15b Takiroa Street, Urenui
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.
Urenui Playcentre is licensed for up to 30 children, including 15 aged up to two years. Twenty children are enrolled. The centre opens for mixed-age sessions, two mornings a week.
The playcentre is one of 17 parent-led early learning services administered by the Taranaki Playcentre Association (the association). A management team of elected volunteers implements the directives from playcentre governance and provides the adult education programme, guidance and support for members.
Centre supporters are employed by the association to regularly visit playcentres. Their role is to provide professional advice and feedback to strengthen practice and promote improvement. Responsibility for day-to-day operation is undertaken by centre-elected office holders. Parents share the duties associated with implementing the daily programme.
The New Zealand Playcentre Federation is planning a significant restructure in 2017 that includes amalgamating associations. Playcentres will become part of a regional hub, supported by a regional manager and support persons.
The February 2014 ERO report for Urenui Playcentre identified that development of assessment, planning and internal evaluation was needed. Centre members have made positive progress in responding to these areas.
This review was part of a cluster of seven playcentre reviews in the Taranaki Playcentre Association.
The association philosophy of parent-led education and child-initiated play is valued by centre members and reflected in practice. The principles and strands of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, underpin practice to promote positive outcomes for children. A commitment to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi is evident across the organisation.
Children are unhurried as they explore learning spaces and develop skills in preparation for the future. They experience a supportive environment and richly resourced areas of play. The outdoor environment promotes connectedness to Papatūānuku, the living environment.
Children are viewed as confident, competent learners. Respectful, responsive interactions are evident as adults follow and support children's interests and encourage decision making and creativity. Some interactions extend on and build children's thinking and problem solving. Useful practices support children's involvement in play.
Children's strengths, needs and preferences inform and guide the curriculum. Local community excursions provide authentic learning contexts for children. Younger children learn individually and alongside others. Literacy and science learning and creativity are fostered.
A recent planning for learning approach has been introduced. This includes regular daily, weekly and termly documentation. These inform and guide future plans for individual children's learning. A collaborative approach is implemented. There is collective strength within the centre that can support members to grow their practice.
Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori are positively reflected in the centre. Kupu Māori, books, resources, artefacts, puzzles, costumes and posters are used. Tikanga rituals include karakia, waiata and pepeha which include links to the whenua. Members should continue to build te reo me ngā tikanga Māori knowledge and understandings.
Portfolios show varied use of templates, observations, learning stories and inclusion of Te Whāriki goals and dispositions. Children's voice and artwork are celebrated. Individual and group stories include links to home. Adults should continue to embed planning for learning and promote children's culture, language and identity.
A well-considered transition process with the local school is in place. The positive collaborative relationship supports children's interactions and experiences through the process.
Adults have made good use of self review to strengthen assessment and planning for children's learning. More clearly showing the impact of adults' planned strategies on children's outcomes is a next step.
The association Māori representative of Puriri Whakamaru o Taranaki, supports centre members to gain further understandings of te ao Māori. This aspect is developing well as an integral part of the curriculum. Association and centre leaders should use strategic planning and internal evaluation to ensure the good practice occurring is sustained and continues to be built on.
The centre support person provides useful written reports on centre environmental developments and programme practices. These have a focus on outcomes for children and identification of next steps for centre members to improve teaching and learning.
Appraisal for centre supporters requires strengthening. The process, to enhance outcomes for children and their families, should: include more focused goals that build their capability; and provide more regular and targeted feedback and feed forward about supportive practices.
The association should continue to support centre members to:
further grow internal evaluation
plan for learning
build on bicultural practices.
The association should:
improve appraisal for the centre support people to respond to individual needs and identify professional development to grow them in their leadership roles
continue to build centre support staff knowledge and capability to undertake effective internal evaluation.
Before the review, the staff and management of Urenui 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. In order to improve practice the association must ensure:
that steps are taken to update policy provision to meet the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act [Vulnerable Children Act 2014]
all non-registered personnel, including managers and volunteers, are police vetted every three years. [section 319D to 319 A/FE Education Act 1989]
The next ERO review of Urenui Playcentre will be in three years.
Alan Wynyard
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central (Acting)
22 August 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 |
Urenui |
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|
Ministry of Education profile number |
50003 |
||
|
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 |
20 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 13, Boys 7 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
4 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
22 August 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
February 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 2006 |
||
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.
Urenui Playcentre is a community-based service located in coastal North Taranaki. The playcentre is located next to the local school. It operates two mornings per week. Up to 30 children from birth to school age can attend each session. There are currently 17 children on the roll.
Central to the philosophy are the values parents have for their children as independent and creative learners. Adults aim to support this through the range of opportunities provided, and an emphasis on making learning fun and enjoyable.
Since the 2010 ERO review, the centre has undergone some building changes. Progress in areas identified for development and review from the previous review has occurred.
The playcentre is one of 17 parent led services governed under the Taranaki Playcentre Association (the association) umbrella. The governance of these centres has recently reverted to a structure where all centres' representatives contribute to association decisions and priorities.
This review was part of a cluster of 14 Playcentre reviews in the Taranaki Playcentre Association.
Children benefit from relationships that are positive and warm. A calm tone exists. Families' and children’s sense of belonging is fostered. Adults affirm and encourage children’s efforts. They are actively involved and engaged with their own and others’ children. There are many opportunities for sustained play and learning. Some adults are skilled at extending children’s interests and thinking.
The environment is well resourced and maintained. An attractive sensory garden where children can touch, smell and explore, supports them to understand and care for the natural environment. Children and adults frequently enjoy shared literacy experiences. Children’s independence and self-help skills are promoted.
There are established links with three local schools in the area. This assists children and families as they move to the next stage of their education.
Centre leaders have made changes to planning and evaluation processes to better support adults in responding to children’s interests. These include wall displays that show children’s current interests and ways adults can provide resources and activities to promote these. Further development should include a stronger emphasis on identifying and responding to children’s learning.
There are a few opportunities for children to hear Māori language through greetings and basic use of te reo Māori. Adults are aware they need to make further progress in ensuring children know about the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand. They have been supported through the role of the Puriri W’akamaru o Taranaki, established by the association to build bicultural understandings.
Well-organised processes assist with the day-to-day operations of the playcentre. Both Urenui Playcentre and the association have annual plans that inform operational decisions. There are few links between the association and individual playcentre goals. The association’s strategic vision has yet to effectively focus on priorities for improving teaching and learning.
The association has planned professional development for 2014 on planning and evaluation. ERO agrees that this is timely as the playcentre parents continue to grow their understanding of current approaches for assessing and planning children’s learning.
ERO recommends the association strengthen its understanding of self review through external support in order to better support the playcentre. This includes developing more robust ways of knowing the impact of its services on children’s learning and development, and the quality of the educational programmes.
Association personnel visit regularly and provide advice and guidance. Positive relationships between the playcentre and those in support roles are evident. The association also offers opportunities for parents to train in playcentre early childhood education courses. Extending and improving the support the association offers to playcentres is an important next step.
Adults are committed to ongoing improvement of the centre. The next steps for further improvement are to:
The association would benefit from strengthening and improving:
Before the review, the staff and management of Urenui 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 Urenui Playcentre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region (Acting)
25 February 2014
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 |
Urenui |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
50003 |
||
|
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 |
17 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 11, Boys 6 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Chinese French |
14 2 1 |
|
|
Reported ratios of adults to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
November 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
25 February 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2006 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
December 2002 |
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.