316 Main North Road, Redwood, Christchurch
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd is one of two centres with the same owner. A mentoring manager has oversight of both services. The service reflects the diversity of its community. There have been some changes in staffing since the 2018 ERO review. Most teachers are certificated, and some have Montessori teaching qualifications. The manager position is currently vacant.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and Montessori principles underpin the play-based curriculum. Children are viewed as capable learners and actively make choices in the programme. Teachers use a wide range of strategies to support children to engage positively with their peers and foster their independence. The curriculum is designed to provide familiarity and predictability for children. This supports children’s sense of security in knowing what will happen next.
Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are woven through regular routines. Teachers are building their confidence in the use of te reo Māori in their daily teaching practice. Cultural celebrations at the service provide opportunities for families to participate in the curriculum.
Teachers are at the early stages of exploring the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. They respond to, and plan for the individual interests, strengths, and needs of children. Assessment records reflect the service’s values and focus on literacy and social competence. Children’s learning is visible however, their progression of learning over time is not yet evident. Teachers do not yet consistently show how they acknowledge and respond to the languages, cultures, and identities of children and their whānau in assessment documentation.
ERO’s 2018 report identified that a useful internal evaluation framework had been introduced however this is not yet well understood and there is not yet collective capability within the teaching team to undertake effective internal evaluation for improvement.
Governance and management have maintained the learning and teaching environment to ensure the physical and emotional safety for all children and adults are met.
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning. This is to:
further develop assessment processes to show how children are progressing in relation to the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki and clearly show how children’s languages, cultures, and identities are acknowledged and responded to
maximise the opportunities to incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori throughout daily teaching practice
develop and take planned actions to build all teachers capability to do and use effective internal evaluation for improvement.
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
14 September 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd |
|
Profile Number |
70571 |
|
Location |
Christchurch |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
25 children. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
15 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 2, NZ European/Pākehā 6, Other ethnic groups 7 |
|
Review team on site |
May 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
14 September 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, June 2018; Education Review, November 2014 |
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd is one of four centres with the same owner. The owner and a teaching and operations manager maintain an oversight of, and provide support to, all four centres. This centre is licensed for up to 25 children aged from two years to school age. Children benefit from good child to teacher ratios that exceed minimum requirements. There have been some changes in staff and centre leadership in 2014. The teachers are beginning to develop stronger links with local schools to support children’s transition to school.
This review was part of a cluster of four early childhood centre reviews in the Learning Curves Montessori service.
Teachers regularly notice and respond to children’s interests. They find out what children know and think about topics of interest. Recent changes to the way they plan, shows they know individual children well and are using this knowledge to better inform their planning.
Parents are well informed about children’s involvement in the programme through interesting wall displays, books that highlight individual children’s involvement in the programme and regular conversations with teachers.
Children are benefiting from regular conversations with their teachers. Teachers make good use of questions to help children talk about their ideas and extend their learning. ERO heard teachers helping children recognise and talk about mathematical concepts as part of their everyday play. Teachers recognise when children need additional help and when children can complete a task by themselves.
Recent changes to the teacher appraisal system are helping teachers reflect more regularly on the how well they interact with children and identify ways they can further improve their teaching. Managers and leaders provide specific and useful feedback to staff.
Children have good opportunities to make choices within their day. This includes choosing activities that most interest them and contributing to decisions about their care needs. ERO observed teachers acknowledging and respecting children’s preferences.
Other positive features of the programme include the opportunities children have to:
Teachers are making increasing use of self review to improve aspects of the programme. There has been a positive impact from a recent self review undertaken by teachers on the bicultural curriculum and supporting success for Māori. As a result, aspects of Māori culture and language are more visible in the environment and programme.
The new head teacher is strongly focused on fostering teamwork and encouraging teachers to reflect on their professional practice.
A clear management structure is supporting centre development. A useful policy and procedure framework is in place to guide the successful operation of the centre. Managers provide good support for centre leaders, and make effective use of staff strengths. They have good systems to inform them about the quality of the teaching, curriculum and operation in each centre. Managers are responsive to identified needs and external feedback.
The service owner and the teaching and operations manager clearly articulate their expectations for high-quality teaching and learning. The next step is to better document these so they can be shared more easily with teachers, and used to monitor and evaluate centre effectiveness, to guide future planning.
As a newly established teaching team, a key next step for teachers is to develop their understandings about the weaving together of Montessori teaching approaches with Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum. This should support them to have a more shared approach to teaching and learning, planning and assessment.
The managers and ERO agree that other next steps include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd 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 Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd will be in three years.
Graham Randell
National Manager Review Services Southern Region
5 November 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 |
Redwood, Christchurch |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
70571 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education and Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children aged two years and over |
||
|
Service roll |
44 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 27 Girls 17 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Other Ethnicities |
6 32 5 1 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
||
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
August 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
5 November 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports
|
Education Review |
September 2011 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2008 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2005 |
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.
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood is one of three centres with the same owner. The owner and an induction and mentoring manager maintain an oversight of, and provide support to, all three centres.
Learning Curves Montessori Redwood provides full day education and care for up to 25 children from two years old to school age. The programme incorporates Montessori approaches with Te Whāriki, the Early Childhood Curriculum. This is evident in the ways the environment is presented and the resources available to children.
There have been some changes of staff since the 2014 ERO review. The owner and induction and mentoring manager provide management and leadership support for this centre. A teacher with designated responsibility undertakes additional administration duties. Teachers take collective responsibility for the day to day operation of the centre and curriculum. Most teachers are qualified early childhood teachers and some have Montessori teaching qualifications.
This review was part of a cluster of three early learning centre reviews in the Learning Curves Montessori service.
Teachers purposefully encourage children's independence and choice. They are increasingly making use of opportunities for children to do things for themselves, follow their own ideas, and develop positive attitudes about their abilities to try tasks.
Intentional use of equipment linked to children's interests helps to engage them in the programme. Teachers effectively support children's confidence, strong sense of belonging and inclusion through meaningful interactions.
Teachers maintain useful records of learning that show they know individual children well. They recognise children's interests and learning dispositions. Teachers use this information effectively to engage children in ways that encourage them to talk about their play and extend their ideas.
Children's language, culture and identities are acknowledged and valued. A bicultural curriculum is promoted. There is an increasing awareness of aspects of tikanga Māori. Teachers value the cultural knowledge and support of Māori parents and whānau.
Teachers build effective partnerships with parents. They value their knowledge and respond effectively to parents' aspirations for their children's learning. Informative wall displays highlight children's learning. Current curriculum priorities provide helpful information for parents about aspects of Montessori teaching and learning approaches.
A useful framework for internal evaluation has recently been introduced. This is supporting teachers to reflect on their practice in ways likely to lead to improved outcomes for children's learning. The implementation of this is being closely supported by the induction and mentoring manager.
Teachers receive constructive feedback through appraisal. Individual appraisal goals support centre development. Teachers' strengths and passions support collective leadership at centre level.
The service owner is focused on outcomes for children, and along with the induction and mentoring manager, provides regular feedback focussed on improving programmes and practices for them. They promote staff strengths and provide well targeted professional learning and development opportunities related to the centre, staff needs and the philosophy.
The centre owner, induction and mentoring manager and ERO agree that the key next steps to strengthen the curriculum and improve outcomes for children include:
reviewing the philosophy to ensure it reflects this centre's shared values and beliefs
continuing to improve the consistency of assessment, planning and evaluation for teaching and learning
increasing teachers' use of internal evaluation to develop shared understandings through collective team decision making
continuing to develop strategic and annual planning and evaluation to better guide overall service and centre development.
In addition, more effective practices need to be developed so that the service owner and induction and mentoring manager can be assured that the overarching service philosophy and vision are being effectively enacted in this service.
Since the on-site stage of the review the service has provided additional evidence to ERO to show how it has responded to the identified Key Next Steps. It is too early for ERO to evaluate the impact of these changes on improving centre practices.
Before the review, the staff and management of Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd 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 Learning Curves Montessori Redwood Ltd will be in three years.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Waipounamu - Southern Region
26 June 2018
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 |
Christchurch |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
70571 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
25 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
35 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 19 ; Girls 16 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other ethnicities |
6 20 9 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
|
|
Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
May 2018 |
||
|
Date of this report |
26 June 2018 |
||
|
Most recent ERO reports |
Education Review Education Review Education Review |
November 2014 September 2011 March 2008 |
|
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.