35 Watea Road, Torbay, Auckland
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.
Torbay Playcentre is a family cooperative that operates in a building with large, well maintained grounds, adjacent to an urban council reserve. The centre is licensed for 29 children, including up to 15 under two years of age. It is open for six sessions each week, including an outdoor session and a 'Star Club' session for older children.
Centre practices are based on Playcentre philosophy of families learning together. The philosophy affirms parents as valued and best educators of their children. Sessions are guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. There is an expectation that te reo Māori will be used on session.
The centre is one of 21 in the North Shore Playcentre Association. The Association provides a management and policy framework, and centre support personnel. Playcentre Aotearoa is in the process of a national restructure and the North Shore Association is now part of Playcentre's northern region. A new regional manager has been appointed and support personnel roles and expectations are being confirmed.
Since the 2014 ERO report new centre members have maintained good practices, and continued to provide good quality programmes for children. They have focused on strengthening continuity between sessions and annual planning processes. Most members are currently enrolled in Playcentre training courses.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the North Shore Playcentre Association.
Children are confident and capable learners. They engage purposefully in self-chosen play. Their developing social competence is evident in their support and concern for others, positive interactions and eagerness to learn and discover. Children share their ideas and home languages with adults and peers. They are encouraged to try things out, solve problems and be independent.
Parents/whānau implement a play-based learning programme underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and Playcentre philosophy. Assessment and curriculum planning are responsive to children’s ideas, interests and learning styles. Children’s individual assessment portfolios are a good record of their learning journey. A variety of adults make contributions to the portfolios and share them with the children.
Parents/whānau build on children’s understanding of the world around them in meaningful ways. They nurture children’s curiosity and opportunities to learn through play. Children’s growing knowledge of literacy, numeracy, and science is extended through teachers' suggestions and support in play. There is very good support for oral language development. Creativity through art, music and drama, is also strongly encouraged.
Centre members' commitment to bicultural practices, and their embedding of te ao Māori in the programme are strengths of the centre. Adults and children use words and phrases of te reo Māori in routines, conversations and waiata. They show confidence and respect in the appropriate use of tikanga Māori. The waharoa at the entrance way depicts the whakapapa of the local area and displays inform families of the importance of Māori language and values. There is a deep respect for Papatūānuku woven through centre practices and in a focus on environmental sustainability.
Centre members are culturally responsive and inclusive. They value the diversity of cultures and languages in the centre. Children's use of home languages is encouraged. The frequent use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is actively promoted and a feature of the centre. Adults and children include NZSL as part of everyday conversation, greetings, activities and routines.
Respectful and supportive relationships between families contribute to the sense of belonging and community in the centre. Infants benefit from nurturing, individualised care and access to all areas of the centre. Toddlers can explore, make discoveries, be independent and are quickly reassured when necessary. Older children are self-managing and have leadership opportunities.
Effective leadership and good management systems contribute to the ongoing development of the centre. Centre leaders model Playcentre philosophy. They are proactive and solution focused. Experienced centre members support newer members in understanding Playcentre philosophy, centre expectations and taking on centre leadership roles. Centre members work collaboratively and all have a voice in centre management and consensus approaches are used for decision making. Internal evaluation is increasingly purposeful and leading to improvements.
The Association management team has strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to having a bicultural partnership with Māori whānau. This commitment is evident in Association operations and in centre support. Centres can access funding to help them build confidence with bicultural practices. Whānau Māori are invited to join Roopu Mahi Ngātahi o Puāwai. Centre members acknowledge the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand and affirm Māori children’s cultural identity.
The Association currently has effective governance and management practices. A voluntary executive committee takes responsibility for specific management and centre support tasks. Good systems help them to monitor the quality of programmes, adult education levels, and health and safety requirements. The management team provides professional leadership to help centres respond to changes, particularly as they transition to the new national and regional structure.
Centre members have identified that key next steps are to:
Centre members also agreed that they could:
Before the review, the staff and management of Torbay 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 Torbay Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
16 November 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 |
Torbay, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
22053 |
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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 |
29 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
44 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 22 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
Parent led |
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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 |
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Review team on site |
September 2017 |
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Date of this report |
16 November 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 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.
Torbay Playcentre provides for up to 29 children from birth to school age. The centre is a parent-led cooperative that offers four mixed-age sessions each week, plus an extra session known as Star Club that caters mainly for older children.
Since the 2010 ERO review centre members have addressed some of the areas for review and development identified in this report. They have also completed significant property upgrades. Longer serving members provide a welcoming atmosphere for new families.
The playcentre operates as part of the North Shore Playcentre Association. The association is the umbrella organisation for 21 playcentres situated in North Auckland. Many of these centres are semi-rural. The association manages and distributes funding to centres 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.
This review was part of a cluster of seven reviews in the North Shore Playcentre Association.
Torbay Playcentre is well placed to continue promoting positive learning outcomes for children.
The programme philosophy affirms parents as first educators and is aligned to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Children engage enthusiastically with others within a caring learning environment. They develop friendships and enjoy playing and learning alongside one another. Children experience respectful relationships with adults and each other. Adults listen carefully to children, and respond in ways that affirms and promotes children’s language development.
The playcentre is well resourced. Equipment is well suited to the centre’s clearly defined areas of play and to the differing ages of children. Children confidently and enthusiastically explore the centre. They engage in both child and parentinitiated activities. Responsive caregiving supports infants’ and toddlers’ need for strong and secure attachments. The large outdoor area promotes children’s exploration and physical development.
Star Club is a separate session that operates for older children. The programme is linked to Te Whāriki and has been informed through discussions with a local school. Parents receive very good information about their child’s learning and engagement at each session.
A bicultural partnership with Māori whānau is evident in association operations. Centre members have a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to building both adults’ and children’s familiarity with te reo and tikanga Māori. The recent installation of a waharoa that depicts the whakapapa of the local area has been a valuable learning opportunity for children and parents.
Members understand that the purpose of self review is to improve outcomes for children and the operation of the playcentre. They have developed some useful self review processes and very good frameworks to guide their reviews. Members are currently undertaking a review of the effectiveness of strategies for extending older children’s learning and adding further complexity to their play.
Good systems based on association procedures have been developed to manage the operation of the centre and to provide educational programmes for children. Members help each other and work together to plan and evaluate the programme. Portfolios reflect children’s participation in the programme over time. Members could now consider how they could better document the ways in which they revisit children’s learning and interests to assess progress made.
The association provides a training programme for parents/whānau to achieve playcentre qualifications. Centre members acknowledge the importance of exploring succession planning to support continuity and building capability amongst parents.
The association management team takes responsibility for specific tasks relating to the function of the association. Management team members are committed to and enthusiastic about their involvement in playcentre. They actively foster emergent leadership to help sustain the association and demonstrate 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.
Centre members and ERO agree that to further enhance playcentre operations and practice members should continue to formalise self-review processes. This could include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Torbay 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 Torbay Playcentre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
7 March 2014
|
Location |
Torbay, Auckland |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
22053 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
29 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
|
|
Service roll |
48 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 26 Boys 22 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Australian Filipino Portuguese |
4 36 5 1 1 1 |
|
Review team on site |
October 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
7 March 2014 |
|
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
November 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.