72 Domain Road, Whakatane
View on mapERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non‑compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Little Sprouts Montessori Pre-School is governed by an owner who is qualified in both early childhood and Montessori education. The service provides education and care within a multicultural community and approximately half of the enrolled children are Māori. Positive steps have been taken to address non-compliances found during the previous 2020 ERO review.
The curriculum is language-rich and inclusive, offering a range of experiences and opportunities to extend and enhance children’s learning. They are supported to develop their social competence. A sufficient quantity and variety of equipment and materials are provided for children. They are involved in decisions about their learning and their preferences are respected.
Regular opportunities are provided for parents and whānau to share aspirations for their child. Information and guidance are sought, when necessary, from agencies to enable children and their whānau to work effectively alongside them.
An annual plan, budget, and philosophy statement guide the service’s operation.
Next steps include:
establish priorities for the service’s local curriculum and reflect the things that are important to children, whānau and the wider community
increase the opportunities for children, teachers and whānau to hear and speak te reo Māori in meaningful learning contexts
strengthen the extent to which information documented about children’s learning reflects their home, language, culture, and identity.
Since and during the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
a procedure outlining how the service will ensure hygiene and infection controls outcomes are met when washing sick and soiled children (PF26)
furniture and items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) that will be used by more than one child over time are securely covered with or made of a non-porous material (that is, a material that does not allow liquid to pass through it) that, protects them from becoming soiled (PF30).
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
18 October 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Little Sprouts Montessori Pre-School |
|
Profile Number |
45014 |
|
Location |
Whakatane |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
100% |
|
Service roll |
41 |
|
Review team on site |
September 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
18 October 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, July 2020; Education Review, August 2016 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Little Sprouts Montessori Pre-School requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
There is a need to strengthen key aspects of centre governance, management and administration, health and safety, premises and facilities, and curriculum.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Sprouts Montessori Pre-School is a small privately owned, education and care service located in Whakatāne. It provides full-day education and care for up to 40 children, including eight up to two years of age, in two age-based areas. The 48 children currently enrolled are representative of a culturally diverse community, including 12 who identify as Māori.
The owners share responsibility for governance, management and leadership of the centre through clearly defined roles. The directress has overview of the philosophy and leads curriculum implementation and teaching practice. The business manager oversees financial, property and human resource management.
Through the centre philosophy, each child is 'viewed as a special and unique treasure needing to be recognised for who they are'. The philosophy aims 'to support children to be confident, independent and capable learners'. The centre follows the Montessori method of teaching and learning, interwoven with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Since the August 2016 ERO report, there have been significant staffing changes. The directress is a Montessori trained teacher. Two team leaders are responsible for the management of their respective classrooms and are supported by one qualified teacher and two teachers in training. The key areas for development identified in the previous ERO report relating to self-review and strategic planning continue to be priorities for improvement.
Required practices and procedures that promote children's health and safety are not sufficiently systematic and some key aspects are not attended to. Not all centre policies reflect regulatory requirements. Leaders should ensure that the service is guided by policies that clearly show expectations of practice in relation to the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
Leaders promote a shared understanding and show a commitment to the centre’s philosophy and vision. It is timely to review the philosophy in consultation with parents and whānau to reflect agreed priorities for children's learning. Long-term strategic goals are in development and these should clearly link to positive learning outcomes for children.
Children's learning is supported through a curriculum guided by a Montessori philosophy and Te Whāriki. Children are confident in the rules and routines of the centre. Reviewing the impact of these routines and rules on children's ability to engage in sustained and uninterrupted play, in both indoor and outdoor environment, is a next step.
Transitions are flexible and purposefully managed. A strong focus on literacy and mathematical learning supports successful transitions within and beyond the centre.
Māori children experience an environment where their language and culture are affirmed. Tuakana teina relationships are fostered in the outdoor environment where all children play together. Ethnic diversity is valued. Strengthening visibility of individual children’s language, culture and identity in assessment is a useful next step.
Children with diverse needs benefit from an inclusive culture where teachers work collaboratively with their families and whānau and external agencies. This collaboration enables these children to fully participate alongside their peers. Children up to the age of three experience responsive and respectful relationships in a calm and settled environment. Teachers are attuned to children's emotions and follow the routines of each child.
Children's assessment portfolios reflect their engagement with Montessori resources. Parents' aspirations are beginning to influence planning. A next step is to strengthen planning for individual children aligned with parent aspirations and the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki. This should support teachers to:
Building centre-wide understanding of effective internal evaluation remains a priority. A systematic approach to appraisal is required to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. Strengthening alignment between strategic and annual plans, internal evaluation, professional learning and staff appraisal are also areas requiring improvement. Support is needed to enable centre management to meet licensing requirements.
Leaders should give priority to the development and implementation of effective systems and processes to ensure required health and safety practices are in place, regularly reviewed and systematically monitored, so that any areas of concern are immediately addressed.
The key next steps for leaders are to strengthen:
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Sprouts Montessori 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.
ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to premises and facilities, health and safety and governance, management and administration.
To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:
that children's access to the licensed space (indoor and outdoor) is not unnecessarily limited
there is a means of drying hands for children that prevents the spread of infection
the provision and maintenance of a compliant first aid kit that is easily recognisable to adults and inaccessible to children
designated space for restful sleep designed to allow adequate supervision.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, PF2, PF20, PF21, PF22, PF28, PF37]
To meet the Health and Safety Standard the service must ensure:
a clear procedure guides practice to ensure children are treated with dignity and respect during changing of nappies
staff are familiar with, carry out and evaluate relevant emergency drills with children
a clear procedure guides practice to ensure children sleeping are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing
there is a clear management system for responding to identified hazards
the analysis of accidents and incidents to identify hazards
all aspects of medication administration, including policy and procedures are strengthened
there is a written procedure that meets the requirements of The Children's Act 2014.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS3, HS6, HS8, HS9, HS12, HS28, HS31]
To meet the Governance, Management and Administration Standard the service must ensure:
the prominent display of the full names and qualifications of each person counting towards regulated qualification requirements
there are ongoing process for self-review to improve quality of education and care
the implementation of an annual cycle of appraisal that sufficiently meets the requirements of the Teaching Council New Zealand for the issue and renewal of teachers' practising certificates
an annual plan to guide centre operation is developed.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA1, GMA6, GMA7, GMA8]
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance. There is now:
a means of drying hands for children that prevents the spread of infection
designated space for restful sleep is designed to allow adequate supervision
a clear procedure guides practice to ensure children are treated with dignity and respect during changing of nappies
a written procedure that meets the requirements of The Children's Act 2014
prominent displays of the full names and qualifications of each person counting towards regulated qualification requirements.
The service has also provided additional information and photographic evidence about emergency drills, access to toilets, re-positioning of the First Aid Kit and heavy items in the kitchen, accidents, administration of medication and emergency drills.
ERO recommends that management seek assistance from the Ministry of Education to ascertain the adequacy of:
toileting provision for children
analysis of accidents
securing of heavy objects and the First Aid Kit
the review of policies and procedures to maintain familiarity with, and application and monitoring of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 and associated licensing criteria.
ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
16 July 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.
|
Location |
Whakatane |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45014 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
48 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Females 29, Males 19 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
12 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2020 |
||
|
Date of this report |
16 July 2020 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
August 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2014 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
||
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Little Sprouts Montessori Pre-School is a small privately owned education and care service located in Whakatane. The owners provide effective governance, management and leadership of the service through clearly defined roles. The principal has overview of the philosophy and leads curriculum implementation and teaching practice. The business manager oversees financial, property and human resource management.
The centre roll of 51, includes 26 Māori children and others from diverse cultural backgrounds. Two age-grouped classrooms and shared outdoor play areas cater for children from 9 months to school age. Through the centre philosophy, each child is viewed as a special and unique treasure needing to be recognised for who they are. The philosophy aims to support children to be confident, independent and capable learners. The centre follows the Montessori Method of teaching and learning, interwoven with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Since ERO's 2014 review the centre owners and teachers have made significant progress in areas for development related to, consistently implementing the Montessori approach, leadership, relationships, appraisal and professional support. Centre owners recognise the need to continue to build the quality of strategic planning and self review.
The intent of the centre's philosophy is highly evident in practice. Children have many opportunities to focus for sustained periods of time on interests of their own choosing. Skilled, responsive teachers work alongside children, giving them time and space to set challenges and solve problems in a calm and respectful environment. The classrooms are well presented with graduated equipment and materials that add complexity to childrens' learning, promote their independence and build their early literacy and mathematical knowledge. Teachers nurture children up to 3 years in a home-like setting. Older children enjoy taking responsibility as tuakana, including younger children in their play and learning routines.
The curriculum is well designed to provide rich learning experiences for children. Priority is given to making links with the wider community and promoting childrens' self-care and good health. Routines are well established, managed and understood by children, while being flexible and responsive to individual children's care and learning needs. Strong positive and trusting relationships are evident among teachers, families, whānau and children. Transitions into and within the centre, and school are well planned and sensitive to each child's readiness. Parents express appreciation for the strong sense of wellbeing and belonging that is fostered through genuine relationships and thoughtful routines and transitions.
Teachers embrace opportunities to acknowledge the identities, languages and cultures of children and their families. Centre management and teachers value and integrate aspects of Māori culture that promote success for Māori children and whānau. They demonstrate an ongoing commitment to building their knowledge of te reo Māori and culturally responsive teaching practice. There is a strong emphasis caring for Papatuanuku and learning about the natural world in real-life contexts. Families and whānau make a significant contribution to enriching the curriculum and childrens' learning.
Teachers gather a wide range of information about children's learning and development in individual assessment journals. These are regularly shared both with families and children. Teachers use this information effectively to plan learning experiences for the group and individual children.
The teaching team is professional and collegial. They clearly articulate in-depth understanding of, and commitment to, the Montessori Method of teaching and learning. Teachers enthusiastically participate in relevant and good quality professional learning and development and share current research with one another. Centre owners value and promote teachers' professionalism, provide ongoing feedback about practice and foster links within the wider education community. Children and families benefit from the way teachers continually grow their professional knowledge and practice.
To continue to sustain centre improvement and development attention should now be given to strengthening self review and strategic planning frameworks and processes. This should enable centre owners to take a longer term view of centre development and monitor progress toward specific goals relating to the intent of the philosophy, expectations of the Montessori Method and regulatory requirements.
Consideration could be given to maximising the potential of children's capabilities through providing more complex challenges and opportunities for boys and other active learners in the outdoor environment.
Before the review, the staff and management of Little Sprouts Montessori 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 Little Sprouts Montessori Pre-School will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
5 August 2016
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 |
Whakatane |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
45014 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
51 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 28 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
26 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:5 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
5 August 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2014 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2011 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 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:
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.