Ranfurly Street, Dargaville
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.
Dargaville Playcentre offers two sessions each week, for up to 30 children from birth to school age. Approximately one third of the children currently enrolled have Māori heritage. In addition, SPACE Northland facilitators offer one session each week for a group of parents and their infants. In the past two years there has been a significant growth in centre membership.
The Playcentre philosophy values parents/whānau as the first and best educators of their children. They take on roles and responsibilities that contribute to the running of the centre. This structure offers opportunities for emergent leadership.
The centre is part of the Northland Playcentre Association, which provides governance and management support for 31 Playcentres in Northland. The Association provides systems and adult education programmes to help members manage centres and support their children's learning. A centre support worker (CSW) regularly visits each centre. The Association also provides education support for five Playcentres in the Far North.
Playcentre Aotearoa is in the process of a national restructure. It is expected that a new regional manager and centre support personnel will be appointed towards the end of 2017.
ERO's 2015 report identified that curriculum and internal evaluation systems required improvement. Professional development from an external provider, and guidance from Association staff, have supported current members to respond positively to ERO's recommendations.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 Playcentre reviews in the Northland Playcentre Association.
Children at Dargaville Playcentre are confident to explore and choose from a range of available resources. They play well alongside each other and in small groups. There is a quiet space and specific equipment provided for infants. These younger children are well supported to participate in experiences with older children.
The repainted indoor environment is stimulating and inviting. It provides children with many opportunities to participate in creative and imaginative play. Children make very good use of the outdoor area to develop their physical skills and engage in collaborative learning. There are plans to further upgrade the indoor space and outdoor area.
Parents/whānau provide a play-based programme that is responsive to children's interests and reflects Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Adults support children's play, are aware of their preferences and provide experiences that promote hands-on learning. ERO observed some good examples of adults asking questions to encourage children to share their ideas with others.
Parents/whānau have improved how they assess and plan for children's learning. They record what they notice about children's interests and experiences in a daybook. Children's individual interests are documented, and some adults skilfully assess children's learning. Experienced members could now work alongside newer members to build their knowledge of planning and assessment practices.
The centre is well led by a group of experienced and enthusiastic members. They have a clear vision for the future direction of the centre. The deliberate strategy of two adults sharing each centre role is building members' knowledge of operational systems. This effective approach helps to sustain members' knowledge and skills over time. Internal evaluation processes are focused on centre improvement. A detailed annual plan is used well for monitoring the implementation of actions to achieve centre priorities.
Programme documentation shows that SPACE Northland facilitators plan flexible programmes to support parents' and infants' learning. As the SPACE programme progresses, facilitators explain the learning that happens as part of infants' play experiences. They foster parents' increased understanding of young children's learning very well. Day-book and individual assessment records show parents' increasing knowledge as they begin to record what they notice about their children's learning.
The centre support worker (CSW) is aware of the strengths and needs of the centre. Her support helps members to foster positive learning outcomes for children. The CSW provides good leadership to sustain improvement and growth. Members appreciate that the CSW is available to answer their questions and share information that adds to their collective knowledge.
The Association continues to provide a sound management framework to assist members in managing their centres. Centre members' leadership and increased participation in adult education courses help to sustain the Association and centre viability. The governance board works collaboratively to share information with centre members as they respond to changes, including the national restructure.
Next steps for centre members are to:
To enhance practices in Northland Playcentres, the new regional manager and support personnel should assist centre members to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Dargaville 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 Dargaville Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
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.
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Location |
Dargaville, Northland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
16462 |
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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 |
20 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 12 Boys 8 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
Parent led |
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Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
August 2017 |
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Date of this report |
17 November 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
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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:
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 |
Dargaville Playcentre needs support to improve programmes for children, develop sustainable effective self review processes and to strengthen leadership capacity.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Dargaville Playcentre is a parent cooperative providing one session per week for children up to school age. The centre is licensed for 30 children, including 15 children up to the age of two years. Children enrolled come from Dargaville town and its surrounding areas. The centre’s roll fluctuates considerably and members struggle to maintain the roll to full licence capacity.
The centre operates under the umbrella of Northland Playcentre Association (NPA). The Association provides administration and policy frameworks to guide and support centre members. The Playcentre philosophy of parents and children learning together underpins centre operations.
The Association’s support worker is new to this leadership role. A longstanding, experienced member supports and guides newer members, most of who are participating in Playcentre’s parent education programme.
The centre has a history of positive ERO reports. Members are committed to the Playcentre philosophy as it promotes social opportunities for children and families. The areas for review and development identified in ERO’s 2010 report continue to be a focus for centre members.
Children are settled and happy. They are involved in the activities that members provide. Children have a sense of security, with their parents being the key people in their play and learning. Parents are attentive and focus on their children’s play. They could consider ways to allow children to play more independently and work on activities that encourage their own creativity.
The learning environment is well established and indoor and outdoor play equipment is accessible for children. The large outdoor playground is well used and popular with children. Members could promote literacy, mathematics and science more in this play space.
Members relate respectfully and responsively with children. They encourage children in their play and conversations. All adults contribute positively to supervising all children. Parents see the centre as a place for children to develop their social skills, build good friendships and play and learn alongside their children.
Centre members agree that next steps to improve the outcomes for children include:
More focused support from the Association or external providers will be important to help centre members continue to develop the skills needed to provide high quality programmes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Dargaville 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:
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to the quality of the curriculum, shared leadership and effective self review. To meet requirements the centre must:
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C2; GMA, 6.
ERO recommends that the centre, in consultation with the Association and the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Dargaville Playcentre will be within two years.
Dale Bailey Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern Select Region
11 February 2015
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 |
Dargaville, Northland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
16462 |
||
|
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 |
14 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 8 Girls 6 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan |
3 10 1 |
|
|
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 |
November 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 February 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
August 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 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.