20 Massey Road, Reporoa
View on mapNot well placed | Requires further development | Well placed | Very well placed |
Reporoa Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Reporoa Playcentre is a parent-led education and care service located in the rural town of Reporoa. It caters for children from birth to school age and operates two mixed-age morning sessions per week. The playcentre is licensed for 30 children including up to 20 under the age of two years. The current roll of 27 children includes two who identify as Māori.
During 2018, the New Zealand Playcentre Federation transitioned from operating with 32 regional associations to become one national body with six regional offices. In the central North Island six associations have merged into a regional hub renamed Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island Region that now includes 95 playcentres over a large geographic area. During this transition there is some overlap between associations and the new national regional systems and processes. At Reporoa Playcentre, the president is supported by a committee of parent members. A centre administrator and support worker are provided by federation.
Through their national philosophy the playcentre places emphasis on whānau tupu ngātahi – families growing together. They empower adults and children to play, work and grow together and value and affirm parents as first and best educators of their children.
Reporoa Playcentre has a positive reporting history with ERO. Since the last ERO review in 2015, members have focused on a commitment to developing a bicultural curriculum and implemented a more child-focussed approach.
This review was part of a cluster of four playcentres in the Playcentre Aotearoa Central North Island region.
Children are effectively supported through strong learning partnerships with their parents and other adults. A wide range of teaching strategies have been implemented to support children's learning. Positive relationships are encouraged and parents have a good understanding of their children’s preferences and learning styles. Children’s learning is promoted through a programme that follows their interests and strengths. Their rights are evident and flexible routines allow for engagement in uninterrupted play, and children are able to lead their own learning. Children are supported by their parents and other adults in their play.
Children under the age of two years enjoy a calm and responsive learning space. It is age appropriate and allows for free movement, and curiosity and independence are fostered. Members read and respond appropriately to very young children’s non-verbal cues. Community engagement is evident through relationships formed with the local school and community cultural festivals. Oral language development is well supported by adults through open-ended questions and providing opportunities for children to make discoveries. Children are encouraged to explore and inquire at their own pace.
Children are well supported in an extensively equipped environment. All curriculum areas are promoted and are inclusive and accessible for all learners. Literacy, mathematics and science are woven authentically through play and learning. Assessment for learning has recently been strengthened to promote links to the early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki. Learning stories record children’s participation in the programme. Aspects of planning and assessment need further development to show progress of learning.
The mixed-age group effectively supports tuakana tiena interactions. Good support from local iwi has been implemented to provide bicultural knowledge to members. Te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated in the environment and daily programme. Children are developing an awareness and understanding of the bicultural nature of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Leadership effectively promotes positive and affirming relationships with members. Long-serving members are providing good leadership and a strong culture of support. All roles are filled within the playcentre, with knowledgeable experienced members and succession plans are in place. A local philosophy has been developed. It is well designed and shared to all members. Capacity building of members is a feature with deliberate support for new members. Internal evaluation has been developed and follows a specific framework. Consistency around how this guides change and improvement should be considered. Children benefit from experienced leaders who are focused on positive learning outcomes.
The Playcentre Aotearoa overarching strategic plan, philosophy, vision and individual annual plans have been implemented and guide the playcentre direction. There is a focus on building capability through recently reviewed and improved parent education programmes. Regular communication and support between the Playcentre Aotearoa and regions through the restructure supported business as usual. Existing policies and systems support centre operations until all new systems developed by Playcentre Aotearoa are implemented nationally. The federation is committed to offering more accessible localised training to respond to the needs of the community.
With the centre having many new members there is now a need for leaders to offer mentoring and guidance to ensure:
Management should place priority on providing ongoing support for members to increase their knowledge of the early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki.
Before the review, the staff and management of Reporoa 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 Reporoa Playcentre will be in three years.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services Central
Central Region
28 February 2019
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 | Reporoa | |
| Ministry of Education profile number | 40036 | |
| Licence type | Playcentre | |
| Licensed under | Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 | |
| Number licensed for | 30 children, including up to 20 aged under 2 | |
| Service roll | 27 | |
| Gender composition | Boys 18 Girls 9 | |
| Ethnic composition | Māori Pākehā Other | 2 24 1 |
| Review team on site | November 2018 | |
| Date of this report | 28 February 2019 | |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review | February 2015 |
| Education Review | September 2011 | |
| Education Review | August 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.
Reporoa Playcentre is located in the village of Reporoa and caters for children up to six years of age. It is licensed for 30 children, including up to 16 children under the age of two years. At the time of this ERO review 30 children were enrolled, of whom 5 identify as Māori. It currently provides sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings for children parents and whānau.
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.
The centre is very effective in promoting positive learning outcomes for children and parents. Children have fun and are highly engaged in learning. Areas of play are richly resourced and easily accessible to children at all age levels. They are able to follow their interests in a physical environment that is safe, and offers many challenges that invite children to explore and become fully involved in a wide range of activities. Children are empowered to take increasing responsibility for their wellbeing and for others, make choices, and develop independence.
There are many activities and opportunities for children to experience and develop early literacy and mathematics skills. Parents notice opportunities to become involved and promote children’s learning. They effectively support the play and development of their own children as well as others. Parents are positive, sensitive and respond to children’s needs. They interact to extend learning opportunities, and give feedback and encouragement when necessary.
The past and current presidents are providing strong and effective centre leadership, and are well supported by office holders and other parents. There is a united team approach and a strong commitment to playcentre philosophy and vision. The leadership group has worked hard to increase roll numbers and ensure that all new members feel welcome and involved. Parents are actively supported to participate in early childhood training. A feature of the centre is the way parents are supported to enhance parenting skills and helped to interact more effectively with their children.
Parents spoken to by ERO commented positively about the very effective communication and administration systems that keep everyone informed, and promote sustainability and continuation of direction and good practice. Effective self review is leading to continuous improvement in learning opportunities for parents and their children.
The playcentre programme is well planned to meet the interests of children and the aspirations of parents. It is closely based on the strands and principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and all areas of play are evident in the centre environment. Children and parents extend their learning through regular opportunities outside the centre, undertaking trips and visits, and making links with the local community.
Progress has been made in developing a stronger bicultural aspect to the centre programme for children through development of a wharenui, involvement in kapahaka, and the provision of te reo/tikanga sessions by a local tutor. Children enjoy these sessions and parents report that they regularly use te reo and songs they learn at home.
Children’s success in learning is highly visible in individual child portfolios, attractive displays on centre walls, and in high-quality learning stories. Experienced parents effectively use assessment practices that are closely linked to planning. These practices are focused on noticing and recognising what children are doing, and then identifying needs and interests for future planning.
ERO and centre members agree that the centre needs to consider:
exploring ways of more closely monitoring and tracking the learning of individual children. This could include parents being supported to identify next steps in their children’s learning and ways of recognising progress and development over time.
building on bicultural practices by parents using te reo Māori in authentic contexts with children
exploring ways of promoting all aspects of mathematics in centre activities and interactions.
The association has agreed that recognising and celebrating the learning for both adults and children is an essential part of valuing the ‘Playcentre experience’. Adding a goal to the association and centre strategic plans for identifying and building on programme successes would focus attention on the quality of learning opportunities and outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Reporoa 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 Reporoa Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
23 February 2015
|
Location |
Reporoa |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40036 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 16 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
30 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 16 Boys 14 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Cook Island Greek |
5 21 2 2 |
|
Review team on site |
November 2014 |
|
|
Date of this report |
23 February 2015 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2011 |
|
Education Review |
August 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.