Pukeroa Road, Rotorua Central, Rotorua
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.
Rotorua Hospital Early Childhood Centre is situated in the children's ward of Rotorua Hospital. It provides all day care and education for children who are hospitalised for short or long stays. Programmes are also provided in the ward for children whose health care requirements prevent them from attending the activity room. The large deck space and outdoor area provide for exploration and a variety of activities for children. The centre is licensed for 28 children up to six years of age. Numbers of children fluctuate on a daily basis. Many families are Māori and there is a growing number of those with Pacific heritage and other ethnicities in the ward.
The service is staffed by two qualified early childhood teachers, assisted by one reliever. The charge Hospital Play Specialist (HPS) also holds an additional hospital-based qualification. The service is governed by the Lakes District Health Board. Day-to-day management of the service is shared by the HPS and the clinical nurse manager.
The service’s philosophy emphasises reciprocal and respectful relationships with families and whānau that prioritises the needs of each child. The programme provides learning experiences that help to minimise the stresses and anxieties of medical treatment and hospitalisation.
The March 2016 ERO report found that leadership, internal evaluation and HPS appraisal needed strengthening. Progress has been variable.
The centre philosophy is effectively implemented and evident in practice. Relationships between centre leadership, children and whānau are respectful and responsive to the ongoing need for care and support. Ongoing communication helps to establish each child’s strengths and interests so that resources can be provided to support their learning. Useful links to home environments and routines are also established. This enables programmes to be planned that provide familiar learning experiences and reinforce children’s sense of belonging. Children are encouraged to explore medical play and make sense of their hospital experiences. Parents and whānau enjoy the opportunities to explore resources alongside their children. Communication between the centre and whānau is also supported through designated primary caregivers for each child. These caregivers provide additional support for individual children as they face the challenge of transition into the service or ongoing hospitalisation. Relationships with parents and whānau are contributing to a strong partnership in education and care.
The programme caters for the complex learning, care and medical needs of each child. Teachers plan the programme in response to each child’s strengths, preferences and need for support. The aspirations of parents and whānau are also considered when planning learning experiences. Aspects of assessment need to be further strengthened and made visible, particularly for those children hospitalised for extended periods. The integration of records that support health and education practices should also further streamline programme planning for children.
Māori children’s learning and wellbeing needs are well supported by the centre. The importance of Treaty of Waitangi partnerships is promoted through reciprocal relationships with whānau. There is a commitment to acknowledging children’s language, culture and identity through providing experiences and resources that support Māori children and whānau.
A well-defined governance and management framework identify reporting lines and roles of personnel. However, managers do not yet adequately plan for sustainability in relation to the quality of the service and teacher capability. Upto-date expectations and guidelines about service delivery need to be established and aligned with educational outcomes for children. These guidelines are necessary to support consistent understanding and implementation of practice and the legislative requirements of the service. These also need to be used by management and leadership to provide the basis for regular evaluation of practice in relation to expectations. This evaluation should enable management and leadership to more effectively identify priorities for development and provide assurance at governance level that accountabilities are being met.
Managers should seek support for leadership to help them develop:
Managers should also:
Before the review, the staff and management of Rotorua Hospital Early Childhood Centre completed an ERO Hospital-based Education and Care 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.
Darcy Te Hau
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
16 March 2020
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 |
Rotorua |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45030 |
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Licence type |
Hospital Based Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for / notional roll |
28 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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Number of hospital play specialists in the service |
2 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
August 2019 |
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Date of this report |
16 March 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2012 |
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Education Review |
June 2009 |
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ERO’s overarching question for a hospital-based service education review is ‘How well placed is this service to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing?’
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 contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Pou Ārahi– how leadership is enacted to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Mātauranga– whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Tikanga whakaako– how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity, contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness ofarotake– self review and ofwhanaungatanga– 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 have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service responds to children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to two years of age.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to the methodology for ERO reviews in Hospital-based Education and Care Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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 contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing and are 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.
Rotorua Hospital Early Childhood Centre is situated in the children's ward of Rotorua Hospital. It caters for children admitted to the ward, and for their whānau and siblings. The service is governed by the Lakes District Health Board. Day-to-day management of the service is shared by the charge hospital play specialist (HPS) and the clinical nurse manager.
The service's aim is to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing, and to support their whānau to feel a sense of welcome and belonging. The centre is licensed for 25 children up to six years of age. Numbers of children fluctuate on a daily basis. Many whānau have Māori heritage and there is a growing number of Pacific and Indian families with children in the ward.
The service is staffed by two qualified early childhood teachers, assisted by two relievers. The charge HPS also holds an additional hospital-based qualification. Some play and learning opportunities with children are undertaken at their bedside and in other parts of the hospital. This support is aimed at increasing children's wellbeing and supporting their confidence in dealing with complex medical procedures.
The HPS aim to provide play and learning experiences for children in this unfamiliar setting. The large playroom, deck space and outdoor area provide for exploration and different activities for children. There is space in the playroom for siblings and whānau.
Children respond positively to opportunities to explore and find activities in the attractive and inviting playroom. The HPS include a wide range of resources to cater for children's interests and different ages and stages of development. Frequent conversations with whānau help in deciding what children might like to play with.
Special care is taken to acknowledge those children who are admitted to hospital on a regular basis. Their artwork and references to their previous visits are kept in the playroom to provide a sense of belonging and continuity.
HPS use some te reo Māori in conversations and interactions with children. The playroom decorations and resources are beginning to reflect bicultural understanding. The placement of the playroom, looking down on the lake and the marae provides a sense of belonging and familiarity for Māori whānau and their children. The HPS have identified their intention to improve their bicultural understanding as well as strengthening their understanding of Pacific cultures and languages.
Procedures are in place for the daily recording of children's interests, and suggestions for extending their play. However, these assessment procedures are not consistently followed. Shared responsibility for assessment and more equitable contribution to professional discussions and planning would improve the HPS team's ability to evaluate and enhance their support for children.
Governance of the service is provided by senior hospital managers. The charge nurse manager, the interdisciplinary staff working with children, and the HPS form a team that is passionate about providing a high quality service for children and their families. HPS have had opportunities to build their practice through supportive professional development, coaching and regular performance appraisal.
The service is in a good position to continue developing and refining systems and practices. The service's well written and meaningful philosophy statement and vision are evident in practice. Children and their families are warmly welcomed into the ward and the playroom by the HPS and relievers. Children are comfortable and quickly develop trusting relationships with HPS.
There are good procedures in place for the ongoing development of the service. However, the service is not yet reaching its potential. It is urgent that managers continue to:
To improve current practice, the service manager should seek support to increase the rigour of performance management systems and to align HPS appraisal processes with Education Council requirements.
Before the review, the staff and management of Rotorua Hospital Early Childhood Centre 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.
The next ERO review of Rotorua Hospital Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
4 March 2016
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 |
Rotorua |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45030 |
||
|
Licence type |
Hospital Based Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
Roll numbers change daily |
||
|
Number of hospital play specialists in the service |
2 |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
4 March 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2009 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
June 2006 |
||
ERO’s overarching question for a hospital-based service education review is ‘How well placed is this service to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness ofarotake– self review and ofwhanaungatanga– 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 have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service responds to 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 the methodology for ERO reviews in Hospital-based Education and Care Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing. 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 contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing and are useful to the service.