Landing Road, Kerikeri
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.
Kerikeri Playcentre continues to provide high quality early childhood learning opportunities. The centre's strengths identified in ERO's 2015 review have been sustained, and improvements have been ongoing as a result of effective internal evaluation. A strong commitment to the Playcentre philosophy of learning through play continues to support positive outcomes for children.
The Playcentre is governed and managed cooperatively by centre members, who support each other in their parenting and educator roles. The centre offers four sessions per week for up to 30 children, including 15 under two years of age. Members provide three mixed-age parent-led sessions, plus an extended session with a paid supervisor and parent helpers, for older children.
Kerikeri Playcentre is a popular early childhood learning choice for families in the local community. While roll numbers can vary from year to year, the sessions are very well organised and well attended. Parents contribute to the efficient operation of the Playcentre with many attending the regularly scheduled cooperative planning and management meetings.
The centre is part of the newly established Northern North Island Playcentre Region. Regional systems support centre members to manage their centres and to provide educational programmes for their children. Playcentre personnel also provide training programmes for parents/whānau to achieve Playcentre qualifications.
This review was part of a cluster of nine Playcentre reviews in the Northern North Island Playcentre Region
Children of all ages enjoy the well-established facilities, surrounded by mature trees, gardens and fruiting plants. Infants, toddlers and older children share the spacious indoor and outdoor play areas that are attractively set out and feature natural materials. Children's learning is resourced to enrich their play and to build their confidence and independence.
Centre members regularly evaluate and extend areas of play to support more complex and sustained levels of engagement. Children are encouraged to explore and be curious. Science and art resources complement imaginative, creative and physical play. Child-led learning is highly evident in the ways that parents and children of all ages, engage and utilise the facilities.
Respectful, child-centred interactions inform all aspects of the learning programme. Infants have areas for sleeping, and benefit from the family-like environment. Meaningful conversations with adults strengthen children's oral language and communication skills. Older children have opportunities to make decisions about centres of interest and move equipment to make their learning more challenging.
Communication and self-review have been enhanced with the use of a daily evaluation book and visual records of session activities. Wall displays and information about learning provide useful guidelines for parents to support children's development. The use of social networks assists in keeping parents informed and involved. Systematic record keeping and documentation enable centre improvements to be shared and sustained.
The centre welcomes new members and provides excellent ongoing support for families. More experienced and trained members develop and share examples of good practice in learning and assessment. Children's learning portfolios provide a record of their individual progress and development, together with centre activities and events.
Members have a positive approach to sharing playcentre roles and responsibilities. Leadership is nurtured and encouraged through the parent cooperative, which meets regularly to plan and review all aspects of centre operations. Session evaluation practices build the capability of all members to continually reflect on, and strengthen the centre's child-led learning approaches.
Regional leaders have a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They are building links with local kaumātua that promote bicultural partnerships. Whānau Māori are invited to join Te Roopu Whakaaro Kotahi. The inclusion of te reo and tikanga Māori is an integral part of centre practices that affirm Māori children’s cultural identity.
Kerikeri Playcentre members have focused on strengthening bicultural practices. Their session routines and practices consistently support tikanga and te reo Māori. These developments have enhanced outcomes for all children, and increased the sense of belonging for tangata whenua. Members organise purposeful trips out of the centre to extend children's sense of context, history and location.
The regional structure is replacing individual Playcentre Associations. Newly appointed regional personnel are making good progress building on existing systems and establishing effective regional management structures for supporting centres. Centre support workers are guided by regional centre support coordinators. Systems are being developed for monitoring the quality of programmes for children, adult education levels, and health and safety requirements.
Playcentre members agree with ERO that future priorities for internal evaluation could focus on:
revisiting the centre philosophy, in relation to the revised Early Childhood Education (ECE) curriculum, Te Whariki (2017)
using children's dispositional learning outcomes and progress as criteria for planning, assessment and evaluation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kerikeri 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 Kerikeri Playcentre will be in four years.
Julie Foley
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
11 May 2018
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 |
Kerikeri |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
16248 |
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|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
59 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 33 Boys 26 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
N/A |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2018 |
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Date of this report |
11 May 2018 |
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|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2012 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2009 |
||
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kerikeri Playcentre operates four parent-led, morning sessions per week. It is licensed for 30 children, including up to 15 under two years of age. Children of all ages play together throughout the centre with shared access to all indoor and outdoor play spaces.
The playcentre is part of the Mid Northland Playcentre Association which provides parent education programmes and an administration framework to guide the operation of the centre.
The Playcentre philosophy of parents as the first and best educators of their children guides centre members. All members contribute to the running of the centre and play alongside children to support their learning and development.
The 2012 ERO report highlighted the playcentre’s areas of strengths as leadership and management, children’s strong sense of wellbeing, and programme planning and evaluation. These strengths have been maintained. Areas for development were the review of centre routines, the engagement of some groups of children and the promotion of literacy learning. Centre members have responded very positively to these recommendations.
Children display a strong sense of belonging and ownership in the centre. The spacious, well resourced layout offers a wide range of play areas for children to settle into. Opportunities exist for them to form mixed-age relationships while being cared for by responsive adults.
Children are confident communicators. High adult to child ratios provide numerous opportunities for children to engage adults in conversations. In order to make the most of these opportunities, adults should now consider how they could extend children’s thinking and bring more complexity to children’s play through skilful questioning.
Adults plan and initiate a programme that caters for all age groups. Programme plans are informed by observation of children’s interests, discussion and evaluation. Children’s portfolios are individual and contain useful information about what they are learning. Adults are assigned a small number of children for whom they need to complete learning stories, which invites different perspectives on each child’s learning.
The Playcentre philosophy is very evident in practice and well promoted amongst centre members. Inclusive practices have allowed families from overseas on short term work contracts, and even extended holiday, to participate in the programme. This has added to the cultural diversity of the centre.
Waiata and te reo Māori are being incorporated into each session and significant cultural events are celebrated. The association’s Te Waewaekoukou representative supports centre members to liaise with Māori families. Centre leaders have identified a need to evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies and initiatives in ensuring the success of their Māori children. They have recognised the need to strengthen bi-cultural practices.
Two years of extensive professional development (PD) in self review has resulted in a comprehensive process being established. Centre leaders are confident and capable to continue this process independently. Significant and strategic reviews conducted during this PD have resulted in positive outcomes for children.
Current playcentre office holders provide consistency and foster sustainable leadership. They encourage and support fellow members to complete training levels. Strong leadership has allowed the centre to survive the rise and fall of roll numbers over recent years. Support networks are being established and good use made of external facilitators.
The Mid Northland Playcentre Association provides policies and procedures that guide centre practices. Review of these documents occurs at centre level. Stronger support from the association and clarification of responsibilities within the policy framework, would better guide centre practice. Strategic planning processes could be strengthened by clearly defining long term goals and short term actions.
Discussions between centre members and ERO on the topic of privacy and confidentiality revealed that there is no privacy officer appointed at centre level. Members were unsure whether the association has someone in this role. It is ERO’s suggestion that an appointment be made and relevant training offered in order to ensure continued privacy and confidentiality of information.
Centre members agree that to enhance outcomes for children they could:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kerikeri 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 centre is aware of the need to Police vet all employees.
The next ERO review of Kerikeri Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
1 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 |
Kerikeri |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
16248 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
43 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 20 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indonesian other |
5 35 2 1 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
March 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
1 May 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
November 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:
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.