254a Kimbolton Road, Feilding
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.
Feilding Playcentre is one of 19 administered by the Central Districts Playcentre Association (the association). The centre is licensed to provide sessional education and care for 30 children, two sessions a week, in a mixed-aged setting. This includes provision for 20 children up to the age of two. At the time of this review there were 84 children enrolled and 16 identify as Māori.
The New Zealand Playcentre Federation of which Central Districts Association is part, is undergoing a significant restructure that includes amalgamating associations. Playcentres will become part of a regional hub, supported by a regional manager and others.
The federation philosophy, 'whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together', is to empower parents and children to learn, play and grow together. Alongside this, the centre philosophy fosters an emergent, child-led curriculum.
Whānau and families are valued as the primary educators of their children. Curriculum planning and implementation is a shared responsibility. Each session is supported by a team of parent educators who hold Playcentre training certificates.
Centre support people visit playcentres to provide professional advice and support, and to strengthen practice and promote improvement. Responsibility for day-to-day operation is undertaken by centre-elected office holders.
The February 2015 ERO report of Feilding Playcentre identified areas for development for the association and the playcentre. These included: assessment, planning and evaluation practices; effective support from management; internal evaluation; reviewing the centre philosophy; and implementing te ao Māori through the curriculum. Limited progress in addressing these areas is evident.
The review was part of a cluster of 11 reviews in the Central Districts Playcentre Association.
Children show confidence and actively engage in activities in the well-resourced, play-based programme. They have time and space to lead their own learning. Members know children well. Infants and toddlers are appropriately supported to explore and make discoveries. Adults' practice is responsive to their preferences and interests.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are evident in the environment and through rituals. Members recognise the need to strengthen bi-cultural practice. They acknowledge that developing their understanding of te ao Māori to better support Māori learners is a next step. ERO's external evaluation confirms this development.
Regular portfolio entries document children's participation in the programme. These include relevant information about their engagement with creative arts, mathematics, literacy and science experiences. Some progression of children's learning is recognised. More consistently showing children's learning over time is a next step.
The daily session template provides useful prompts to guide the documentation of planning and evaluation. Activities provided are based on children's current interests. Adults should more clearly document the significant learning that is happening, and evaluate how effectively they support and extend children's learning.
Transition to school is supported through providing useful information about local schools and a leaving ceremony. There is a well-established, reciprocal relationship with the local school.
The centre is inclusive of children with additional needs. Established relationships and access to agencies is available, if support is required.
Planned internal evaluation is in the early stages of development. Spontaneous review occurs with positive changes made to improve the environment. A key next step is for the association to provide guidance and support to members to develop their internal evaluation capability and understanding to: inform decision-making; improve the quality of practice; and promote positive learning outcomes for all children. The centre philosophy requires review. This was a key next step from the 2015 ERO evaluation and has yet to be actioned.
Priorities and objectives are incorporated in the centre's strategic and annual planning. The association has a useful appraisal process. This is yet to be suitably implemented at centre level. As new policies and systems are implemented there is a need to communicate why these are relevant and how these are to be incorporated into practice at centre level. Support and guidance for session facilitators and members needs to be strengthened. The association needs to improve its monitoring to raise the quality and consistency of support provided to the playcentre.
At playcentre level, priorities are to:
review the centre philosophy
further develop understanding and use of effective internal evaluation
fully implement all aspects of assessment, planning and evaluation
promote educational success for Māori.
At the association/federation level, priorities are to continue to strengthen:
centre support that is consistently effective in identifying and responding to playcentre needs
implement meaningful appraisal for employees
understanding and implementation of effective internal evaluation
members' understanding of assessment, planning and evaluation practice.
ERO recommends that the new regional team actively monitor and evaluate the quality of support provided to playcentres.
The service, with association support, will provide ERO with an action plan that shows how the priorities for improvement will be addressed. ERO will request progress updates.
Before the review, the staff and management of Feilding 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 Feilding Playcentre will be in three years.
Patricia Davey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region
9 May 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.
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Location |
Feilding |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
52009 |
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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 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
84 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 44, Girls 40 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
16 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2018 |
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Date of this report |
9 May 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2005 |
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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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Feilding Playcentre is one of 19 administered by the Central Districts Playcentre Association (the association). This review is one of ten undertaken by ERO in the association’s playcentres during Term 4, 2014.
The centre is open for five mornings per week and caters for children from birth to six years of age. One session is planned specifically for children aged up-to-two years. Responsibility for day-to-day operations is undertaken by centre-elected office holders. Two paid team leaders support parents and whānau to develop and implement the daily programme. Professional advice and feedback to strengthen members’ practice is provided by a liaison officer employed by the association.
At Feilding Playcentre there is a regular turnover of members due to families’ employment at RNZAF Base Ohakea and in the dairy industry. Continued effort is put into recruiting new members and maintaining qualification levels to ensure operational requirements can be met. At the time of this review, most centre parents are involved in Playcentre training. A high proportion of children are aged under 3 years. Recent success in obtaining financial grants has contributed to improvement of the outdoor environment and resourcing.
Playcentres' philosophy statement, 'whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together’, encapsulates the value this organisation places on families and whānau working collectively to support children’s learning.
The New Zealand Playcentre Federation is currently reviewing the organisational structure of Playcentre across New Zealand. The outcomes of this review may result in changes to operation at centre level.
The team leaders work effectively to engage children’s interest and support their involvement in activities. High ratios of adults promote opportunities for one-to-one interactions. Increasing members’ use of specific strategies that support learning through play, should strengthen the reflection of Playcentre philosophy in the programme.
Adults view children as competent and capable of leading their own learning. Experiences are planned that effectively support children’s self management, independence and creative self expression. Children are confident, cooperative and friendly.
The playcentre environment provides good support for development of a variety of learning experiences for children. A wide range of well-organised resources are freely available for them to access and investigate. The outdoor area continues to be improved to support physically active play and adventure. Further developing displays to enable children to see their work and reflect on their achievements would be an appropriate development step.
Centre practices are inclusive and suitably supportive of families with diverse needs, backgrounds and aspirations. There is good knowledge of local agencies and strategies that promote participation of children with special needs. Team leaders express commitment to learning more about other cultures and ethnic groups to support programme development.
Infants and toddlers are valued participants in daily sessions, learning alongside older children. They are comfortable and well cared for in the mixed-age session. A suitable range of materials and activities supports their participation and interests.
The playcentre has identified a strategic focus to improve adults’ and children’s knowledge and use of Māori language and protocols in the centre. The association should give priority to supporting members to define their understanding of success for Māori as Māori.
Members’ welcome the adjacent primary school’s initiatives to involve the centre in aspects of school life. Regular visits are supporting children’s knowledge of school and how it works. As a development step, members should seek to understand the links between early childhood and primary school programmes to inform their approach to supporting children’s transition from the playcentre.
Children’s developing interests are regularly discussed and noted. Term meetings provide formal opportunities for parents to share their aspirations for their children. Individual portfolios record some special learning moments linked to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Increased participation of parents in assessment and planning for learning is encouraged. A stronger focus on identifying and supporting individual children’s significant learning and progress should strengthen the quality of programme.
Strong and committed leadership by a core group of members and the team leaders is supporting good practice and positive of outcomes for children. Mutual support and an emphasis on relationship building foster parents’ confidence and willingness to become involved. There is a need to review operational procedures and policies at centre level to ensure documentation is up to date and reflects agreed ways of working. More regular review of the philosophy should also be useful given the high turnover of parents. Promoting awareness of Playcentre in the local community should help to build the roll.
Members’ understanding and collective participation in self review is developing and resulting in positive changes to outcomes for children. Good leadership for self review is evident. Developing collective understanding of the newly developed evaluative framework for long-term review, and knowledge of best practice, should strengthen members’ approach to promoting improvement.
Useful support is provided by the association. This includes written guidelines and systems for managing finance and legislative obligations. Work is being completed to improve employment practices. Regular visits from the liaison officer assist members in their management and teaching roles. A review of the liaison officer role is being undertaken to support an improved approach.
The appraisal process, particularly for those employed as team leaders and liaison officers, needs further development. The provision of ongoing professional, constructive feedback based on observations of practice, and linked to identified needs and goals, should add rigour.
At association level, the priorities are the further development of:
At centre level, the priorities are:
Before the review, the staff and management of Feilding 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.
To improve current practice, the service provider should ensure that children cannot access equipment that is sited on non-compliant impact surfacing.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance.
The service provider must ensure:
The next ERO review of Feilding Playcentre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
24 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 |
Feilding |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
52009 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
37 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 22, Girls 15 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā |
7 30 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
24 February 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2005 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
August 2001 |
||
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.