Li'l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre

Education institution number:
47486
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
62
Address:

43 Aviemore Drive, Howick, Auckland

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Li'l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | 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 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 Li’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre are as follows:

Outcome Indicators

(What the service knows about outcomes for learners)

Whakaū Embedding

Ngā Akatoro Domains

 
Learning Conditions
Organisational Conditions

Whakaū Embedding

Whakaū Embedding

2 Context of the Service

Li’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre is one of three services under the same ownership. A qualified centre manager leads a team of 13 staff including an administrator, and a cook. The centre philosophy prioritises relationships with children, parents, and the community. The majority of children attending are of Chinese heritage with a small number of Māori children enrolled.

3 Summary of findings 

Children’s independence is valued and self-help skills are promoted. They confidently interact with each other and make choices about their learning. Responsive, reciprocal, and respectful relationships are formed with each child, their parents and whānau. As a result, children have a strong sense of belonging. Children engage in meaningful experiences based on their interests. They benefit from a curriculum that recognises and acknowledges the unique way they learn. 

Children are given the space and time to lead their own learning. Older children engage in play for long periods of time. Infants and toddlers benefit from calm, unhurried routines and their needs are responded to by skilled teachers. Assessment information celebrates learning and reflects each child’s whānau, their culture, language, and identity. Showing children’s progress overtime is an area to strengthen. 

Children's home languages are heard in the daily programme. Teachers are intentional in using kupu Māori in everyday practice. Leaders and teachers prioritise connections. A focus on building positive relationships is what matters most in this community. Equitable opportunities for learning is promoted through regular excursions to the local park and local marae

Leaders are focused on equitable learning outcomes for all children. High relational trust between leaders and teachers support collaboration that bring about improvement. Internal evaluation processes make clear links to outcomes for children and are revisited over a period of time. Growing leadership capability and building teachers subject content knowledge has been identified as an area to strengthen.

4 Improvement actions

Li’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

  • Continue to grow the leadership knowledge and capability across the teaching team.
  • Continue to strengthen evaluation of individual children’s learning to show progress overtime and impact of the curriculum on outcomes of learners.   

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Li’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
  • relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

6 Actions for Compliance 

During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances: 

  • Ensuring records for regular excursions include evidence of parental permission and approval of adult: child ratios.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS17.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

16 February 2024 

7 About the Early Childhood Service 

Early Childhood Service NameLi’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre
Profile Number47486
LocationHowick, Auckland
Service type Education and care service
Number licensed for 70 children, including up to 20 aged under 2
Percentage of qualified teachers 80-99%
Service roll72
Review team on siteNovember 2023 
Date of this report16 February 2024
Most recent ERO report(s)Akanuku | Assurance Review, November 2020; 

Li’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre

ERO’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.

ERO’s Judgement

Regulatory standards
ERO’s judgement
CurriculumMeeting
Premises and facilitiesMeeting
Health and safetyMeeting
Governance, management and administrationMeeting

At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

Li’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre opened in July 2018. A centre manager and six qualified teachers make up the teaching team. Eight relievers support the teaching team alongside a cook, cleaner and administrator. A small number of Māori and Pacific Island children attend the service.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning.

The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

A sufficient quantity and variety of (indoor and outdoor) furniture, equipment, and materials is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending.

Actions for Compliance

Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

  • heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage need to be secured (HS6)
  • a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep is implemented and recorded (HS9)
  • a record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) – parental acknowledgement for category 1 medications relating to the application of nappy creams (HS28)
  • evidence that a parent or guardian of each child has regularly examined and confirmed the attendance record – once a week for all-day teacher led services (GMA11).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)

Northern Region |Te Tai Raki

18 November 2020

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service NameLi’l Champs Montessori Early Learning Centre
Profile Number47486
LocationHowick, Auckland
Service typeEducation and care service
Number licensed for70 children, including up to 20 aged under 2.
Percentage of qualified teachers80%+
Service roll82
Gender compositionMale 45 Female 37
Ethnic compositionMāori 2 NZ European/Pākehā 8 Chinese 57 other ethnic groups 15
Review team on siteSeptember 2020
Date of this report13 November 2020

Most recent ERO report(s)

 

First ERO review of 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 Akanuku | 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 Akanuku | 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 Akanuku | 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 Akanuku | 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.