103 Tawa Street, Melville, Hamilton
View on mapAkarangi | 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 Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding |
Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street is one of two privately owned services. It provides education and care to a multicultural community. The centre’s vision is to provide a Montessori structured learning environment that develops children’s independence. A small number of Māori tamariki are currently enrolled.
Children’s independence is empowered within a curriculum guided by the Montessori philosophy. They are encouraged to make choices through accessing resources that enhance and extend their learning. Younger children experience a calm, slow pace allowing them time to explore alongside their peers. Children with diverse needs have equitable opportunities to learn, enabled by an individualised approach to planning. Children’s emotional and social competence is well supported.
The diverse teaching team is establishing a culturally responsive curriculum. Relationships with parents are well established and they have opportunities to speak with teachers about children’s learning and needs. Whānau Māori are consulted and contribute to the curriculum. Children experience a curriculum in which te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are valued.
Children’s learning is enhanced through the team working as a professional learning community. Leaders and teachers work collaboratively to grow their knowledge. Internal evaluation has led to improved understanding of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers are beginning to explore individual children’s learning aligned to its intended outcomes. They are yet to unpack these outcomes in relation to Montessori values or use them to understand the impact of changes in practice.
Those responsible for governance and management are establishing the systems and process that, when fully implemented, are likely to promote continued positive outcomes for children and their whānau. Relational trust is well established and enables a focus on improvement. A positive work environment is conducive to building quality relationships between adults and children.
Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Explore the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki in relation to Montessori values to strengthen teacher understanding and use within assessment.
Identify outcomes for children through internal evaluation to better understand the impact of practice on individuals and groups of children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street 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.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
28 February 2023
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street |
|
Profile Number |
47759 |
|
Location |
Melville, Hamilton |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
59 |
|
Review team on site |
December 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
28 February 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, September 2021 |
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.
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.
Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street is one of two privately owned services. It operates out of three age-based rooms. The centre’s curriculum is based on the teachings of Maria Montessori and Te Whāriki, early childhood curriculum. The centre manager and team leaders have full certification and lead a team of both qualified and unqualified kaiako.
The centre’s curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, interests and the aspirations of whānau. Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions with children to enhance learning and nurture relationships.
Centre practices are inclusive and responsive to children as confident, capable learners. They are supported to develop social competence and an understanding of appropriate behaviour. Information and guidance from agencies are sought to work effectively with children with additional needs.
Annual and strategic planning guide centre operations. Ongoing internal evaluation processes support the centre to improve the quality of education and care for children.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Shelley Booysen
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
8 September 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Fountain City Montessori Tawa Street |
|
Profile Number |
47759 |
|
Location |
Melville, Hamilton |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
44 |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 3, NZ European/Pākehā 7, Indian 10, Filipino 10, Other ethnic groups 14 |
|
Review team on site |
July 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
8 September 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of the service |
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 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: