15 Ashridge Road, Marewa, Napier
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Ashridge Road Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ashridge Road Playcentre is located in Napier and operates under the umbrella of Playcentre Aotearoa. The service is licensed to provide mixed-age sessional education and care for 25 children, five days a week. This includes 15 children up to the age of two.
Since the November 2016 ERO report, the New Zealand Playcentre Federation has restructured by amalgamating all associations to form Playcentre Aotearoa. Ashridge Road Playcentre is part of the Lower North Island regional hub, supported by a regional manager and support persons.
Centre support workers and centre administrators employed by Playcentre Aotearoa regularly visit playcentres. Their role is to provide professional advice and feedback to strengthen practice and promote improvement. Responsibility for day-to-day operation is undertaken by centre-elected office holders. Centre members share the duties associated with implementing the programme.
The previous ERO report for Ashridge Road Playcentre identified that development of internal evaluation practice and assessment, planning and evaluation was needed. Centre members continue to develop these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in Playcentre Aotearoa, Lower North Island.
The Playcentre Aotearoa philosophy of 'whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together' guides centre practices. Centre members have identified the need to review their service's philosophy statement to incorporate their shared beliefs, values and desired outcomes for children.
Children are empowered to make choices about their learning. Centre members actively participate alongside children, encouraging sustained exploration and play. They genuinely listen to children and foster oral language development. Literacy and mathematical learning and science exploration are promoted and thoughtfully integrated into the programme.
Children experience a learning environment that is well prepared. The facilitated session offers further extension and opportunities for children to develop working theories. Children benefit from positive and meaningful learning interactions alongside their parents and other supportive adults.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are integrated into the daily programme. Centre members continue to develop their knowledge of culturally responsive practices. Learners from other ethnicities are included in all aspects of the programme. Children's first languages are celebrated and are visible in the environment and in learning documentation.
Well-considered, responsive and individualised transition processes foster children's wellbeing and confidence. There is a thoughtful approach to supporting children with additional needs to achieve their individual goals.
Children up to the age of two years enjoy a calm and responsive learning space. Parents maintain a relaxed and caring pace in which infants have space and time to lead their early learning. Young children benefit from tuakana teina relationships as they participate with older children in a mixed-age setting.
Parent education courses are valued and many parents are working towards Playcentre Aotearoa recognised qualifications. This has a positive impact on the quality of the sessions. There is a deliberate commitment to internal evaluation. Centre members have refined and developed assessment and planning processes to better the continuity of learning. These include wall displays that show children’s current interests and ways adults can provide resources and activities to promote these.
Playcentre Aotearoa are reviewing their strategic plan. The 2014 to 2019 plan identifies useful priorities and goals towards achieving the playcentre vision. Further consideration by centre members is needed to develop useful objectives and success criteria for Ashridge Road Playcentre that align to the service's annual plan. Playcentre Aotearoa and members should continue to use internal evaluation to identify how well their practices improve outcomes for children.
The centre support worker provides written reports that generally affirm environmental developments and programme practices. These records are beginning to focus on outcomes for children and next steps for centre members to improve teaching and learning. Reports should focus on providing centre members with evaluative feedback that assists them to sustain and further enhance the good practice.
Appraisal for the centre support workers, centre administrators and session facilitators requires improving. Further attention should be given to developing deliberate strategies for working towards educators' inquiry goals and making links to relevant professional learning and development. Supporting staff to strengthen their knowledge of high-quality practice should be a key next step.
Playcentre Aotearoa should further support centre members to:
align the centre's annual plan and objectives with the Playcentre Aotearoa strategic plan to strengthen internal evaluation and improve outcomes for children.
Playcentre Aotearoa should:
improve appraisal processes for the centre support workers, centre administrators and session facilitators to enhance their professional growth.
continue to support leaders to build centre members understanding of effective internal evaluation through ongoing mentoring that helps them to measure the impact of practices on children’s learning.
ERO's evaluation shows that increased oversight and guidance from the organisation is needed to progress the playcentres' areas for development and to better meet legislative requirements.
Before the review, the staff and management of Ashridge Road 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
13 September 2019
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 |
Napier |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
55057 |
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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 |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
30 |
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Gender composition |
Male 18, Female 12 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
0-49% |
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Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2019 |
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Date of this report |
13 September 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2016 |
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|
Education Review |
January 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ashridge Road Playcentre is located in Napier. The centre is open for four morning sessions a week. One session per week is specifically for children over the age of three years. The centre is licensed for 25 children, including 15 children up to two years of age. Parents stay with their children.
The centre is managed as a parent cooperative with support from experienced personnel from the Hawkes Bay Playcentre Association (the association).
Members support each other and learn together. All parents have, or are working towards a playcentre qualification. Some members have a long association with the centre and continue to support it.
The association has addressed the areas for development identified in the November 2013 ERO report. It has defined the roles and responsibilities of the executive committee to provide better support for individual playcentres. Procedures for the employment of paid staff have been developed and implemented. These include police vetting and appraisal.
This review was part of a cluster of seven in the Hawkes Bay Playcentre Association.
The centre philosophy emphasises the importance of empowering whānau to learn and grow alongside each other and for tamariki to grow into strong, confident learners through their self‑initiated play. These aspirations are is highly evident in practice.
A sense of belonging for children and parents is strongly evident. Children actively engage in a range of learning activities linked to their interests and strengths.
The well-resourced environment provides children with choices, allows them to explore, investigate and engage in creative and physical play. Literacy, mathematics and science are well integrated into activities. Excursions into the community, and to other playcentres, provide further learning opportunities.
Routines are responsive to the needs of individual children. They provide social and learning opportunities for children and adults.
The curriculum is underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the service philosophy. It is responsive to individual children's interests, strengths, needs, and ages and stages of development.
Members have established a comprehensive system and process for documenting and making visible, children's learning. This supports continuity of planning from one session to another.
Experienced member's model and support new parents to write learning stories. The centre has identified that continuing to build understanding and capability to assess children's learning is a priority. ERO agrees.
Profile books are attractive. They reflect and celebrate children's learning, development and engagement in centre activities.
The centre has developed strong reciprocal relationships with the local school. Participation in the session for older children encourages independence and contributes to a seamless transition for children from playcentre to school.
Members with young children are well supported to attend to the needs of their infants in the caring and nurturing environment. They access a good range of age-appropriate resources to support their children's learning and development.
Positive relationships and respectful practices support parents of children with additional learning needs to participate in the programme and learn alongside other children.
A commitment to implementing bicultural practices is evident. Te ao Maori is reflected in the environment, resources and centre operations. Puriri Whakamaru o Heretaunga is an association initiative which provides support to Māori whānau attending playcentre and guidance to individual playcentres to strengthen their understanding of te ao Māori.
Emergent leadership is fostered. The collaborative approach to managing the centre values parents' knowledge and skills. Support for undertaking roles within the playcentre is well considered.
A framework for the appraisal of paid team members has been developed. The association continues to support the playcentre with its implementation.
Members are focused on improving outcomes for children and adults attending the centre. They have strengthened their knowledge and understanding of self review to support this. A well‑established process is in place.
Members acknowledge the need to continue to build internal evaluation to build capacity and capability to support continuous improvement and sustainability and measure the impact of their practices on children's learning.
The association has put in place sound systems and processes to provide ongoing centre support until the national restructure of playcentre has been completed.
Members and ERO have agreed that there is a need to continue to build capacity and capability in:
Before the review, the staff and management of Ashridge Road 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.
When is ERO likely to review the service again?
The next ERO review of Ashridge Road Playcentre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
17 November 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 |
Napier |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
55057 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
19 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 10, Girls 9 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
16 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1.2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1.3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
September 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
17 November 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
August 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2007 |
||
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.