28 Gloag Street, Waverley
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.
Waverley Playcentre is situated in South Taranaki. It operates two morning sessions and caters for 30 children, including 10 aged up to two years. Many families have joined the centre since the 2014 ERO review.
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 of playcentre 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 August 2014 ERO report for Waverley Playcentre identified that development of assessment, planning, self review, bicultural practices and the quality of teaching interactions was needed. Centre members have made some recent gains 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’s interests and independence are well supported by parent educators. Relationships are warm and affirming, which assists everyone to develop a sense of belonging to the playcentre. Adults make good use of their interactions to extend play.
Outdoor developments and purposeful resourcing are promoting useful opportunities for children's active movement, physical skills and exploration.
Visits to the local school are well established and assist children and families as they move to school. Children with additional learning needs are well supported.
There have been recent developments to processes that guide adults to notice, recognise and respond to children's interests and further extend learning. Members are committed to ongoing improvement and deepening these systems.
Adults are beginning to make use of internal evaluation to strengthen aspects of the programme and centre operation. More clearly showing the impact of adults’ planned actions on children’s outcomes is an agreed next step.
Centre leaders work well together and share decision making. New information and training is shared with all families to strengthen the programme and operation. Continuing to build understanding of playcentre's approach remains an ongoing focus.
The association's 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. This 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:
embed assessment, planning and evaluation processes
build on bicultural practices
further grow internal evaluation.
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 Waverley 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 Waverley 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.
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Location |
Waverley, South Taranaki |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
51001 |
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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 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
21 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 12, Girls 9 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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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 |
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Date of this report |
22 August 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
August 2014 |
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|
Education Review |
October 2010 |
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|
Education Review |
February 2006 |
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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 |
With additional and ongoing support from the Taranaki Playcentre Association, the centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children and address key next steps for development.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Waverley Playcentre is a community-based service in South Taranaki. The playcentre is situated near the local school and operates two mornings per week.
Up to 30 children from birth to school age can attend sessions. The current roll of 20 children is growing after a period of decline. Many children under three years of age attend the centre.
The philosophy highlights the role of parents as children’s first teachers, and the importance of their involvement in supporting the programme.
The playcentre is one of 17 parent-led services governed under the Taranaki Playcentre Association (the association) umbrella. Significant renovations to the building have enhanced facilities for children and are designed to meet Ministry of Education requirements. The association has recently employed a qualified and fully registered supervisor to run sessions and support members.
The October 2010 ERO report identified several areas for development and review. Centre members are working to address these. They have recently accessed training and support from the association to improve their assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning.
This review was part of a cluster of three reviews in the Taranaki Playcentre Association.
Children enthusiastically engage in a curriculum based on their interests and strengths. The programme is child-initiated and strongly reflects playcentre philosophy. Close, responsive and reciprocal relationships are formed with each family, supporting children’s sense of belonging.
Some members offer assessment exemplars to others in the form of narratives where children’s learning is described and analysed. Next steps and ways adults might extend children’s learning are tentatively made. Members agree that they should learn from these models of good practice and engage in professional learning and development. This should improve assessment and planning.
Parents’ interactions with children are warm and nurturing. Secure relationships between children and adults, and among members are highly evident. Children are comfortable seeking attention from adults who are not their parents. Infants and toddlers actively engage in the programme. Parent educators should consider ways to ensure that spaces and equipment provided for babies are appropriate.
Some adults promote children’s language development using a variety of appropriate strategies. Centre members recognise that they should involve themselves more in children’s play, encouraging their thinking and problem solving.
A strong relationship has been developed with two local schools, supporting families with children moving on to primary school.
Adults are beginning to provide children with experiences that assist them to become confident with Aotearoa New Zealand’s dual cultural heritage. Centre members are supported by the Puriri Wākamaru o Taranaki (a role established by the association to build bicultural understandings). Acknowledged next steps are to develop strategies to effectively promote Māori children’s success as Māori.
The association provides a centre support person to give ongoing advice and guidance to members. Parent educators’ understanding of how to effectively implement self review for improvement is in the early stage of development.
ERO and centre members agree that they should investigate ways to further build, with the support of the association:
Before the review, the staff and management of Waverley 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:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
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 Waverley Playcentre will be in three years.
Joyce Gebbie
National Manager Review Services Central Region
18 August 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 |
Waverley |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
51001 |
||
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including 10 aged up to 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
20 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 12, Boys 8 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnic groups |
4 14 2 |
|
|
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 |
June 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
18 August 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
October 2010 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2006 |
||
|
Accountability Review |
November 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.