17 Domain Road, Mangere Bridge, 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.
Mangere Bridge Playcentre is a well established service with a large park-like outside area, at the foot of Mangere Mountain (Te Pano o Mataho). 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 four sessions per week for up to 25 children including up to 15 under the age of two. In addition, the Association operates one SPACE programme each week at the centre, for new parents and their infants.
Since the 2013 ERO report centre membership has changed and Playcentre training levels have increased. Centre members have continued to review and strengthen planning and evaluation. New roles have been introduced including a Transition to School officer to support whānau in this process. There have also been property developments such as the installation of Autex throughout the centre. An online tool has been introduced to document children's learning and support communication with whānau.
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 confident and competent learners. They are creative, curious and eager to learn. Adults provide extra resources, support and affirmation to foster sustained play. Children play cooperatively with their peers and are inclusive of younger children. They happily participate in and sometimes lead group activities. They are developing independence, positive attitudes to learning and an understanding of the world around them. Children and adults have fun as they learn through meaningful play.
Parents/whānau provide a play-based programme that enacts Playcentre philosophy. They value child-initiated play and ensure the programme is responsive to children’s interests. They are aware of children's preferences and cater well for the mixed-age group. They provide a wide range of learning experiences in a very well resourced environment that promotes investigation, innovation and hands-on learning. Children have very good opportunities to engage in imaginative play, learn about the natural world and experience physical challenge in the spacious outdoor area.
Centre members have developed very good planning systems to guide the programme and show continuity of learning. Assessment information shows children's active engagement in play and group experiences. Planning reflects Playcentre philosophy, theories of learning and links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children contribute to session planning. Children’s individual assessment portfolios are a rich record of each child's learning journey. A variety of adults contribute to these records, which are used to revisit children’s learning and development.
Respectful, responsive relationships between families foster a sense of community and shared purpose. Centre members affirm and share the strengths of children and their whānau. Home languages are valued, and used in play and conversations. Centre members ensure that the youngest children are well provided for at the centre. They encourage toddlers to explore, make choices and try out new activities. Infants are confident and trusting with adults and are included well in the programme.
Centre members' enthusiasm for Playcentre training reflects their commitment to taking an active role in their children’s education. They welcome new families and are highly supportive of each other in the education and care of the children attending. All parents/whānau are encouraged to be involved and all contributions are valued. Experienced centre members and association personnel share their knowledge with new members and encourage emergent leadership.
The Association's commitment to bicultural practices is evident in centre practices and welcoming processes. Centre members are keen to continue strengthening their knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori. They are also aware of the need to strengthen evaluation practices.
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.
Next steps for the centre members are to strengthen:
their knowledge of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori
support for children's transition to school
internal evaluation systems to guide ongoing improvement, including regular policy review.
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 Mangere Bridge 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 Mangere Bridge 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 |
Mangere, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25220 |
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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 |
33 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 20, Boys 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
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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 |
June 2017 |
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Date of this report |
17 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
July 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 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:
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
Mangere Bridge Playcentre is a well established centre which operates as a parent-led cooperative and is part of the Auckland Playcentre Association. The centre opens for three half days a week. The children may attend one session per week without their parent or caregiver, as they prepare to transition to school.
The centre has a strong history of positive ERO reviews. This report affirms that good practices have been maintained. Centre members focus on improvement and have worked diligently to ensure that areas for improvement and progress in the last ERO report were addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.
The Playcentre philosophy of parents as first teachers is clearly evident. Centre members work together to ensure the Association’s and the centre’s vision and strategic goals are met. A "buddy" system is used as a way of giving support to new members by those who are more experienced.
Children know other children and adults well and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They are increasingly self-directed and capable learners. There is some good modelling of parents/whānau engaging with children in play and in conversations that extend children’s thinking.
Tuakana/teina relationships between older children and younger children are a key feature. Infants and toddlers are well cared for. Their care is shared by kind and sensitive adults. Centre members work well together to set up interesting learning environments that support children’s play and learning. Resources are accessible to children and their achievement and milestones are celebrated by all parents/whānau.
Good quality processes for programme planning and assessment are in place to help provide a responsive programme for children. Centre members use a variety of communication methods to inform each other of upcoming events and to plan for children’s learning programmes. Māori and Pacific children have a strong sense of identity. Bicultural practices are genuine. All cultures are respectfully recognised and celebrated in the programme
Good quality interactions and rich dialogue support language acquisition for all children. Adults are consistent in their approach to promoting and providing strategies to support the development of children’s interpersonal skills, particularly in relation to conflict resolution. Adults take shared responsibility for supporting children’s learning.
The centre is well managed by centre members. The Association has good systems in place to support members in implementing and promoting Playcentre values and beliefs as well as centre and Association strategic directions. Strong respectful leadership is valued and is embedded in practice. Good quality practices build centre members’ capacity and shared understandings and help ensure the sustainability of good practices in the centre.
ERO and centre members agree that key next steps for further improving centre performance are:
Before the review, the staff and management of Mangere Bridge 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 Mangere Bridge Playcentre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
17 July 2013
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 |
Mangere, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25220 |
||
|
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 |
19 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 17 Girls 4 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan Sri Lankan Tongan |
4 10 2 2 1 |
|
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:2 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
May 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
17 July 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2007 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2004 |
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.