Goodwin Street, Tirau
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.
Tirau Playcentre provides education and care for children from birth to school age. The centre operates under the umbrella of the East Waikato Playcentre Association (EWPA) and is licensed for 30 children, including up to 10 under two years. There are 26 children enrolled, including 3 Māori. Children can attend morning sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The playcentre employs one qualified supervisor for one session and has a suitably qualified parent for the second.
The centre aims for children to learn through holistic play in a safe and nurturing environment.
There has been significant roll growth since the last 2013 ERO review. The recently appointed president is well supported by the past president and committee. Parents are responsible for different areas of centre management.
There has been little progress since the previous ERO review in 2013 about strengthening goal setting for children, ensuring maintenance and repairs are kept up to date, and more support and guidance for the committee from the EWPA. Parents remain unable to attend Playcentre Training over Course 1 locally because there is no provider.
The NZPF is currently undergoing restructuring and this has implications for EWPA governance actions in the future.
This review was part of a cluster of nine playcentre reviews in the EWPA.
Children benefit from warm, respectful relationships with all adults in the centre. The families know each other well and children have developed a strong sense of belonging. Trips into the local and wider community are a feature of the programme. Transitions to school are supported with termly visits to the local school and regular participation at school events. Parents are highly committed to involving the whole family and developing reciprocal relationships within their community. Positive social competency skills are encouraged enabling children to interact constructively and develop strong friendships with one another.
Children can choose to work independently or in small groups, supported by parents as their first teachers. Their emerging interests are spontaneously extended and the areas of play are complemented by parent-led topics and interests from home. Literacy and mathematics are naturally integrated in authentic contexts. Children benefit from learning through play with a high ratio of adult support.
Māori children are well supported with a bi-cultural curriculum. Te reo, tikanga and te Ao Māori are highly visible in the environment. Children have fun participating in waiata and poi action dance. They benefit from learning about natural features of the local area. All children’s languages, culture and identity are celebrated and included in the curriculum.
Hazards are not being identified by parents and actioned in a timely manner. Some of the resources and equipment are in need of replacement. To improve the quality of learning outcomes and to ensure safety, further consideration needs to be given to the development and maintenance of the outdoor area.
Learning stories include some links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, dispositions for learning, and relationships. Further local playcentre training and support materials for parents is required to build their capability to assess children's learning, extend interests, show progress and continuity of learning over time.
Parents need to capture learning and regularly document it. Children’s learning is documented in portfolios. This is currently undertaken by a very small number of members and there is a need for more parents to share this responsibility and contribute to children's learning records. Strengthened assessment and planning is required with a focus on teaching and learning and individual children's interests.
Spontaneous self review at monthly meetings is focussed on management and the environment. Parents have recently begun professional development to support them to gain a better understanding of internal evaluation systems linked to improving outcomes for children. Local ongoing and regular support and training in this area is required.
Although EWPA provide some useful policies and procedures, there is a need to ensure that leaders are using current policies as they are updated by the Association. The parents have been focussed on keeping the playcentre viable and now need support to plan and implement improvements for children's learning.
The Playcentre Federation is in a time of transition. Nevertheless, EWPA need to provide regular support to the centre to maintain recent growth and continue to build parent knowledge about children's learning and centre management. A centre philosophy is in place and given the changes in families and roll growth it is now an appropriate time to be formally reviewed.
There is a need to implement or strengthen:
a review of the centre philosophy in consultation with all stakeholders to reflect the playcentre's current community
a greater number of parents need to participate in playcentre education to support them to be involved in assessment for their child’s learning. This should help strengthen planning focussed on children’s interests and learning.
ERO recommends that the EWPA supports the committee to develop and implement a plan to address the key next steps and outlined in this report.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tirau 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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to Tirau Playcentre. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
Reporting and documentation of hazards and the addressing of these issues needs to be urgently addressed. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS12]
ERO identified two areas of non-compliance.
The EWPA must ensure that:
the employed supervisors are regularly appraised by a suitably experienced and knowledgeable appraiser in order to affirm areas of good practice and identify areas for further development [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7]
safety checks and police vetting of supervisors are carried out every three years in order to meet the legal requirements for children’s safety and wellbeing. [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7A; Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014]
ERO recommends that the service consult with the Ministry of Education and plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Tirau Playcentre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Waikato / Bay of Plenty
11 May 2017
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 |
Tirau |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30007 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
26 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 11 Boys 15 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Samoan Pākehā Chinese Other Asian Other European Other |
15 1 3 2 2 2 1 |
|
Review team on site |
February 2017 |
|
|
Date of this report |
11 May 2017 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
September 2013 |
|
Education Review |
June 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2007 |
|
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.
Tirau Playcentre is a parent-led early childhood education service that caters for children from birth to school age. Mixed age-group sessions operate two mornings each week during school terms. The centre operates under the umbrella of the East Waikato Playcentre Association (EWPA).
The playcentre’s philosophy recognises parents as first educators of their children, and they believe in children learning through play. A core group of dedicated parents shares the responsibility for centre management/organisation, and the care and education programme. The centre is currently advertising for a supervisor to support sessions in the short term.
Since the ERO review in 2010 the centre has been closed due to lack of members. The centre reopened in February 2012 and was relicensed under the Education (Early childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The roll fluctuates and is currently seven, and five of these children are of Māori descent.
This review was part of a cluster of 10 playcentre reviews in the East Waikato Playcentre Association.
The East Waikato Playcentre Association provides an appropriate range of policies that have assisted the centre with the licensing process, and enabled parents to establish centre operational procedures. However, members express frustration at EWPA’s poor response to requests for information and support, as well as the lack of local adult education courses.
Centre members have established clear roles and responsibilities that contribute to centre operations. They appreciate the hard work and leadership from the centre president who is providing focused direction and enhancing the profile of the playcentre in the community.
A strong family atmosphere is evident. Positive and caring relationships among adults and children contribute a sense of belonging for members and children. There are many opportunities for them to establish friendships and build trusting relationships in an inclusive centre culture.
Playcentre philosophy identifies parents as the foremost educators of their children. Child-led play and learning underpin the programme and centre members emphasise the integration of literacy and numeracy learning experiences. Other aspects of the curriculum that support children’s learning and sense of themselves as capable and confident learners include:
Members have identified the need to strengthen goal setting for individual children and documentation of learning over time.
ERO and centre members agree that the following next steps are important for centre sustainability:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tirau 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 Tirau Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region
16 September 2013
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 |
Tirau, Waikato |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30007 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
7 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 4 Boys 3 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Samoan |
5 1 1 |
|
Review team on site |
June 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
16 September 2013 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2010 |
|
Education Review |
April 2007 |
|
|
Education Review |
June 2004 |
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.