Lake Crescent, Takaka
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Takaka Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Takaka Playcentre is one of 78 playcentres in the Upper South Island region. It operates for two morning sessions each week and is licensed for 30 children, including up to 15 aged under two years. Almost all families are new to the service since the previous ERO review. They represent a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds. Most children attending are aged three years and under. The roll continues to grow.
At the time of the May 2015 ERO review the centre was one of 13 administered by the Nelson Playcentre Association, under the umbrella of The New Zealand Playcentre Federation Inc. In June of 2019, the 32 associations nationwide amalgamated into one new entity, a charitable trust, Playcentre Aotearoa, (the organisation). Nelson playcentres are now managed as part of a regional hub of the new organisation.
A centre support worker (CSW), employed by the organisation, regularly visits the playcentre and provides professional advice and feedback to strengthen the programme for children. A centre administrator (CA) works with members to support compliance with regulations. Day-to-day management is the role of centre-elected office holders. One paid session facilitator with recognised levels of training provides ongoing support for the implementation of the daily programme.
Playcentre philosophy recognises the importance of parents working together, alongside their children, to support their self-initiated play and promote their learning.
The May 2015 ERO report identified bicultural practice, involvement of parents in assessment, planning and evaluation, and self review as areas for improvement. In addition, the Nelson Playcentre Association had several key next steps to address.
This review is one of four in Playcentre Aotearoa, Nelson region.
A new centre philosophy has recently been developed outlining agreed values to underpin practice and operation. These valued outcomes emphasise the importance of whānau relationships and empowerment, and children's free play and exploration. These are well reflected in daily sessions. Highlighting the agreed valued outcomes for children of confidence, curiosity, resilience and independence, in planning for learning, is a next development step.
Children's learning and wellbeing are well supported. Their choices and self-expression are valued and encouraged. The daily programme is largely child led with adults providing activities to provoke interest, ideas and further investigation. Aspects of literacy and mathematics are introduced in play-based ways. Infants and toddlers are well provided for. Children display a strong sense of belonging at the centre. They are settled in their play and learning.
The learning environment is well organised and inviting. Children have access to a suitable range of equipment and resources, including an increasing variety of natural materials. The outdoor area effectively supports physically challenging and investigative opportunities. Children enjoy the experiences provided. Many persevere in their play for extended periods.
Leaders acknowledge that their approach to supporting children's transitions to primary school requires strengthening. As a next step, they should seek a more purposeful connection with local schools to improve transition practices.
Parents work collaboratively to plan an engaging programme. Aspects of children's learning and interests are recorded in individual portfolios and displayed learner maps. Links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum are identified. Members should continue to work on developing their approach to planning the programme. As next steps they should:
increase the focus on identifying and responding to parents' aspirations for their children's learning
record how they are progressing children's learning over time
increase the focus in planning and daily reflections on responding to individual children's significant learning and interests.
Members agree that the organisation's acknowledgement of the importance of bicultural partnership has yet to be adequately reflected in centre practice. There is strong commitment to strengthening their approach and some learning opportunities have been accessed. Members should continue to seek ways of building authentic practice, including building enduring links with local iwi. The development of a more bicultural approach should remain a strategic priority for the new organisation.
A strong sense of team is evident. Members are welcoming and inclusive. High levels of purposeful involvement in the running of the centre and commitment to playcentre philosophy have been achieved. Considerable work has been done to promote whaunaungatanga and a sense of belonging for families. There is a strong focus on supporting the sustainability of operation over time. New systems and ways of working are being developed. Many parents are stepping up to take on leadership roles. The group has identified the need to strengthen acknowledgement of families' cultures, languages and identities as a development step. ERO's evaluation supports this.
Nelson-based CSWs are receiving suitably targeted professional learning and development opportunities linked to regional priorities for improvement. A more constructive approach to CSW support for centres, including reporting that is more responsive to needs, is in the early stages of implementation.
An appraisal process is in place to support the development of the CSW's and session facilitator's practice. Implementation of the process should be strengthened to ensure there is sufficient rigour in goal setting, observations of practice and feedback. The CA should have the opportunity to participate in an appraisal process and targeted training opportunities.
New policy guidelines, developed by the organisation, have now been adopted at centre level. When fully implemented these should support shared understanding of Playcentre Aotearoa expectations and accountabilities.
Self review is valued. Ongoing collaborative discussion and reflection are supporting improved outcomes. Implementation of internal evaluation is being strongly supported by the organisation. Understanding and use of this more improvement-focused approach are developing amongst members.
The restructure of Playcentre operation is being carefully worked through to support a new and more sustainable future for the organisation. The regional office provides a range of valuable support including a new role designed to redistribute the management of compliance and administration. There is also improved assistance for members to implement curriculum, internal evaluation and adult education, and manage marketing and property matters. Leaders report that recent changes are already resulting in increased collaboration between centres and interest in Playcentre philosophy.
ERO and regional leaders agree that the organisation should continue to prioritise:
support for the CSW and session facilitator to promote playcentre members' understanding of programme planning and evaluation, internal evaluation, te ao Māori and implementation of a bicultural curriculum
development of CSW support and reporting
review and further development of the appraisal process for the CSWs and session facilitator.
The continuing focus on strengthening leadership, growing a sense of community, and parent participation and collaboration between playcentres should continue.
Before the review, the staff and management of Takaka 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.
ERO identified an area of non-compliance in relation to health and safety. The service provider must ensure that:
heavy furniture, fixtures and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious damage are secured.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS6
To improve current practice, the service provider should ensure:
forms for the administration of medication reflect the requirements of the licensing criteria
enrolment forms include details of children's chronic illnesses.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
17 February 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 |
Takaka |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
65108 |
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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 |
Female 15, Male 5 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2019 |
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Date of this report |
17 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
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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 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 are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Takaka Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Takaka Playcentre operates under the guidance of the Nelson Playcentre Association. The playcentre is a parent cooperative. Parents are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the programme and centre operation. A feature of Nelson Playcentres is the provision of a whānau room. These rooms are well used by parents to rest, socialise, care for very young children and participate in training.
This playcentre operates three morning sessions a week. The centre also operates a well-attended programme once a week for mothers and their babies from the greater Golden Bay region. The positive aspect of this programme is that most parents and children are likely to enrol in the daily sessions.
The centre had a number of recommendations from the April 2012 ERO report to address. Improvements have been made in all areas, including strengthening planning and evaluation, assessment, self review, transition to school and further integration of te reo and tikanga Māori into the programme.
This review was part of a cluster of 14 playcentre reviews in the Nelson Playcentre Association.
Children are busy, highly engaged and well-supported by parents in their play. Parents know all the children well and respond positively to requests from other children for support with their play.
The centre philosophy is evident in the wide range of learning experiences available, the ease of access to resources for children and the many opportunities children have to create their own play. Strong links to the community are evident in the quality of the resources that have been donated to support children’s learning.
There is a useful planning and evaluation process in place that includes the daily observations by supervisors and adults. Child assessments record children’s progress and in some instances identify strong links to what is happening at home through the parents’ responses.
A number of children come from different cultural backgrounds. The adults recognise the importance of children maintaining their cultural identity and work with families to ensure home cultures are valued and recognised within the centre.
Transition to school is well supported by the strong relationships that have been developed between the centre and the local schools.
The parent cooperative works well to support children and their families. Parents' strengths and skills are well used to provide children with a good range of learning experiences.
The association, supervisors and parents identified, and ERO agrees that the next key steps to improving learning outcomes for children include:
The playcentres, with support from the association are increasing their interest in te reo and tikanga Māori, and getting to know Māori parents and their aspirations better. The re-establishment of Te Rōpū, a special group for Māori parents, is beginning to grow Māori parents’ confidence and pride in being Māori.
Playcentre environments are inviting, attractively presented, well resourced and spacious. Good use is made of self review to ensure the wide range of equipment and resources are regularly updated and build children’s creativity, confidence and resourcefulness. Centres often have a strong focus on literacy, mathematics and science.
Families are valued and provided with considerable support in their parenting role. Parent-education courses are held during playcentre sessions and the majority of parents attend. A high percentage of parents are progressing quickly through the education courses.
Children and parents are well supported by experienced and long-serving supervision team members, who have also been or still are playcentre parents. Supervision team members provide considerable support to parents to understand and put into practice:
Individual centres are well supported by the association executive and the liaison officers who have a good knowledge of children’s wellbeing and learning, and playcentre operation. They are committed to making playcentres work well for families.
The association and centres have a good range of policies and procedures to guide the day-to-day operation of individual playcentres. The liaison officers use their extensive knowledge of playcentre to ensure the centres provide high standards of health and safety, are well maintained and activities are well presented and interesting for children.
There continues to be significant change occurring in the structure of governance and management at association and federation levels.
The association executive and ERO agree that the key next steps for the association to continue to provide positive outcomes for all children include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Takaka 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.
The next ERO review of Takaka Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern
11 May 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 |
Takaka, Tasman |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
65108 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
29 children, including up to 15 aged under two |
||
|
Service roll |
50 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 25; Boys 25 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnicities |
5 34 11 |
|
|
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 |
March 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
April 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2005 |
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.