Church Street, Russell
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Russell Playcentre operates as a parent cooperative and is licensed for 23 children, including eight under the age of two years. Some families are not from the local community and travel long distances to attend the centre.
Programmes for tamariki are underpinned by the Playcentre philosophy of parents and tamariki playing and learning together. Russell Playcentre's executive board employs a supervisor to support parents to organise the sessions. Two days a week, a small number of children attend the centre independently without their parents. The supervisor works closely with these children. There is one weekly session just for older children.
The centre is part of the newly established Northern North Island Playcentre Region. Regional systems support centre members to manage their centres and to provide educational programmes for their children. Playcentre personnel also provide training programmes for parents and whānau to achieve playcentre qualifications.
Since the 2015 ERO review, the centre has experienced significant changes in parent membership and levels of support from the Playcentre Aotearoa as its planned restructure progressed. Areas for development identified in the 2015 ERO report included self review, strategic and annual planning, and evaluation of programme planning processes. There has been some progress in strengthening these aspects of practice.
This review was part of a cluster of 12 reviews in the Northern North Island Playcentre region.
Children learn through play alongside their own and other playcentre parents. They experience inclusive, respectful interactions as part of the programme. Children are well supported to develop a strong sense of belonging as they make and deepen friendships. They have many opportunities to follow their interests and choose from a wide variety of resources and equipment.
Parents work collaboratively with the supervisor to provide the learning programme. Parents willingly contribute their ideas and lead planned activities with children. They prepare for the sessions efficiently and enthusiastically share responsibility for centre systems and tasks.
The supervisor thoughtfully models strategies to support children's learning and complete essential centre processes. She leads centre practices to build a focus on children's learning. The centre is well known in the Russell community. Children, parents and the supervisor take part in local events and regularly go for walks as part of the learning programme.
New parents and children are well supported by centre members to make thoughtfully planned transitions into, within, and beyond the centre. The supervisor and parents have established relationships with the nearby school, and children regularly visit to foster their successful transition. Parents and the supervisor also maintain strong connections to the local health and education networks.
Parents' leadership supports the cohesive management of the centre. They have developed useful strategic and annual plans to guide and achieve centre priorities. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities help parents build their understanding of Playcentre expectations and requirements.
The regional structure is replacing individual Playcentre Associations. Newly appointed regional personnel are making good progress building on existing systems and establishing effective 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 tamariki, adult education levels, and health and safety requirements.
Centre members agree that the key next steps include:
developing a shared understanding about valued outcomes for children's learning
further developing and consolidating assessment, planning and evaluation processes to promote children's learning and progress over time
embedding internal evaluation processes and practices to support the centre's focus on ongoing improvement.
The regional manager (acting) and support personnel agree that key next steps for centre improvement include:
implementing and embedding the revised Playcentre training programme
establishing a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of centre support systems roles and processes.
Before the review, the staff and management of Russell 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 Russell Playcentre will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
20 December 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 |
Russell, Bay of Islands |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
16345 |
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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 |
23 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
30 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 21 Girls 9 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2018 |
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Date of this report |
20 December 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2015 |
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Education Review |
July 2012 |
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Education Review |
February 2009 |
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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.
Russell Playcentre operates five morning sessions per week. It is licensed for 23 children, including up to eight under two years of age. Children of all ages play together throughout the centre with shared access to all indoor and outdoor play spaces.
Russell Playcentre operates as part of the Mid Northland Playcentre Association. The association provides parent education programmes and an administration framework to guide the operation of the centre. The national playcentre organisation is in the process of a significant restructure. This is likely to have an impact on the role and structure of the local association.
Playcentre philosophy is underpinned by the belief that parents are the first and best educators of their children. All members contribute to the running of the centre and play alongside children to support their learning and development.
The 2012 ERO report highlighted the inclusive, well resourced environment, where children were well supported to play co-operatively for sustained periods of time, as an area of strength of the centre. The centre’s strong links with the community were also acknowledged. These strengths have been maintained.
ERO noted that centre members could improve programme evaluation, records of children’s learning, literacy in the programme and annual planning. There has been progress in some of these areas.
Children are friendly and outgoing. Strong relationships amongst adults and children have supported children to develop a real sense of belonging and ownership in the playcentre environment.
Children of all ages benefit from the mixed age play which allows them to mentor, support and learn from each other. High levels of collaboration across the adult team have created a stable and happy emotional environment.
Children confidently choose resources and places to play. Adults follow the lead of the children and are responsive to their needs and their interests. Interactions with children are both conversational and purposeful in extending children’s thinking. Good levels of adult training are building professional knowledge across the team.
Programme planning processes identify and follow children’s interests and strengths. Individual assessment portfolios demonstrate the depth of knowledge adults have about each child. Adults could now consider how documentation in portfolios could be strengthened, or varied, in order to show the progression of children’s learning over time.
Effective relationships with the local primary school support successful transitions to school. The centre provides a session on Friday just for the older children, which includes visits to the new entrant classroom. The supervisor of this session is aware of the need to provide a balance between adult expectations and children’s learning needs when planning this part of the programme.
Waiata, te reo and tikanga Māori are being incorporated into each session by a centre member who is committed to growing the team’s bicultural knowledge. Centre wide commitment to strengthening bicultural practice is growing as understanding deepens.
Shared leadership roles across the executive team are building the capacity of centre members. A complementary set of individual skills and willingness to be involved is setting the centre up well for the future. A review of the current philosophy statement could help to focus and guide the centre’s future direction.
Centre members have developed a short-term strategic plan that highlights their vision and goals. Allowing this to extend over a longer timeframe would provide long-term guidance and direction for the centre. The development of an annual plan to sit under this would help map progress towards achieving bigger goals while assuring all aspects of the successful running of the centre are covered.
Centre members annually review policies and may change procedures to respond specifically to their own context. The centre would benefit from ongoing, timely support from their association in conducting day to day operations until the re-structure in May next year.
Centre members agree that to enhance outcomes for children they should:
In addition, association leaders should consider ways of providing timely, ongoing support to meet the centre’s needs when required.
Before the review, the staff and management of Russell 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 Russell Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
30 October 2015
|
Location |
Russell, Northland |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
16345 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
23 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
22 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 12 Boys 10 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 7 Pākehā 14 European/Asian 1 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
|
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Review team on site |
August 2015 |
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Date of this report |
30 October 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review July 2012 |
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Education Review February 2009 |
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Education Review October 2005 |
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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:
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.
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.