Harbour Road, Ohope
View on mapHow well placed is Port Ohope Playcentre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Port Ohope Playcentre is a well-established, parent-led education and care service located in the township of Ohope, near Whakatane. It caters for children from birth to school age and operates two mixed-aged, family sessions each week. The centre is licensed for 30 children including 15 under two. The current roll of 22 includes four children who identify as Māori.
Under new and enthusiastic leadership, the playcentre has been able to maintain its roll, strengthen centre organisation, and foster greater engagement of families.
The centre has a positive ERO reporting history. Parent members have responded well to the areas for review and development identified in the 2012 ERO review. They have continued to develop the emergent curriculum, assessment, planning and evaluation processes, and encouraged more parents to engage in course work.
Families and visitors are warmly welcomed to the centre and become quickly engaged in the friendly and supportive culture established by centre leaders and parents.
The New Zealand Playcentre Association provides overall guidance, support and strategic direction for the local association and centres. The playcentre philosophy, 'whānau tupu ngatahi – families growing together', is strong in this centre and links the umbrella organisation with each centre, empowering parents to lead the education for their children.
This review was part of a cluster of eight playcentre reviews in the Eastern Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association.
Parents are well supported by the association and are providing high quality education and care for children. The programme is planned in response to children’s interests and strengths. Children and parents collaboratively set up a wide range of learning activities for each session. Parents skilfully notice opportunities to become involved with play, and support children to extend their ideas and build their capabilities.
Interactions amongst parents and children are respectful and supportive. Children confidently approach adults, initiating conversations and making choices about their learning and play activities. Parents use effective questioning skills to extend children’s thinking, develop working theories, and solve problems.
The centre is well resourced and children have easy access to equipment for play and exploration. There are multiple opportunities for them to engage in creative and imaginary play alongside their parents. The outdoor environment allows children to practice and develop their physical skills and take risks in well monitored but challenging situations. A feature of the curriculum is the way that parents promote literacy and mathematical learning opportunities for children. Te reo Māori is used by parents and children and is visible in the centre.
Observations of children’s learning and development are recorded by parents in attractive individual portfolios and displayed on centre walls. Guidelines are in place to help parents notice when important learning is taking place. Learning stories include celebrations of children’s learning, examples of their creativity, and acknowledgement of progress and development over time.
Centre leaders are experienced and knowledgeable about playcentre education and care, and bring a range of highly relevant educational skills and life experiences to their playcentre roles. Leaders are strong advocates for playcentre in the wider community and welcoming of new members to the service. There are many opportunities for members to develop leadership skills in daily sessions, across the centre, and at association level.
Centre leaders are well supported by, and have close links with the association. They have established detailed and well-organised documentation to support procedures, systems and the enactment of the playcentre philosophy. A well-developed approach to long-term planning and consultation with parents are helping to guide ongoing development and improvement. Leaders encourage parents to reflect on children’s activities at the end of each session, during regular meetings, and at the end of each term. This reflection is contributing to ongoing improvements in the quality of education and care.
The Eastern Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association effectively supports and promotes parent membership and is proactive in participating in local events and activities. There are clear policies and procedures that guide centre operations and practices. Guidelines for self review, assessment, planning and evaluation, help parents establish strategies and practices that ensure positive educational outcomes for children.
At the time of this ERO review the national association was in the process of considering changes to its organisation. This is likely to present both challenges and opportunities for further development and centre-based improvement.
Parents are increasing their understanding and use of self review as a way of making improvements to the quality of education and care for children. They recognise that a next step is to strengthen and deepen the quality of self review in order to build more sustainable improvement. Consideration should be given to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Port Ohope 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 Port Ohope Playcentre will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
5 June 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.
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Location |
Ohope, Bay of Plenty |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
40027 |
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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 |
22 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 11 Girls 11 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other |
4 16 2 |
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Review team on site |
March 2015 |
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Date of this report |
5 June 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
February 2012 |
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Education Review |
March 2009 |
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Education Review |
January 2006 |
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.
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.
Port Ohope Playcentre is a parent-led, cooperative early childhood education service that caters for children from birth to school age. It operates under the umbrella of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association. The association provides a range of policies that guide processes which contribute to safe and healthy practices in this centre.
Adults work alongside children, making sure that all ages have access to a wide range of play experiences. Parent education courses are well supported and integral to the philosophy that promotes parents as the first educators of children.
At the time of this ERO review, 23 children, predominantly of Pākehā/European descent, were enrolled. Parents in this centre are strongly committed to establishing a vibrant bicultural dimension in the centre. This commitment is enabling children to gain an understanding and appreciation of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
Centre members are dedicated to maintaining a high-quality learning environment. The centre is richly resourced and planned in response to children’s interests, ages and stages of development. Children are able to make choices and initiate their own play. There are strong opportunities for creative expression and literacy, and mathematics and science are explored in contexts that are responsive to children’s ideas and interests.
The centre has well-developed self-review processes that take into account ideas and aspirations of all members. This process contributes to positive, ongoing improvements to the centre. To further enhance the quality of education, members now plan to consider ways to:
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Port Ohope Playcentre was invited to consider its 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 management and staff. 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 atPort Ohope Playcentre.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
Port Ohope Playcentre operates under the governance and management of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association. Centre members endorse the playcentre federation philosophy and have identified core values that guide centre operations and educational provision. These core values include:
the mixed-age range of children with high adult to child ratios;
being a family-based cooperative, with centre-based decision making and commitment to parent education; and
child-initiated and self-choice play in a fun environment that values biculturalism and provides a wide range of play areas.
At the time of this ERO review, the centre had a strong group of core members. They are committed to the shared philosophy, parent education, and strive to continually improve the quality of education provided for children and families.
The Playcentre Federation philosophy and centre values are highly evident in the programme. Adults work closely alongside their children, ensure ready access to a wide range of play experiences, and value the parent education provided. They also enjoy a strong sense of community in this mixed-age group family/whānau setting.
Centre members at Port Ohope Playcentre are dedicated to maintaining a high-quality learning environment for children and adults. Play areas are richly resourced and planned in response to children’s interests, ages and stages of development.
Centre members are strongly committed to establishing a vibrant, bicultural dimension in the centre. They value the knowledge, leadership and role modelling provided by some members, and an external facilitator is strengthening the use of te reo and aspects of tikanga Māori. Children are gaining an increasing understanding and appreciation of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
The programme successfully caters for infants, toddlers and young children. Children are able to make choices and initiate their own play. Features of the programme include:
strong opportunities for creative expression; and
integration of literacy, mathematics and science in meaningful contexts that are responsive to children’s ideas and interests.
Children are developing as capable learners who demonstrate belonging and confidence.
The centre has well developed self-review processes. Reviews are both planned and spontaneous, and enable all members to contribute their ideas. Self review is well understood and is contributing to positive, ongoing improvements to the centre and outcomes for children and families.
ERO and centre members agree that the quality of education would be enhanced by:
considering ways to extend children’s ideas and ability to make decisions about their own learning;
strengthening children’s records of learning to include possible adult responses to their interests and learning dispositions; and
continuing to foster emergent leadership and shared workload in an environment where there is continual turnover of families and experienced members.
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:
Although there are no children with moderate to severe special needs currently enrolled in this parent-led service, members articulate a highly inclusive approach to catering for the identified needs of children with moderate to severe needs, should they be enrolled.
Before the review, the staff of Port Ohope Playcentre completed an ERO CentreManagement Assurance Statement Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they haveattested 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:
ERO is confident that the service is being managed in the interest of the children. Therefore ERO is likely to review the service again in three years.
Makere Smith
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region (Acting)
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Type |
Playcentre |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Roll number |
23 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 14 Boys 9 |
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Ethnic composition |
New Zealand Pākehā/European 15 Other European 5 New Zealand Māori 2 Latin American 1 |
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Review team on site |
November 2011 |
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Date of this report |
24 February 2012 |
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Previous three ERO reports |
Education Review March 2009 Education review January 2006 Accountability Review April 2003 |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report on Port Ohope Playcentre.
Port Ohope Playcentre is a parent-led, cooperative early childhood education service that caters for children from birth to school age. It operates under the umbrella of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Playcentre Association. The association provides a range of policies that guide processes which contribute to safe and healthy practices in this centre.
Adults work alongside children, making sure that all ages have access to a wide range of play experiences. Parent education courses are well supported and integral to the philosophy that promotes parents as the first educators of children.
At the time of this ERO review, 23 children, predominantly of Pākehā/European descent, were enrolled. Parents in this centre are strongly committed to establishing a vibrant bicultural dimension in the centre. This commitment is enabling children to gain an understanding and appreciation of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.
Centre members are dedicated to maintaining a high-quality learning environment. The centre is richly resourced and planned in response to children’s interests, ages and stages of development. Children are able to make choices and initiate their own play. There are strong opportunities for creative expression and literacy, and mathematics and science are explored in contexts that are responsive to children’s ideas and interests.
The centre has well-developed self-review processes that take into account ideas and aspirations of all members. This process contributes to positive, ongoing improvements to the centre. To further enhance the quality of education, members now plan to consider ways to:
extend children’s ideas and ability to make decisions about their own learning;
strengthen children’s records of learning to include possible adult responses to children’s interests and learning dispositions; and
foster emergent leadership and shared workload in an environment where there is continual turnover of families and experienced members.