Irvines Road, Dunsandel
View on mapERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
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Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
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Health and safety |
Meeting |
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Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Dunsandel Playcentre is a whānau-led early childhood education service administered by Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa – Playcentre Aotearoa. Since the previous March 2017 ERO report there has been significant restructuring and change at the national playcentre level. The playcentre offers one morning session for children from birth to school age.
The playcentre philosophy expresses the beliefs, values, and attitudes about the provision of early childhood education and care within a parent and whānau-led service. Adults engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by whānau for their children. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.
A variety of appropriate resources are provided to cater for the learning of infants, toddlers and young children. The premises, equipment, and materials are kept safe and hygienic and maintained in good condition.
Next steps include:
extending the parent and whānau groups’ knowledge and use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in the curriculum in ways that are meaningful for children
making the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, evident in assessment, planning and evaluation documentation.
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
21 November 2022
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Dunsandel Playcentre |
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Profile Number |
70048 |
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Location |
Dunsandel, Canterbury |
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Service type |
Playcentre |
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Number licensed for |
21 children, including up to 10 children aged under 2 |
|
Service roll |
11 |
|
Review team on site |
September 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
21 November 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2017; Education Review, August 2012 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
discussions with those involved in the service
consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Dunsandel Playcentre operates under the guidance of the Canterbury Playcentre Association. The playcentre is a parent cooperative with parents being encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the programme and playcentre management.
Dunsandel Playcentre is a small rural centre. It is situated across the road from the local school and is open for one session per week.
The community has become increasingly transient and culturally diverse due to changes in employment in the local area.
Since the 2012 ERO review, the centre has had a significant decline in the roll. This has made it very difficult for the current small number of parents to meet all the recommendations in the last ERO report. This includes parent participation and building parents' knowledge and capability. The association has had close involvement and has supported parents to evaluate and improve ways to assess and plan for children's learning.
This review was part of a cluster of nine playcentres in the Canterbury Playcentre Association (CPA).
Children are provided with a wide range of interesting learning activities and learning experiences. Adults support and extend children's learning by the way they present activities and the environment and make use of a range of good quality resources. The outdoor area is spacious and has a range of equipment that extends children's physical skills.
Adults play alongside children, enjoy positive relationships with other parents and encourage children's active exploration.
Adults make good use of the local community. Children have regular contact with the school and visit local businesses and the marae.
Infants and toddlers are valued and well provided for. The adults have set up a suitable play area that has a good range of appropriate resources for babies and young children.
The playcentre is committed to developing aspects of New Zealand's bicultural heritage in the environment, programme and resources. It is visible in the centre with some visual prompts to support parents' use of te reo and understanding of Māori culture.
A small group of parents are strongly committed to successfully managing the play centre. They are involved with the association's parent education training programme. Parents share knowledge and skills and model practices for parents to engage children in learning. They make good use of the association's guidelines and systems to ensure effective management of the playcentre.
The Canterbury Playcentre Association has made significant progress since the 2014 ERO cluster review. They have implemented a strategic plan that effectively identifies goals, plans and progress. The centre support and education teams have been structured to provide more efficient and timely support and guidance for the centres. The parent education programme has become more accessible to parents. Noticeably more parents are participating in all levels of the training and are making good use of this new knowledge in the centres. The centre support team is successfully facilitating the sharing of useful knowledge and practices across centres.
The association has high expectations for every child to experience high quality education and all parents to be actively involved in parent education and the management of the centres. They have established some very useful systems and practices to ensure the sustainability and improvement of the organisation and the centres. This includes effective evaluation and monitoring of the quality of education for parents and improved outcomes for children.
The key next steps for the association are to:
review how the well individual playcentre philosophies are meeting the changing contexts of centres
implement appraisals for the members of the centre support team to align more closely with centre needs and association expectations.
The association, parents and ERO agree that the next steps for the playcentre include:
embedding new planning and assessment practices
strengthening internal evaluation and strategic planning
continuing to develop closer relationships with the marae to promote a better understanding of tikanga and te reo Māori.
Before the review, the staff and management of Dunsandel 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.
Actions for compliance
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to appraisal. To meet requirements the association needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
implement a system of regular appraisal for members of the Education Support Team.
[Regulation 47 (GMA7) Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008]
The next ERO review of Dunsandel Playcentre will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern/Te Waipounamu
2 March 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 |
Dunsandel, Canterbury |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
70048 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
21 children, including up to 10 aged under two |
||
|
Service roll |
8 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 4; Boys 4 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā |
1 7 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
October 2016 |
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Date of this report |
2 March 2017 |
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|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
August 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2006 |
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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 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.
Dunsandel Playcentre is one of 46 playcentres administered by the Canterbury Playcentre Association. The association’s education and centre support teams provide support for the centre. The parent cooperative is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the playcentre.
This playcentre is open for two morning sessions for children aged from birth to school age. It is an established part of the rural community and has strong links with the local school.
Since the 2009 ERO review, a new coordinator has been appointed. The parent committee, coordinator and Canterbury Playcentre Association (CPA) support person are focused on improvement. They have made good progress in establishing better systems to manage self review, assessment practices and bicultural understandings.
Other positive features of this playcentre include:
The next steps are for the coordinator and parent group to build on the capacity and sustainability of the playcentre. This includes continuing to strengthen:
The playcentre has well-established health and safety practices.
ERO is likely to review the playcentre again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Dunsandel Playcentre was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the playcentre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atDunsandel Playcentre.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
The playcentre’s philosophy highlights the belief that children reach their full potential when parents understand their development and take part in the learning process. The parents aim to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment with a variety of learning opportunities and equipment.
Play spaces are well organised and purposefully presented to encourage children’s curiosity and participation in the programme. Children have easy access to a wide range of interesting resources and learning experiences. The outdoor area is spacious and provides many opportunities for physical play.
Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the child-led programme. ERO observed children being confident to make their own choices, and asking for help if they needed it. Children were actively involved in play for long periods of uninterrupted time. They explored activities of interest and developed their own ideas.
Centre displays and notice boards are usefully presented and help keep all playcentre members well informed about aspects of the programme and current focus areas for improvement. This includes the prominent display of:
The playcentre programme promotes strong community links. Parents value the playcentre as a place to meet other community members and develop friendships. The playcentre has a close relationship with the local school and makes good use of opportunities to visit and be part of school activities. Adults plan excursions that help the children learn more about their local community and its resources.
Children benefit from affirming interactions with adults. Adults regularly involve themselves in children’s play. This includes:
The parent group is making increasing use of self review and association support to improve centre practices. This is most evident in:
The parent group has identified, and ERO agrees, that it needs to strengthen the capacity of the parent group to ensure the playcentre practices and recent improvements can continue to be built on.
This includes:
working on ways to increase parent participation in association courses to enhance the programme and interactions for children’s learning
building parent knowledge and capability to use assessment practices that add value to children’s learning through:
Before the review, the staff of Dunsandel Playcentre completed an ERO CentreManagement Assurance Statement andSelf-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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
ERO is likely to review the playcentre again in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region
|
Type |
Sessional, Playcentre |
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
|
Number licensed for |
23 children, including up to 6 aged under two |
|
Roll number |
21 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 7; Boys 14 |
|
Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 20; South American 1 |
|
Review team on site |
June 2012 |
|
Date of this report |
27 August 2012 |
|
Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review May 2009, Supplementary Review November 2006, Education Review December 2005 |
27 August 2012
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Dunsandel Playcentre.
Dunsandel Playcentre is one of 46 playcentres administered by the Canterbury Playcentre Association. The association’s education and centre support teams provide support for the centre. The parent cooperative is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the playcentre.
This playcentre is open for two morning sessions for children aged from birth to school age. It is an established part of the rural community and has strong links with the local school.
Since the 2009 ERO review, a new coordinator has been appointed. The parent committee, coordinator and Canterbury Playcentre Association (CPA) support person are focused on improvement. They have made good progress in establishing better systems to manage self review, assessment practices and bicultural understandings.
Other positive features of this playcentre include:
The next steps are for the coordinator and parent group to build on the capacity and sustainability of the playcentre. This includes continuing to strengthen:
The playcentre has well-established health and safety practices.
ERO is likely to review the playcentre again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the playcentre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services
Southern Region
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
Quality of Education – including the quality of the programme provided for children, the quality of the learning environment and the quality of the interactions between staff and children and how these impact on outcomes for children.
Additional Review Priorities – other aspects of the operation of a centre, may be included in the review. ERO will not include this strand in all reviews.
Compliance with Legal Requirements – assurance that this centre has taken all reasonable steps to meet legal requirements.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.