38 Clarke And Denize Road, Pukekawa
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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.
Pukekawa Playcentre is a parent-led, sessional early childhood education service. It is part of the Counties Playcentre Association. The centre is situated in a rural Pukekawa, near Pukekohe and offers four supervised sessions per week. It is licensed for 25 children from birth to school age in a mixed-age setting, including 15 under the age of two years.
The centre's philosophy reflects aspirations of the Playcentre Federation, of whānau and children learning together through child-initiated play. The programme is guided by Te Whāriki, Early childhood curriculum and honours the Treaty of Waitangi.
The playcentre operates as a parent cooperative run by volunteers and is governed by a regional body and the New Zealand Playcentre Federation. During 2018, the Playcentre Federation is transitioning from operating as a federation with 32 regional associations to becoming one national body with six regional offices. The Auckland region is now made up of 45 playcentres from the Auckland, Tamaki and Counties Playcentre Associations. A regional manager oversees the governance, management and administration for this region and has a team of staff to support individual playcentres. The restructuring includes policies, technology and adult education. There continues to be a period of transition for all playcentre whānau and staff as they adapt to new systems and responsibilities.
The federation employ a part-time centre support worker (CSW) and centre administrator (CA) to manage day-to-day operations, curriculum and administration. Since the last ERO review there have been significant membership changes particularly over the last 18 months. The leadership role is held by a president who holds a course three qualification. To enable the playcentre to meet licensing requirements a qualified early childhood teacher attends one session per week and other members have sufficient playcentre qualifications or are working towards attaining course two and course three qualifications.
Since the last ERO review in 2015, development and progress with the strategic plan have identified a deeper focus on long term improvement. Improvements to the physical envrionments have been implemented to support challenge and learning, and a community focus around bicultural awareness through the curriculum has been developed.
This review was part of a cluster of three playcentre reviews in the Counties Playcentre Association.
Children experience positive and meaningful learning interactions with parents and other adults. They are empowered to make choices about their learning and engage in long periods of sustained and uninterrupted play. The mixed-age learning spaces are inclusive and accessible to all children including diverse learners. Members are well supported through a holistic approach that is responsive to the needs of individual children and their family. Children benefit from learning partnerships that value and affirm the experiences they bring to their learning.
Children are well supported in an extensively equipped environment with quality resources that are focused on multiple interests and levels of ability. The learning environment enables children to make choices and decisions, and lead their own learning. Literacy and numeracy experiences are authentically and meaningfully woven into children's play. Transitions into and out of the centre are positive and centre members are continuing to build positive relationships with the local school. Children benefit from an attractively presented environment that is focused on enabling them to take risk and experience challenge through their learning.
Assessment is written by parents for their own and other children, highlighting the many play and learning opportunities children experience. End of session evaluations are collaborative, linked to children’s interests and engagement, to inform future planning. Termly planning has been strengthened and is linked to children’s emerging interests. Deliberate role modelling by experienced members supports knowledge sharing for new parents. Regular excursions into the wider community focus on extending learning and link to planning. Children are seen as confident learners and explorers.
Children under the age of two years enjoy a calm and responsive learning space. It is age appropriate and allows for free movement, fostering curiosity and independence. Members are reading and responding appropriately to very young children’s cues. Māori children and their whānau are welcomed and experience opportunities to have their language and culture affirmed. There is a considered approach to strengthening the bicultural curriculum dimension through the integration of karakia and te reo Māori into the daily programme.
Collaborative leadership enables opportunities for all members to extend and share their knowledge and skills. Leaders encourage members to engage in training that will build capability with a focus on increased centre sustainability. Professional learning and development is available both at centre and at federation level. Self review has been strengthened, it is now planned and responsive, and follows a useful framework that leads to change and improvement. Children benefit from experienced leaders who model quality practice, focused on positive learning outcomes.
The regional management team take responsibility for specific tasks relating to effective operations of individual playcentres. Newly appointed regional personnel are making progress with existing systems and establishing 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. The teams is aware of the unique strengths and needs of the playcentre and the regional manager provides professional leadership to sustain improvement, growth and the focus on fostering positive learning outcomes for children.
With the centre having many new members there is now a need to offer mentoring and guidance to ensure:
consistency of assessment practices are in place to support the understanding of noticing, recognising and responding to children's learning
self review is consistently focused on positive outcomes for children.
In order to improve and strengthen practice the Auckland Playcentre regional leaders should continue to:
revisit the commitment to Te Tiriti partnership to increase bicultural understanding and integration of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori to support playcentres' practices
clarify and upskill playcentre support roles
build regional office capability to embed new parent education programmes and qualifications
improve understanding and use of internal evaluation as a tool to guide practices
develop, evaluate and report against a regional long-term and annual action plan aligned to goals for improvements at national and regional level
embed and evaluate how effectively the new playcentre structure and systems support all learners including Pasifika and children with additional needs.
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukekawa 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 Pukekawa Playcentre will be in three years.
Adrienne Fowler
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
9 October 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 |
Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25211 |
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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 |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
20 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 10 Boys 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
0-49% - Parent-led |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2018 |
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Date of this report |
9 October 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2011 |
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Education Review |
June 2008 |
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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.
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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.
Pukekawa Playcentre provides for up to 15 children under the age of two, and 25 children altogether up to school age. The service operates within a rural community. It is a parent-led cooperative that offers three mixed-age family sessions, and two extra sessions for mainly older children. Infants and toddlers are well supported to learn alongside other children.
The philosophy affirms parents as first educators and promotes children’s learning through play. The programme is closely aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children engage willingly with others within a caring learning environment.
Members promote an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for families. Several new families have joined the centre over recent times.
Pukekawa Playcentre is part of the Counties Playcentre Association. Members work collaboratively within the Association’s framework of governance and management. They are committed to attending parent education programmes. Management roles and responsibilities are shared amongst the members.
Members have responded well to some of the areas for review and development outlined in ERO’s 2011 report. Members have also completed property upgrades.
Children are confident and capable learners who communicate well with members and other children. They enthusiastically explore the centre and enjoy a sense of belonging. Children have warm friendships with each other and the adult members. Tuakana and teina relationships are naturally fostered.
The importance of play is respected and valued. The programme follows the interests of the children. Infants and toddlers are well supported to be independent and make choices for themselves. Older children create social and collaborative learning scenarios and participate in sustained play for long periods. Members are available to children, responding to their ideas and supporting them in their learning.
The playcentre is well resourced and has well-defined play areas that are attractively and thoughtfully presented. Literacy and creative activities are integrated into children’s play in ways that are authentic and meaningful. Similarly, mathematical language and learning is included in children’s indoor and outdoor activities. The large outdoor area promotes children’s exploration and physical development.
Experienced members lead the two sessions for older children. This programme provides an opportunity to extend children’s interests and offers them an appropriate level of challenge. Older children attend events at the local school and this helps them to make the transition to school more confidently.
Members have a renewed commitment to delivering a bicultural curriculum. Some basic words and phrases in te reo Māori are displayed and used in the centre. Members plan to increase the use of te reo Māori in the programme as they gain more confidence and skills in this aspect of the centre’s curriculum. Members acknowledge that recognising and responding to children’s language, culture and identity is an area for further development.
Members are thoughtful and reflective. They understand the purpose of self review. Having recently gone through a re-licensing process, with the support of the Ministry of Education, members have accessed useful professional learning and development. This has helped them to improve planning and assessment, and self review processes. Members have begun to document self review.
Members work well together to plan programmes. There are rich opportunities at the end of sessions to collect parents’ feedback and reflect on children’s group play and their individual learning. This evaluation of each day’s programme helps inform the next session and feeds into longer-term planning around children’s interests. Members acknowledge that regularly documenting children’s learning is a next step.
All members follow the Association systems to help ensure that the centre operates efficiently. Centre leaders provide effective leadership and model good practices for newer members. Members recognise the importance of completing education programmes and are committed to developing emerging leaders.
ERO and members agree that key next steps for ongoing centre development are:
Before the review, the staff and management of Pukekawa 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 Pukekawa Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer-Northern
Northern Region
10 April 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 |
Pukekawa, Franklin District |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25211 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
20 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 11 Girls 9 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Māori/Niue |
2 16 2 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
December 2014 |
||
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Date of this report |
10 April 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2008 |
||
|
Supplementary Review |
March 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.