99 Grange Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Smart Start Montessori (Grange Road) Pre-School is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Smart Start Montessori (Grange Rd) Pre-School in Mount Eden offers full and sessional education and care for up to 40 children over two years of age. Families are culturally diverse, and many children and teachers speak more than one language. About half of the children enrolled are Chinese.
In February 2019 the owner amalgamated her Ellerton Road and Grange Road services. The renovated bungalow in Grange Road was modified to accommodate this change. Children learn in two rooms and share an outdoor play space. A head teacher and two senior teachers lead the new combined teaching team of stable, long-serving staff.
Teachers confidently align a Montessori curriculum with the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The Montessori philosophy is evident in the environment, resources and teacher interactions.
Since ERO's 2013 review, there has been a focus on strengthening teacher appraisal processes and assessment of children's learning.
Families are warmly greeted on arrival. Children settle quickly and play well alongside each other. They are articulate, confident and competent learners. Children initiate conversations easily, make independent choices about their play. A strong sense of whānau and belonging is evident. Learning experiences and provocations encourage children to collaborate and develop their knowledge.
Children are viewed as capable and competent learners. They lead their own learning in a well-resourced and very attractive environment. Extended periods of uninterrupted play allow time for children to sustain an interest in their self-directed activities.
Teachers' purposeful and respectful conversations enrich children's vocabulary and knowledge. Social and self-management skills are promoted as part of the Montessori curriculum. Tuakana/teina relationships are encouraged, and children's play is inclusive and friendly.
Programme planning reflects children's interests and assessment portfolios show children's learning over time. Teachers work collaboratively and with parents, keeping them informed about their children's learning progress. Interviews with parents enable teachers to find out about the aspirations parents have for their children. Science, mathematics and literacy concepts are explicitly integrated throughout the environment. The thoughtfully presented outdoor space promotes creative and imaginative play and provides good opportunities for physical challenges.
Teachers value their partnerships with parents, who are very positive about the care and attention their children receive. Children with special needs integrate easily into the centre and teachers work with the relevant professional services to support the children's learning and development.
The centre's commitment to biculturalism is evident in the way they honour the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand in their practice and the environment. Teachers incorporate aspects of tikanga and use te reo Māori during the session and in children's portfolios. They respond to the multicultural community by sharing their languages and cultures with the children. There is a genuine respect for families' cultures. Parents also confidently share their cultural celebrations.
Internal evaluation has been very effective in promoting change. Teachers are encouraged and supported to be reflective practitioners. Evaluating the outcomes for children as a result of internal evaluation will strengthen current practice. An evaluation of more formal aspects of the programme would help teachers to critically examine their practice in relation to Te Whāriki and current theory.
The owner supports the development of leadership within teaching teams. Professional leadership programmes continue to impact positively on teachers' practice. Strategic and annual planning together with a sound policy framework guide the centre's operations and future direction.
The centre manager/owner is conscientious and highly motivated, and works collaboratively with staff. A clear vision and well considered strategic plan drive continual improvement. The owner and teachers have a clear focus on children's wellbeing. Careful attention and good communication ensured a smooth and successful transition during the renovation of Grange Road centre and the introduction of the children from Ellerton Road into the new environment. Parents have responded favourably to the recent changes in the centre.
Key steps for the centre are to continue to:
strengthen the documentation of parent aspirations and include this information in children's assessment records
critically evaluate outcomes for children as a result of changes made through internal evaluation
strengthen 'teaching as inquiry' approaches as part of teachers' appraisals.
Before the review, the staff and management of Smart Start Montessori (Grange Road) Pre-School 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
6 June 2019
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 |
Mount Eden, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20362 |
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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 |
40 children aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
51 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 33 Boys 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā |
16 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
March 2019 |
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Date of this report |
6 June 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2013 |
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Education Review |
November 2010 |
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Education Review |
June 2007 |
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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.
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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.
Smart Start Montessori Grange Road and Ellerton Road Preschools are situated in Mount Eden, Auckland. Both centres are managed and operated by the same owners. Care and education is provided for children from two and a half years to six years of age. Smart Start Montessori (Grange Rd) is licensed for 20 children. The preschool caters for children from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
The preschool philosophy is guided by the Montessori vision of holistic development and the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. This philosophy is evident in the quality of environment, resources and interactions.
The preschool staff are long serving, with two fully registered and one provisionally registered teacher. The owner and staff have been responsive to the recommendations of the 2010 ERO report.
Children are articulate, confident and competent learners. They demonstrate high levels of engagement in both independent and collaborative play. They are able to assess their own learning, progress and achievement. Children have a strong sense of belonging and ownership within the centre.
Children have highly developed social competencies. They interact very effectively with adults and initiate conversations about their own learning. They engage with other children and support each other well in tuakana/teina relationships. Teachers support children’s learning and social development effectively through a focus on ‘grace and courtesy’ skills as part of the Montessori philosophy.
Complex learning is evident in the programme. Teachers are experts at implementing all aspects of the Montessori curriculum. Significant professional development has supported them to further strengthen teaching practices based on Te Whāriki. They competently develop children’s thinking and reasoning skills. They recognise the value of children engaging in complex imaginative play and the creative use of materials. They have high quality interactions with children through open-ended questioning and the use of terminology that enriches children’s vocabulary and knowledge. Literacy and numeracy concepts are well integrated throughout the environment and teaching practice.
There has been a significant shift in the curriculum from a teacher-led approach to a focus on child-led learning. Programme planning now reflects children’s interests. Teachers make teaching and learning decisions based on their in-depth knowledge of each child. Teachers provide opportunities for parents to share their aspirations for their children and to contribute to planning decisions. They also keep parents informed about children’s learning and development in a variety of ways.
Teachers honour the cultural uniqueness that Māori and other children bring with them. There is a genuine and respectful valuing of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori in centre practices and interactions. Cultural celebrations of the families are highlighted in the programme to raise children’s awareness of others’ cultures and to develop pride in their own.
The centre owner is committed to providing a high quality service for parents and children. The owner and staff work very collaboratively. There is a shared understanding of management and teaching practices. Head teachers are open to new teaching and learning approaches. They seek to extend their knowledge and model good practice to guide other staff.
Both Smart Start Montessori centres operate under the same management systems and procedures. As a result of professional development, policies and procedures, annual planning and self review have been recently reviewed and improved. In response to the 2010 ERO report recommendation, self review has been extended to include the review of teaching and learning practices. Leaders and teachers have a good understanding of self review and are very well placed to sustain good practice and generate further improvements.
ERO and centre leaders agree on the following next steps to further enhance capability and sustainability. Centre leaders could:
Before the review, the management of Smart Start Montessori (Grange Rd) Pre-School 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 Smart Start Montessori (Grange Rd) Pre-School will be in four years.
Dale Bailey
National Manager Review Services Northern Region
11 October 2013
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 |
Mount Eden, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20362 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 |
||
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Number licensed for |
20 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
37 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 24 Boys 13 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Indian Chinese Middle Eastern Pacific |
1 22 9 3 1 1 |
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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 |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
August 2013 |
||
|
Date of this report |
11 October 2013 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2007 |
|
|
Education Review |
November 2010 |
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 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.