Aranui Montessori Preschool

ERO’s Judgement

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Aranui Montessori Preschool is a privately-owned education and care service. The centre opened in May 2018 and is licensed for 40 children over the age of two years. The owner, a registered teacher, manages the centre.

The centre employs three full-time qualified teachers and some part-time teachers. This is the first review of the centre.

Summary of Review Findings

Teachers provide an educational curriculum that is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the educational approach of Maria Montessori. The programme responds to children’s interests and their parents’ aspirations. Children learn in an environment that supports their wellbeing and education. They have access to appropriate resources. Positive interactions with teachers encourage children to lead their own learning. Children have opportunities to gain an understanding of the cultural heritage of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The service is well managed, guided by its philosophy, annual plan and policies. Internal evaluation, including consultation with parents, guides improvement. Systems are in place to ensure children’s health and safety.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include continuing to:

• establish a stable staff with a shared approach to early childhood education
• build parents’ understanding of how children learn through play.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Education Review.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

25 March 2020

Information About the Service

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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.

ERO undertakes an Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
• where an Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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:

• curriculum
• premises and facilities
• health and safety practices
• governance, management and administration.

As part of an Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated 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:

• 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 certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service
• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.