923 Whirinaki Valley Road, RD 1, Ngakuru, Rotorua
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Ngakuru Playcentre is a parent-led service that provides education and care for children from birth to school age in a mixed-age setting. It is located adjacent to Ngakuru school in the rural community of Ngakuru, south of Rotorua. The centre is licensed to provide two funded, group-supervised sessions each week for 26 children, including 16 up to two years of age. At the time of this ERO review there were 21 children, including five of Māori descent, and a number of children from other nationalities.
During 2018 playcentres are transitioning from operating as The New Zealand Playcentre Federation (NZPF) with 32 regional associations to a national organisation with six offices. In the central North Island eight associations have merged into a regional hub, renamed Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region (PACNIR). This region includes 95 playcentres spread over a large geographic area. During the organisation transition there is some overlap between the previous Rotorua association systems and new national approaches. At the time of this ERO review there is some uncertainty as new processes become established.
The new governance management structure consists of a regional manager and a centre support coordinator whose role is to access administrative and management support for the playcentre. A centre administrator has recently been appointed. A national professional learning and development team is in the early stages of planning for additional learning support to build members’ capability as first teachers of their children.
Centre members take shared responsibility for centre leadership, supported by experienced parents with appropriate playcentre qualifications. They embrace the NZPF philosophy and aim to provide children with opportunities to initiate their play alongside their parents as first teachers.
Ngakuru Playcentre has a positive ERO reporting history. The 2015 ERO report identified the need to strengthen self review, strategic and termly planning with the inclusion of assessment and planning. Centre members have made recent progress with these areas. There have been significant improvements to the building, and the addition of new resources.
There is a need for ongoing support from the PACNIR to strengthen parents' knowledge and understanding of effectively managing systems and processes.
This review was part of a cluster of four playcentre reviews in the Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region.
The curriculum is well designed to promote child-led learning and play. Parents prepare and present the indoor and outdoor environment with good quality and plentiful equipment in 16 areas of play. These are readily accessible for children to make choices, explore and experiment with in their play and learning.
The mixed-age setting enables older children to take leadership roles and younger children to learn from watching and playing alongside them. Children demonstrate high levels of social skills and have meaningful friendships with children from diverse cultures and age groups.
Transitions are well planned and managed at children’s own pace. This is particularly effective when new families join and when children move on to school. Routines are flexible to respond to individual children’s needs and enable them to persist in their play for sustained periods of time. Children’s early literacy and mathematical skills are developing and they make use of their knowledge in the context of their play and learning. Children demonstrate high levels of wellbeing and belonging.
Assessment and planning is well managed. Each child has individual plans that include documenting their interests, parent aspirations and learning stories. Parents maintain attractive individual portfolios for children that show their participation in the programme over time. Children from the Pacific Islands and other nationalities benefit from learning alongside their parents in the context of their own culture and language. Consideration should be given to ways to make their language, culture and identity more evident in individual portfolios. It is important for children to have frequent and ready access to these portfolios so they can revisit their learning and share their successes. Centre displays provide information to support continuity of learning across the sessions. A recent parent survey has resulted in an effective and collective termly planning system for children based on broad themes of interest.
Māori children and their whānau benefit from adults who respect their cultural values. Some adults are confident to use te reo in meaningful contexts. Aspects of tikanga are integrated into the life of the centre. A local matua provides ongoing support for centre members and children in building their understanding of te ao Māori.
Children up to two years of age are cared for by their parents. They demonstrate high levels of contentment and are included in all aspects of the playcentre sessions. Breastfeeding mothers have comfortable spaces, appropriate equipment to care for their children and the support of the collective group. Nurturing and responsive care supports these children to feel secure in an interesting and vibrant environment.
Adults have established a strong ethic of cooperative care for each other and children. They consistently:
Children’s positive and respectful behaviour reflects the good models provided by adults in a highly cooperative setting.
Leaders work collaboratively to enact the philosophy of building parents' capability as first teachers of their children. They model best practice and actively foster the emergent leadership of centre members. Participation in the Rotorua playcentre cluster is providing a wider support network for members. Regular meetings are held to make collective decisions about centre operations. Aspects of self review, both formal and informal, support the centre to achieve ongoing development and improvement. Effective leadership contributes to the ongoing provision of a well-established and sustainable early childhood service in the community.
The centre would benefit from more effective support from PACNIR during a time of transition. NZPF is in the process of updating existing policies to meet legislative requirements. NZPF strategic and annual plans are yet to consistently guide regional and centre direction. A particular strength of NZPF is the two-house model initiative for governance. Te Whare Tikanga Māori promotes self-determination for Māori members through regular hui and targeted funding and enacts the partnership aspect of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
ERO has identified the need for PACNIR management to develop a strategic approach to implementing professional development for centres in relation to the revised Te Whāriki.
Playcentre members' next steps for ongoing development are to:
ERO recommends that NZPF and PACNIR give urgent priority to developing robust systems for:
Before the review, the staff and management of Ngakuru 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.
ERO identified an area of non-compliance related to health and safety.
The next ERO review of Ngakuru Playcentre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
16 August 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.
| Location | Ngakuru, south of Rotorua | |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 40084 | |
| Licence type | Playcentre | |
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | |
| Number licensed for | 26 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 | |
| Service roll | 21 | |
| Gender composition | Girls 12 Boys 9 | |
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Other | 5 9 7 |
| Review team on site | June 2018 | |
| Date of this report | 16 August 2018 | |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | February 2015 |
| Education Review | September 2011 | |
| Education Review | October 2008 | |
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.
Ngakuru Playcentre is located in the rural community of Ngakuru, near Rotorua and caters for children up to six years of age. It is licensed for 26 children, including up to 16 children up to the age of two years. At the time of this ERO review, 25 children were enrolled, of whom 7 are identified as Māori. The centre currently provides two family sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. There has been some recent roll growth.
Children enjoy spacious facilities that afford many opportunities for active play and exploration. Parents strive to provide a ‘safe, caring environment where they support each child and their family’s individual needs’. The centre enjoys close relationships with the adjoining school and the community.
Since the last ERO review in 2011, play areas and toilets have been upgraded. Parents have continued with playcentre education courses and there are a number of parents who are working at course three level of the Playcentre Federation training modules.
The centre operates under the umbrella of Rotorua Playcentre Association. The knowledgeable operations manager is readily available to assist with information, and an experienced centre support officer attends playcentre sessions and meetings to advise and mentor members. She reports to the association about compliance with licensing, health and safety and other operational requirements.
The playcentre education programme assists members to provide appropriate learning opportunities for their children. Recent professional development through a Ministry of Education contract has assisted the association and its centres to use a self-review process to consider how best to recruit, receive, engage and retain members. An important feature was the exploration of a simple method to help new members write stories for children’s portfolios.
This review was part of a cluster of five playcentre reviews in the Rotorua Playcentre Association..
Children are highly engaged in play and exploration. They have ready access to high quality resources and equipment. They play cooperatively with each other, and older children support their younger peers in a positive tuakana-teina relationship. Children enjoy participating in a wide range of activities in a well-prepared, attractive and interesting environment. They are able to follow their interests and make decisions about their learning. Children are physically active and readily challenge themselves to take reasonable risks and extend their capabilities. They have a sense of belonging, independence, and are confident to approach adults for assistance or involvement in their play. Children enjoy meeting as a group to share stories and morning tea. Trips into the local community extend their knowledge of the wider world.
Parent members are aware of children’s interests and are responsive to the choices they make about their play and learning. ERO observed some good examples of parents helping children to take their thinking further and deepen their understanding. The current programme theme about science is enabling parents to introduce a range of new concepts and share their knowledge with children. Literacy and aspects of mathematics are naturally included as part of the programme and the centre is exploring ways of including te reo Māori and culture. Māori children and their families are well integrated and participate actively in the centre.
Parents celebrate learning through individual profile books which they develop for their children. These profiles value children’s identity and provide a record of their playcentre experiences that can be shared with friends and family. Some learning stories now include the child’s voice and individual progress over time. The centre recognises that more needs to be done to develop consistency in the quality of learning stories.
Parent members maintain strong links and relationships with the neighbouring school. Close proximity to and interaction with the school enable children to transition easily from the playcentre into the new entrant class.
Committed office holders are well informed and provide strong leadership for centre members. They ask for help if needed, undertake and promote training in early childhood courses, and have made good use of assistance from the Playcentre Federation to improve centre self review. They have a strong focus on ensuring positive relationships and communication among centre members.
The playcentre’s strategic plan identifies priorities for development, and supports the long-term sustainability of the centre. It could now be extended to include children’s learning. Planned and spontaneous self review is undertaken to evaluate topics such as the quality of the environment and policy review. It would now be beneficial to review the quality and outcomes of the programme for children’s learning.
ERO and the association have agreed on the following areas for development:
The association recognises and celebrates learning for both adults and children as an essential part of valuing the 'playcentre experience'. A strategic goal for the association and centre for identifying and building on programme successes would likely strengthen learning opportunities and outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Ngakuru 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 Ngakuru Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
13 February 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 |
near Rotorua |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40084 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
26 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
25 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 15 Girls 10 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other European |
7 15 3 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2014 |
|
|
Date of this report |
13 February 2015 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2011 |
|
Education Review |
October 2008 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 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.