Tamahere Playcentre

Here is the latest report for the Governing Organisation that this service is part of. 

https://ero.govt.nz/governing-organisation/te-whanau-tupu-ngatahi-o-aotearoa-playcentre-aotearoa

1 Evaluation of Tamahere Playcentre

How well placed is Tamahere Playcentre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Tamahere Playcentre is a long-established, parent-led early childhood service. It is located in an attractive country setting with well-maintained buildings and grounds adjacent to the local primary school. The centre is licensed to cater for 21 children, including 15 up to the age of two years in a mixed-age setting. At the time of the ERO review there were 25 children on the roll, and 4 who identify as Māori. These families and whānau come from a large catchment area including Matangi and southern Hamilton City suburbs.

A change in membership and leadership in 2014 was a catalyst for parents and whānau to increase their commitment to ongoing training and build the collective responsibility of members. Current leaders and members are highly collaborative, experienced and well trained. They reviewed the centre philosophy and have taken the decision to maintain 3 group-supervised sessions each week to sustain and enhance learning for children. Infants and toddlers benefit from strong and sustained attachment to their mothers and other trusted adults, which include a Supporting Parents Alongside Children's Education facilitator.

Centre members have worked effectively to address the areas for development identified in the 2012 ERO report. This has resulted in:

• a high proportion of centre members participating in advanced levels of Playcentre course work
• strategies for promoting continuity of learning across sessions for children
• clear and manageable expectations for effectively documenting children’s learning and development
• improvements to property, equipment and centre organisation that includes a strategic approach to building extensions in 2016.

The New Zealand Playcentre Federation and the Waikato Playcentre Association (WPA) continue to provide effective governance, strategic direction, management support and adult education programmes for the centre. This support and training is underpinned by the WPA philosophy Whānau tupu ngātahi - families growing together.

The Tamahere Playcentre philosophy places high value on children and whānau working and learning together.

This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Waikato Playcentre Association.

The Review Findings

Tamahere Playcentre is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children and their families and whānau.

Children and adults demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm, enjoyment and ownership as they work and play together. Children make an active contribution to setting up and preparing the learning environment alongside adults. Parents highly value the strong connecting links for children between experiences at the centre and life at home. They appreciate the caring, trusting and supportive relationships that contribute to a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing for this community of learners.

Tamariki and their whānau are affirmed in their culture. The curriculum includes aspects of Tainuitanga such as local purakau, (stories of significance to Tainui). Members foster the meaningful and contextual use of te reo Māori and tikanga practices. There is a strong emphasis on learning about Papatuanuku, (the natural world), and visits to places of significance to iwi. Sharing hangi and Matariki celebrations with other centres is building whanaungatanga and integrating traditional cultural practices into the lives of members. Older children demonstrate care and take responsibility for younger children through tuakana/teina relationships. Manaakitanga is evident for all cultures in the centre.

Some centre members and leaders whakapapa to local iwi. The kaiawhina models appropriate tikanga practices, assists with correct pronunciation of te reo Māori, and shares traditional skills such as making paraoa (bread), and poi, and raranga with harakeke (weaving with flax).

Children are confident communicators. They take leadership roles, solve problems and express their ideas and opinions. Adults are responsive and highly interested in promoting children’s capability as learners. Learning conversations are enhanced by adults’ prior knowledge of children’s experiences and interests.

Members who are from other cultures enhance learning for all children and adults. Parents speak to children in their own languages in the context of play. Centre members actively support English as second language learners. There would be benefit in seeking further information and resources to enhance this process.

Older children are developing their social skills and emergent understanding of citizenship. They are able to extend their interests, add complexity to their play, and experience challenge. Adults promote flexible routines to meet children’s needs. They encourage children to make use of equipment and resources to enhance their play.

Infants and toddlers benefit from strong and sustained attachment to their mothers and other trusted adults. There is a caring and nurturing culture for families having new babies and support for older siblings. Appropriate spaces are provided for infant care and breastfeeding mothers.

Centre members meet regularly to plan, evaluate and document children’s learning and development. Programmes are informed by children’s identified strengths and interests. The learning and development of children is highly visible in attractively presented centre displays and individual profile books. Children enjoy sharing and revisiting their learning, and celebrate their success with others in this way.

Particular strengths of the programme are:

• close links to the early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki
• fostering children’s creativity and responding to their imaginative ideas
• rich dramatic play through revisiting well-loved stories, puppetry, and role playing alongside parents as partners in play
• ready access to high quality materials and equipment in all sixteen areas of play
• trips and excursions into the local and wider community.

Centre leaders are experienced and bring a wealth of knowledge to their roles and responsibilities. There are efficient systems to ensure succession planning for new office holders and effective induction processes for new members. Centre leaders maintain close and meaningful connections to WPA and other centre leaders. They are deepening their relationship with the adjacent school through reciprocal visits. This approach is enhancing transition to school for children and their families.

Leaders model good teaching practices. They foster emergent leadership and inspire new members to persevere with ongoing adult learning and course work. Leaders have developed some manageable ways to document and display children’s learning and development. A next step is to develop and document shared understanding about what a high quality assessment portfolio for children looks like.

There is sound understanding and effective use of self review for on-going centre development and improvement and sustainability.

The WPA's strategic commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is highly evident. The principle of productive partnerships with Māori whānau underpins all WPA practices and operations, and funding is made available for related professional development. The high quality response to Ka Hikitia has resulted in clear expectations, and a systematic and sequential approach to building members’ understanding, confidence and competence in te ao Māori.

An experienced centre support worker (CSW) was recently appointed and is providing ongoing and highly valued guidance and knowledgeable support for centre leaders and members. She is also a professional development provider for the Playcentre Federation and Ministry of Education.

A long-standing kaiawhina continues to support centre members and children to develop their understanding of te ao Māori and their confidence to integrate this knowledge in the context of playcentre philosophy.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Tamahere 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Tamahere Playcentre will be in four years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

2 March 2016

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.