21 Currie Avenue, Hillsborough, Auckland
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.
Hillsborough Playcentre is a well established centre. It operates as a family cooperative and is one of 16 centres in the Auckland Playcentre Association.
Centre practices are based on the Playcentre philosophy of families learning and growing together. The centre offers three sessions per week for up to 30 children including up to 15 under the age of two. In addition, the Association operates two SPACE programmes each week at the centre, for new parents and their infants.
ERO’s 2012 report noted centre members’ commitment to working cooperatively in planning and implementing a child focused programme with an emphasis on learning through play. It also noted a commitment to a bicultural practices. Since 2012, centre members have continued to strengthen their bicultural programme and most are currently enrolled in courses to improve their Playcentre training levels.
The Association continues to provide a sound management framework and support personnel to assist centre members in managing their centres. It administers centres’ funding and provides an adult education programme for parents/whānau to achieve Playcentre qualifications.
The Association management team has a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to bicultural partnerships with whānau Māori. There is an expectation that adults and children will gain an understanding of te reo and tikanga Māori.
Playcentre Aotearoa is in the process of a national restructure. As a result, it is expected that a new regional manager and centre support personnel will be appointed towards the end of 2017.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Auckland Playcentre Association.
Children are engaged in and enthusiastic about their play. Adults value and respect their perspectives. Children form friendships and are confident to explore together in an environment that promotes whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and a sense of belonging. Play dates that support relationships outside Playcentre sessions are also encouraged and enjoyed.
Whānau are committed to the shared vision of Playcentre philosophy. They take an active role in their children’s education and the management of the centre. A strong emergent leadership model is being embedded and is well supported by the Association.
Whānau work together to ensure consensus decision making guides the programme for children. Many model desirable practice and strategies that nurture children’s social competence and behaviour. High adult-to-child ratios enable children to build trusting relationships with the wider adult group.
Centre members are committed to extending their knowledge through Playcentre training workshops, and forming strong links with the community. More experienced members continue to support newer members in various aspects of parenting and centre roles. Defined roles are held by office holders and matched to the individual interests and strengths of parents/whānau.
Well documented assessment, planning and evaluation processes are in place. Children’s learning plans are visible. Collaborative end-of-session evaluations provide continuity between sessions. They guide future planning and support adults to extend children’s interests. Children initiate open-ended, meaningful play activities and enjoy creative opportunities and exploration.
The Association’s and centre members’ commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is evident in the centre culture and in relationships between children and whānau. There are many ways that children can use te reo and begin to develop an understanding of tikanga Māori. Waiata and kapa haka feature, where children and whānau participate together with enthusiasm and purpose.
Internal evaluation is developing, with a process that is purposeful and leads to improvements. Centre members agree that they could strengthen this process and include outcomes for children in their evaluative inquiry.
An Association educator guides and supports whānau in implementing the programme. Individual assessment portfolios show children's interests and adults’ documentation of learning and development. Whānau also make good links with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They now need to embed the new models and tools that have been developed to refine planning, assessment and evaluation processes.
The Association management team takes responsibility for specific tasks relating to effective operations. The team is aware of the strengths and needs of each centre and provides strong professional leadership to sustain improvement and growth. Individualised and effective support helps each centre to continue fostering positive learning outcomes for children. The management team works collaboratively with centres as they respond to change, including the national restructure.
Key next steps for centre members are to continue to:
strengthen and embed internal evaluation systems to guide ongoing improvement
strengthen strategic planning and evaluate progress towards long term and annual goals.
To enhance practices in all Auckland centres, the new regional manager and support personnel should consider ways to support centre members to:
increase their bicultural understanding and integration of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori
improve their understanding and use of internal evaluation as a tool to guide and improve practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough Playcentre will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
17 August 2017
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 |
Hillsborough, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
22023 |
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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 |
12 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 6, Girls 6 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
8 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
June 2017 |
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Date of this report |
17 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
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Education Review |
August 2012 |
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Education Review |
May 2009 |
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Education Review |
March 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.
Hillsborough Playcentre is located in a quiet residential area of west Auckland adjacent to a park. The parent co-operative operates under the organisational umbrella of the Auckland Playcentre Association. The Association provides assistance with administration and training programmes for the centre.
Children of different ages interact well with one another and are happy, settled and engaged. Babies and toddlers move freely between play spaces. Caring and gentle dispositions are evident amongst children at the centre. Children are inclusive of each other in their play.
The inclusive whānau culture of the centre is one of its key strengths. Adults know children well and participate alongside them in their activities. Trusting relationships with families are evident. Interactions and learning are enhanced by the rich mix of cultures and generations. The warm and supportive setting helps to empower Playcentre members to contribute to centre operations.
The centre environment is well resourced. Adults make good use of the variety of resources available in the spacious indoor setting. An extensive outdoor play area with established trees and lawn encourages children’s exploration. It also has the potential to challenge children’s physical and creative abilities. Centre members recognise that further planning and review is required to realise the potential of and fully utilise this outdoor space.
Centre members support, discuss and plan activities to enhance children’s play. There is a commitment to increasing the training levels of adults at the centre. Members understand the importance of extending their knowledge of children’s developmental needs and interests.
ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.
Before the review, members of Hillsborough Playcentre were invited to consider priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by the centre to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the centre members. This discussion focused on existing information held by the centre (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atHillsborough Playcentre.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
Since the 2009 ERO report the centre has further developed its strategic and annual plans. These documents support a collective understanding of centre operations. They provide a framework for making ongoing improvements to the education provided for children.
Centre members continue to embrace the Playcentre philosophy. Members engage and support each other to undertake Playcentre education. They are proactive in investigating relevant educational theories.
Learning environment. Centre members provide an interesting and thoughtfully presented learning environment. The spacious indoor area allows children to engage in creative and imaginative play. A variety of resources are available. Well positioned indoor play areas enhance children’s opportunities for exploration and sustained play.
Settled children. Children are happy and enjoy conversations with adults. They are supportive of their peers and play cooperatively in groups. Children talk to each other as they play and interact in positive ways. Trusting relationships are evident among children.
Strategic and annual plans. Members have developed an extensive strategic plan and a detailed annual plan to support this document. They share responsibility for developing, implementing and reviewing strategic planning.
Self review. The centre has well established systems for monitoring continuous improvement through formal, planned and cyclic self review. The Association provides good support and guidance in self review. Centre members are considering ways to incorporate and record informal and spontaneous review findings and processes.
Parent education. Centre members have a respectful working relationship with the Auckland Playcentre Association. The Association provides guidance and support with ongoing development for parents and programmes. Members have incorporated educational theories and practices into the programme. They value the Association’s assistance and utilise it in sessions. Centre members have established an expectation of training levels for all members. A commitment to the Playcentre philosophy and ongoing adult education contributes to the centre’s sustainability.
During the review, ERO and centre members discussed next steps for the Playcentre. Key areas for development include:
Before the review, the staff of Hillsborough Playcentre completed an ERO CentreAssurance Statement andSelf-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 documentation, including policies, procedures and records of recent use of procedures. ERO also checked elements of the following areas that have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
In order to improve current practice centre members should develop systems to monitor the ongoing maintenance of the outdoor area.
ERO and the centre members agree that the centre should continue to strengthen child-initiated play and increase the complexity of play.
ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.
Makere Smith
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region (Acting)
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Type |
Sessional Playcentre |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to15 aged under 2 years |
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Roll number |
33 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 17 Girls 16 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā 14 Māori 2 Indian 4 Tongan 4 Fijian Indian 2 Latin American 2 Arab 1 Asian 1 Sri Lankan 1 other 2 |
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Review team on site |
June 2012 |
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Date of this report |
1 August 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review, May 2009 Education Review, March 2005 Accountability Review, November 1999 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Hillsborough Playcentre.
Hillsborough Playcentre is located in a quiet residential area of west Auckland adjacent to a park. The parent co-operative operates under the organisational umbrella of the Auckland Playcentre Association. The Association provides assistance with administration and training programmes for the centre.
Children of different ages interact well with one another and are happy, settled and engaged. Babies and toddlers move freely between play spaces. Caring and gentle dispositions are evident amongst children at the centre. Children are inclusive of each other in their play.
The inclusive whānau culture of the centre is one of its key strengths. Adults know children well and participate alongside them in their activities. Trusting relationships with families are evident. Interactions and learning are enhanced by the rich mix of cultures and generations. The warm and supportive setting helps to empower Playcentre members to contribute to centre operations.
The centre environment is well resourced. Adults make good use of the variety of resources available in the spacious indoor setting. An extensive outdoor play area with established trees and lawn encourages children’s exploration. It also has the potential to challenge children’s physical and creative abilities. Centre members recognise that further planning and review is required to realise the potential of and fully utilise this outdoor space.
Centre members support, discuss and plan activities to enhance children’s play. There is a commitment to increasing the training levels of adults at the centre. Members understand the importance of extending their knowledge of children’s developmental needs and interests.
ERO is likely to review the centre again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood centre we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management or contact person if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the centre or see the ERO website, http://www.ero.govt.nz.
Makere Smith
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region (Acting)
ERO is an independent, external evaluation agency that undertakes reviews of schools and early childhood services throughout New Zealand.
ERO follows a set of standard procedures to conduct reviews. The purpose of each review is to:
Reviews are intended to focus on outcomes for children and build on each centre’s self review.
ERO’s framework for reviewing and reporting is based on four review strands.
ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.
Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.