Otaua/Aka Aka Playcentre

1 Evaluation of Otaua/Aka Aka Playcentre

How well placed is Otaua/Aka Aka Playcentre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Otaua/Aka Aka Playcentre is situated near the rural township of Waiuku. It is a parent-led cooperative providing education and care for children from birth to five years, in a mixed-age setting. The centre offers three general sessions per week as well as a supervised, extended session for children over the age of three. The centre is licensed for 29 children including 15 up to the age of two. The current roll is 30 including nine children who identify as Māori.

The Playcentre philosophy of whānau and children learning together underpins the centre's operations. The centre has developed a mission statement 'Quality early childhood education - a co-operative family/whānau experience'.

The 2014 ERO report recommended that the centre increase its culturally responsive practice, and improve assessment and self review.  The centre has responded well to these recommendations, particularly with regard to self review.

The playcentre is one of 17 centres in the Counties Playcentre Association (CPA). The New Zealand Playcentre Federation and the CPA provide governance oversight for the centre. This includes strategic direction, management support, documentation and adult education programmes. The centre receives regular visits from association personnel whose role is to provide advice, guidance and support to centre members. The New Zealand Playcentre Federation is currently undergoing restructuring, and this has implications for CPA governance actions in the future.

This review was part of a cluster of five playcentre reviews in the Counties Playcentre Association.

The Review Findings

Children's play is enriched and enhanced by the 16 standard areas of play that form the basis of the playcentre curriculum. At Otaua/Aka Aka Playcentre these are well laid out and well resourced. Children are supported to develop their oral language and communication skills. Their developing numeracy knowledge is promoted and encouraged by parents through play. Early literacy skills are extended by a print-rich environment. Children have many opportunities for challenge, risk-taking and physical development in the outside environment. They are encourage to understand and contribute to decisions about their learning.

Children are well supported to develop their social skills through constant and positive interactions with adults, parents, whānau and children across different age groups. They benefit from a learning space that has been well designed to respond to their strengths and interests.

Children up to the age of two enjoy secure, nurturing relationships that promote the development of a positive sense of self. There are comfortable, safe spaces that cater for babies who are not yet mobile or able to sit by themselves, and for those who are crawling and learning to walk.

While still at the beginning stages of enacting culturally responsive practice, parents and whānau have improved the ways they ensure that Māori children have a sense of belonging at the centre. A number of resources with a Māori theme have been purchased and integrated into the various areas of play. Some parents are committed to increasing the amount of te reo and tikanga Māori in the centre. Matariki and other annual events are also celebrated. Children benefit from a programme that is increasingly bicultural.

Adults have positive and affirming relationships with children. They manage the playcentre sessions well. Children are settled and well engaged in learning and there are many opportunities for sustained play. They are provided with feedback that acknowledges their effort and success.  Adults encourage children to confidently explore their environment.

A comprehensive annual plan ensures centre operations are well managed. Centre planning ensures that programmes are based on children's interests. There are opportunities for children to revisit prior experiences with lots of photos and written commentary displayed on the walls. There were some high-quality examples of children's learning being recognised and responded to through parent written learning stories. Parents are sharing their knowledge effectively. This is evident in the improvement in the quality of parents' documentation of their children's learning over time.

Leadership is based on respect, trust and collaboration. Parents and whānau feel included and their contributions to the programme are valued. Many are participating in playcentre courses and are well supported. There is a buddy system in place, as well as home work and portfolio nights. Centre leaders have developed an effective process for self review, which has led to improvement in the capabilities of parents to notice, recognise and respond to children's interests. 

A CPA liaison worker provides effective support for supervising centre sessions. She models good practice through positive learning conversations and interactions with children and adults. A centre support worker regularly visits the centre to provide members with advice and guidance and support with aspects of playcentre training.

The centre education officer has maintained continuity of day-to-day centre operations through a period of challenge and change. She is encouraging emergent leadership and building the confidence of new members as they take increasing responsibility for centre management. This shared leadership approach to centre sustainability and the ongoing commitment to training amongst centre members is contributing to positive learning outcomes for all children.

Key Next Steps

ERO and centre leaders agree that the centre now needs to:

• ensure a greater emphasis in planning and assessment on recognising and responding to learning
• review the extent to which parents interests and passions are also part of planning
• ensure a greater focus on extending learning through adult/child interactions
• investigate ways to include aspects of local Māori history and sites of significance in the programme. This is necessary to enhance Māori children's sense of identity and belonging, and further promote New Zealand's bicultural partnership
• develop and implement a strategic plan, linked to the annual plan, that leads to ongoing improvement.

Recommendation

ERO recommends that CPA:

• develops strategies to ensure that its centre members are kept up-to-date with obligations and expectations in relation to current regulatory requirements and policies.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Otaua/Aka Aka 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:

• curriculum
• premises and facilities
• health and safety practices
• governance, management and administration.

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.

In order to improve practice the centre needs to strengthen its mitigation of injury in the case of an earthquake.
[Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, HS 6]

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Otaua/Aka Aka Playcentre will be in three years. 

Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato/Bay of Plenty

30 June 2017 

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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. 

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service 

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.