- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
How well placed is Mana Montessori Preschool Inc to promote positive learning outcomes for children?
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Mana Montessori Inc is governed by a parent committee and caters for children aged from two and a half to six years of age. The purpose-built building includes spacious rooms for two mixed age groups. The preschool has been established for 25 years and is open from 8.45am to 3.00 pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45 am to 11.45 am on Fridays. The preschool is licensed for 50 children of a range of ethnicities.
Most teachers are long serving and all have specialist training and in-depth knowledge of Montessori principles and practices.
Teachers have reviewed their practice related to the 2012 ERO review and continue to develop high quality processes. The preschool has a good ERO reporting history.
The preschool’s philosophy is a thoughtful blend of the Montessori approach and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. This philosophy is clearly evident in practice. A key priority for teachers is to provide an environment that allows children to explore independently. The outdoor area has been recently redeveloped to be stimulating, natural, attractive and purposefully prepared.
The 2015 strategic and annual plans are consistent with the philosophy and support Montessori education.
Teachers promote an appropriate focus on environmental education, and children are encouraged to learn about sustainable practice and caring for the natural world. Risk taking is promoted, within a supportive structure, and children are challenged both physically and through their exploration.
Children move freely between indoors and outdoors. The indoor environment is well planned, stimulating and resources facilitate the learning of literacy, mathematics and science. There are opportunities for imaginative play and for children to learn at their own pace. Children are confident, capable and happy. They explore, investigate and interact positively.
Teachers nurture a love of learning. They notice and respond to children's interests and experiences. Children’s strengths are recognised and individual planning supports their ongoing development. Records of learning are well presented in profile books. Children are proud of their books. They regularly revisit and share with peers and parents the wide range of experiences provided.
There is a strong commitment to implementing a bicultural curriculum. A tutor is inspiring the use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori for both teachers and children. Te reo Māori is comfortably used and parents report that they are learning language and waiata from their children.
Communication and engagement with families is strong, with many opportunities for parents and whānau to meet for social and educational purposes.
The preschool benefits from highly capable leadership and collaborative team work. All roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and enacted.
Through a revised performance appraisal, teachers reflect and document success and next steps in relation to improving practice.
The head of school and each head of class maintain knowledge and capable oversight of preschool operations. Staff and committee members all participate in the well-structured and systematic, evaluative self-review process. Outcomes affirm good practice or lead to positive changes.
Overall, effective operation promotes positive outcomes for children’s learning and wellbeing. Mana Montessori Preschool’s committee and teachers seek continuous improvement. The centre's own embedded, evaluative review affirms their high quality early childhood provision.
Before the review, the staff and management of Mana Montessori Preschool Inc 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 Mana Montessori Preschool Inc will be in four years.
Joyce Gebbie
Deputy Chief Review Officer Central
4 June 2015
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 |
Whitby, Porirua |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60277 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
50 children aged over 2 |
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Service roll |
49 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 26; Girls 23 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Other European |
6 27 11 5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
N/A |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
May 2015 |
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Date of this report |
4 June 2015 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) These are available at www.ero.govt.nz |
Education Review |
August 2012 |
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Education Review |
November 2008 |
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Education Review |
July 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.
