framework, and centre support personnel. Playcentre Aotearoa is in the process of a national restructure and the North Shore Association is now part of Playcentre's northern region. A new regional manager has been appointed and support personnel roles and expectations are being confirmed.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the North Shore Playcentre Association.
Respectful and responsive relationships between families foster a sense of community. Children settle quickly and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the centre. Centre members affirm and share the strengths of children and their whānau. Children make friends and play together for extended periods of time. The new cycleway in the expansive outdoor environment helps to promote children's physical activity.
Children are creative, curious and eager to learn. They make choices about their learning and benefit from respectful adults who listen and respond to their interests. Centre members ensure that the youngest children are well provided for, and included well in the programme. They encourage toddlers to explore and try out new activities. Te reo Māori is valued, and used in play and conversations. Children and adults have fun as they learn through meaningful play.
Internal evaluation is developing and used to improve practice. Recent evaluation has highlighted how parents/whānau could adapt the programme to better support the learning of the older children and boys. Centre members are considering how they can offer an additional session for older children.
Collaborative end-of-session evaluations help members provide learning continuity across sessions. These discussions guide future planning, and support adults to extend children’s interests. A next step is to improve records of children's learning.
The centre is well managed by a small group of capable leaders, who are exploring strategies to support ongoing centre sustainability. Encouraging other centre members to actively contribute and take greater responsibility for centre operations, and including specific goals in the centre's long-term planning could help promote continuity and sustainability.
The Association management team has a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and having a bicultural partnership with whānau Māori. This commitment is evident in Association operations and in support provided for centres.
The Association currently has effective governance and management practices. A voluntary executive committee takes responsibility for specific management and centre support tasks. Good systems help them to monitor the quality of programmes, adult education levels, and health and safety requirements. The management team provides professional leadership to help centres respond to changes, particularly as they transition to the new national and regional structure.
Key next steps for centre members are to:
continue to strengthen long-term planning for the centre generally, and for its sustainability in particular
strengthen the evaluation of how well centre goals are being met
keep improving records of children's learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Aotea Island 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.
The next ERO review of Aotea Island Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
17 November 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 |
Great Barrier Island |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
22035 |
||
|
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 |
22 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 13 Girls 9 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
Parent led |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
September 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
17 November 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
July 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:
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.
Aotea Island Playcentre is next to Kaitoke School near Claris, and is the only licensed early childhood service on Great Barrier Island. The centre caters for up to 25 children and their families and provides two sessions per week, from 10.30am to 1pm.
The centre is managed cooperatively by parents/whānau, under the umbrella of the North Shore Playcentre Association. The association, made up of centre representatives and elected officers, provides a framework for management, and support personnel. The playcentre parent education programme and ongoing mutual support help centre members to build an understanding of their dual roles as parents and educators.
A new, purpose-designed building was opened on the original site in April 2012. Most of the current centre members are new since ERO’s 2010 review. This group is enthusiastic and committed to the playcentre parent education programme and to rebuilding a strong centre to cater for children and their whānau on the island.
While new members raise their training levels, the centre is supported by a Licence Support Worker. She is an experienced playcentre member and has the required level of training for sessions to receive Ministry of Education funding. Centre members also appreciate the support of the Association Field Officer, who has a longstanding relationship with the centre.
Programmes for children are underpinned by the playcentre philosophy of parents/whānau and children learning together. There is a strong sense of inclusion and belonging in the centre. Family friendships contribute to the sense of community. Trusting relationships and a family atmosphere promote children’s social competence and ensure they are settled and comfortable in familiar surroundings.
Children relate well with each other and with the parents/whānau who manage sessions and support their play. Mixed-age sessions allow tuakana/teina relationships where older children can take leadership and provide models for younger children. The inclusion of te reo and waiata Māori reflects the Playcentre organisation’s commitment to bicultural practices.
Children freely explore interesting play areas, activities and resources in the new building and on the covered deck. The large, sheltered outdoor learning environment offers a range of physical challenges and space for a variety of activities.
Parents/whānau have a very good shared knowledge about the children attending. They consider how to respond to what they notice about children’s learning at each session and at termly planning meetings. As parents/whānau increase their understanding about assessment, planning and evaluation, they will be able to make stronger links between their daily reflections and programme planning. This should help them to better plan extended learning experiences for children.
There are good connections between the centre and Kaitoke School. Children attend school events and when they move on to school are familiar with the setting and with teachers. Children also have opportunities to become familiar with the other schools on the island through community events and individual visits. Children and their parents/whānau are well supported to make the transition to school.
Centre members have a commitment to supporting young families on the island. They work flexibly and collaboratively to manage the centre and members take on various leadership roles. There has recently been a focus on improving communications so that all members feel included and involved. Management systems are well established. Parents/whānau continually think about ways to improve centre operations and input from the association field worker also contributes to ongoing formal and informal self review.
Centre members, the association field officer and ERO agree that next steps are to review and consider ways to improve:
Centre members also recognise the importance of documenting and regularly reviewing their vision and strategic plan. This more formal practice would help them to achieve long term goals for the centre and to continue strengthening the quality of provision for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Aotea Island 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.
In the long term, centre members should review and improve aspects of the physical layout and provision for children's hygiene and cleaning routines.
The next ERO review of Aotea Island Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
7 March 2014
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 |
Claris, Great Barrier Island |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
22035 |
|
|
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 |
18 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 12 Boys 6 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Irish Thai |
4 8 4 2 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
7 March 2014 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2010 |
|
Education Review |
July 2007 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2004 |
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.