619 School Road, RD4, Wellsford
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.
Tomarata Playcentre operates as a family cooperative as part of the North Shore Playcentre Association. It is located in a rural setting with spacious grounds near Wellsford. The centre is licensed for 30 children including 15 up to two years of age and is open for two sessions per week.
The Playcentre philosophy affirms parents as valued and best educators of their children. Sessions are guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. There is an expectation that te reo and tikanga Māori will be included during sessions. Recently the Association has undertaken to make professional development available, to support centre members in learning and using New Zealand Sign Language.
The North Shore Playcentre Association manages centres’ funding and provides a training programme for parents/whānau to achieve Playcentre qualifications. It also has good systems to support centre members to manage their centres and to provide good quality educational programmes for children. The national Playcentre organisation is currently undergoing a restructure. There will be a new regional manager and new centre support roles.
Since the 2013 ERO report centre members have redeveloped the outdoor area and made improvements to the building. They have strengthened Learning Evaluation, Assessment Planning (LEAP) processes and continued to use self review to guide decision making. While there have been changes in membership, whānau have continued to focus on providing an exciting, well-resourced environment to support children's learning. They encourage each other to undertake Playcentre adult education courses. All members are currently enrolled in courses to improve their training levels.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the North Shore Playcentre Association.
Children at this centre are capable and confident young learners. They have fun, play well in groups and are eager to learn. Adults provide extra resources, suggestions and encouragement to foster children's curiosity, problem solving and sustained play. Children show concern about and interest in others and their ideas. They experience a stimulating, well resourced environment that provides many opportunities for them to explore, try things out and make discoveries.
Children are encouraged to choose their involvement in activities, resources and play scenarios. Adults and children of mixed ages actively engage in play during the session. Older children play cooperatively, toddlers are free to learn through exploration and infants are included in all aspects of play.
Adults support children's developing oral language and provide meaningful opportunities for them to explore literacy and mathematics. Children engage in planned and spontaneous activities that build on their knowledge of science concepts and appreciation for the natural world, including environmental sustainability. Creative expression and a love of learning are nurtured.
Respectful, caring and highly supportive relationships between adults and children nurture children’s emotional wellbeing and social competence. Children's play is valued as learning and enthusiastically supported by adults. Children's Adults encourage cooperative play and model strategies for positive conflict resolution. They move quickly to comfort children, affirm children’s feelings and promote self esteem. Children of all ages are secure approaching and working with adults other than their own parents. Children show trust and confidence in their interactions with peers and adults.
Centre members ensure the centre runs as an effective family cooperative. Management and administration responsibilities are clear and shared. There is very good record keeping and regular health and safety checks. Centre members are eager to engage in Playcentre adult education, and use new knowledge. Planning reflects Playcentre philosophy, theories of learning and links to Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum. Children’s individual assessment portfolios shows their engagement in individual and group learning experiences. A variety of adults contribute to portfolios which are often used by children and whānau to revisit children’s learning and development.
There is a strong sense of community, ownership and belonging in the centre. Adults share an enthusiasm for play and learning along with their children in the welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Centre members are highly supportive of each other in the education and care of their children. Experienced members and association personnel share their knowledge and centre expectations with newer members and encourage them to take on leadership roles.
The Association management team has a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and having a bicultural partnership with whānau Māori. This commitment is evident in Association operations and in the support provided for centres. Adults’ and children’s familiarity with te reo and tikanga Māori is encouraged. Centre members look for ways to include te ao Māori throughout the programme. They are keen to continue to strengthen their bicultural practices.
Experienced members provide effective leadership and work collaboratively to manage the Playcentre. They willingly share share their knowledge and expertise with new parents and appreciate the strong support they have received from the Association.
The Association provides effective governance and management structures for the centres. There are good systems in place to monitor the quality of sessions, adult education levels, and health and safety requirements. The management team demonstrates the professional leadership necessary to help the centres respond to change, including the restructure of the national Playcentre organisation.
Key next steps for centre members are to:
make the extension of children’s individual interests and continuity of learning more evident in planning and evaluation records
strengthen the inclusion of te ao Māori throughout the centre programme
embed and strengthen internal evaluation to guide decision making.
To help enhance practices in all North Shore Playcentres, new regional support personnel should consider ways to support members to:
increase their bicultural understanding and integration of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori
improve their understanding and use of internal evaluation as a tool to guide and improve practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tomarata 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 Tomarata Playcentre will be in three years.
Violet Tu'uga Stevenson
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
30 June 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.
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Location |
Wellsford, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25302 |
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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 |
13 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 9 Girls 4 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
13 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
May 2017 |
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Date of this report |
30 June 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
November 2013 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
November 2007 |
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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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tomarata Playcentre is located in a farming community near Wellsford and is resourced by a cooperative of enthusiastic members. The playcentre is licensed for 30 children, including 15 children up to two years and offers two family sessions each week. The centre’s spacious indoor and outdoor environments provide varied opportunities for children to explore and learn.
The North Shore Playcentre Association is the umbrella organisation for twenty one playcentres situated in North Auckland. Many of these centres are semi-rural. The association manages and distributes centres’ funding and provides a training programme for parents/whānau to achieve playcentre qualifications. It also has good systems to support centre members to manage the playcentres and to provide educational programmes for children. The association is currently reviewing many aspects of its operations to help reduce the administrative workload for its members.
The 2010 ERO report identified many positive aspects of the centre operations that continue to be evident. It also identified that members could improve some aspects of the programme and planning, including increasing levels of challenge and complexity in learning opportunities for older children. Good progress has been made in these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of 12 reviews in the North Shore Playcentre Association.
Playcentre members ensure that children’s learning and wellbeing are well supported and nurtured. Warm, positive interactions between adults and children ensure that there is an inclusive tone in the centre that is focused on learning. Children are confident, outgoing and communicative. They choose from a wide variety of resources to support their play.
The centre’s child-led programme aligns to the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood education curriculum. Members encourage children to explore and learn at a pace that suits their stage of development and interests. Children are encouraged to be active and to take risks in their learning. They respond well to centre routines that encourage cooperative play and opportunities to develop their interests uninterrupted. Programmes are developed around children’s strengths and interests. Records of learning include children’s experiences both in the centre and at home.
The association management team takes responsibility for specific tasks relating to the function of the association. Members of the team are committed to and enthusiastic about their involvement in playcentre and actively foster emergent leadership to help sustain the association. The management team demonstrates the professional leadership necessary to help the association respond to change, make decisions and manage issues as they arise. The North Shore Playcentre Association provides effective support to help this playcentre remain well placed to provide positive learning outcomes for children.
Opportunities are provided for parents and whānau to contribute their perspectives to the design of centre programmes. The introduction of a ‘circle time’ at the beginning of the day has proven to be a significant feature of the centre’s programme. Adults and children have an opportunity to share food and conversation before setting off to different areas of play.
A bicultural partnership with Māori whānau is evident in association operations. The management team has a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to building both adults’ and children’s familiarity with te reo and tikanga Māori. Members use te reo Māori meaningfully in the curriculum. They are committed to exploring ways to make the centre one of choice for parents/caregivers of Māori children. Pacific perspectives are included in the programme to support children in their learning.
Effective partnerships between families, education services, and the local school help children’s successful transitions to school. Members effectively support children’s social development and capabilities in literacy and mathematics. They appreciate the way the playcentre’s philosophy and programme helps children develop their independence and adapt to new situations.
Increasingly, self review is used to inform strategic direction and support the centre’s continuous improvement.
Centre members should, with North Shore Playcentre Association support, explore ways to refine self-review processes so that areas for review are better documented.
ERO and centre leaders agree that improved self-review processes would support members to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tomarata 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
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 Tomarata Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
15 November 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 |
Wellsford, Auckland |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25302 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
16 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Boys 10 Girls 6 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Tongan |
1 14 1 |
|
Review team on site |
August 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
15 November 2013 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
October 2010 |
|
Education Review |
November 2007 |
|
|
Education Review |
October 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:
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.