6 School Road, Woodend
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Woodend Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Woodend Playcentre operates as a parent-led cooperative under the governance and management of Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa - Playcentre Aotearoa. The Playcentre employs two centre coordinators who share the role. Playcentre Aotearoa employs a centre support worker and administrator who regularly visit the playcentre to support the parents and coordinators.
Woodend Playcentre is licensed for 25 children, including 10 children aged under two. It is open four mornings a week. Parents are rostered to help at each session. The playcentre's philosophy emphasises families working together and families as first educators. It encompasses valuing and respecting cultural diversity, children learning through play and developing skills to empower them to be competent and confident life learners.
The Playcentre has made some progress in addressing the recommendations of the June 2014 ERO report. This includes encouraging parents to undertake Playcentre parent education programmes, increasing participation in recording children's learning and parent's involvement in internal evaluation.
This review was part of a cluster of four playcentre reviews in Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa - Playcentre Aotearoa.
Children experience a calm, unhurried learning environment. Parents provide a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of children. They have a deep understanding of each child as a unique learner. The spacious, natural outdoor environment provides good opportunities for children's exploration and physical challenge. Children are encouraged to choose from a wide range of resources and equipment to promote independence and self-management skills.
Infants and toddlers are well supported. They have access to a good range of resources and learning experiences including sensory play. There is a safe space available for babies to play and explore. Infants and toddlers are viewed as capable learners, involved in all aspects of the programme.
Parents carefully listen to and discuss children's learning. This allows them to extend ideas and build on their interests. Children are successfully supported to manage their emotions. Parents respectfully and appropriately guide children to resolve their conflicts. There are many opportunities for younger and older children to interact cooperatively. This results in a positive learning environment and fosters children's wellbeing.
The parent group and coordinators are welcoming and inclusive. They foster positive and affirming relationships with all families. They role model care and respect for one another and the children. The language, culture and identity of families are respected and valued. This helps children and their families develop a sense of belonging.
The playcentre has a newly developed strategic plan that sets clear priorities. The centre is planning to evaluate the effectiveness of its implementation. Internal evaluation is becoming established and results in positive outcomes for children and whānau.
Playcentre Aotearoa has a well-established philosophy that acknowledges and values parents as the first educators of their children. It provides a broad range of support for playcentres including nation-wide training courses and personnel who liaise with and assist centres. The effective implementation of a recently reviewed policy and procedure framework will help parents and whānau to ensure that children have safe and healthy learning environments while at playcentre.
The parent group has identified, and ERO's evaluation has confirmed, that the key next steps to build on good practices are to continue to:
develop a stronger knowledge of te ao Māori and increase the use of te reo Māori in the programme
support parents to contribute to assessment, planning and evaluation with a focus on children's learning.
Key next steps for the Northern South Island Hub are to provide better support to playcentres in relation to planning for learning, internal evaluation, strategic planning and, health and safety practices including relevant risk assessment and management for excursions.
Before the review, the staff and management of Woodend 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
14 May 2020
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 |
Woodend |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
70150 |
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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 |
25 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
33 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 15, Boys 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
0-49% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2019 |
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Date of this report |
14 May 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2014 |
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Education Review |
June 2010 |
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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:
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 will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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 |
Woodend Playcentre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
This playcentre operates under the guidance of the Canterbury Playcentre Association. The playcentre is a parent cooperative with parents encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the centre’s programme and operation. The playcentre philosophy is based on the belief that children reach their full potential when their parents understand their development and take part in the learning process. Adults with higher playcentre training take responsibility for coordinating the programme each session.
Woodend Playcentre is open for three sessions a week and plans to increase this to four sessions per week in 2014. It operates in purpose-built premises across the road from a local primary school. The supervisors have been associated with the playcentre for a long period of time.
The parent committee has been focused on increasing roll numbers. It has been successful in increasing the number of families at the playcentre and children are attending more often.
The recommendations in the June 2010 ERO report have all been addressed. These include improvements to bicultural practice, meeting the learning needs of older children and provision for the under two year olds.
This review was part of a cluster of six reviews in the Canterbury Playcentre Association.
Children benefit from the priority adults place on building effective relationships and supporting children’s sense of belonging. Interactions between adults and children are positive and caring. Children have developed strong relationships with a number of adults at the playcentre and parents regularly take responsibility for children other than their own. The coordinators and parent group know each other and the children and their families well. This is reflected in the high quality of the interactions between children and adults.
Infants and toddlers are viewed as competent and capable. Adults make sure these children have good opportunities to interact with older children and take part in the full range of playcentre activities. They ensure toddlers are challenged in their physical play and have regular opportunities to spend time with a variety of adults. A quiet play area provides a safe space for babies and a comfortable place for mothers to feed their infants.
Children benefit from the ways adults extend their ideas and thinking. The conversations adults have with children are encouraging problem solving and supporting creative ideas. Children and adults have fun together.
The programme is effectively based on children’s interests. Children’s individuality is promoted and respected. The programme also provides:
There is a strong focus on using parents' skills and ideas. Relationships between families, and support for parenting extend beyond the centre. Feedback from parents has been sought through surveys and their opinions responded to through useful self review.
The parent group is future focussed and has clear plans in place to guide future centre development. Appropriate long term planning has been developed that includes links to the wider Canterbury Playcentre Association goals as well as the parents' vision and values for their playcentre.
The parent group and ERO agree, that the following areas for development would help them to continue to improve the programme for children.
The enrolment of new families at the playcentre has had an impact on the numbers of parents who are able to contribute to planning and assessment. The next steps for the parent group are to:
The playcentre has undertaken a number of self reviews that have contributed to some positive changes in the environment and aspects of the curriculum. Further development to make the review process clear would help parents to participate more in self reviews. This includes:
There is significant change occurring in the structure of governance and management at association level. The recent review of governance and management has been supported by useful and consultative processes.
The association has identified, and ERO agrees, that the next steps for the association include association staff:
In addition a system for the regular appraisal of Centre Support Team members should be re-established.
Before the review, the staff and management of Woodend 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 Woodend Playcentre will be in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
14 March 2014
|
Location |
Woodend, North Canterbury |
|
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
70150 |
|
|
Licence type |
Playcentre |
|
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
|
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 10 aged under two |
|
|
Service roll |
23 |
|
|
Gender composition |
Girls 16 Boys 7 |
|
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā |
6 17 |
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Review team on site |
December 2013 |
|
|
Date of this report |
14 March 2014 |
|
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review |
June 2010 |
|
Education Review |
April 2004 |
|
|
Accountability Review |
June 1999 |
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.