34 Sala Street, Rotorua Central, Rotorua
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 |
Not meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Montessori Rotorua Preschool is a privately-owned service for children from two years to school age. The service provides education and care to a multicultural community and a small number of Māori learners. A Montessori philosophy underpins the programme with the aim for the children to become active learners and independent.
The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Parents and whānau are provided with opportunities to be involved in decision making about their children’s learning. Teachers are provided with regular professional development opportunities to support their understanding of children’s learning and development. The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation. A sufficient quantity and variety of furniture, equipment, and material is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending.
ERO found an area of non-compliance in the service relating to:
maintaining the existing Fire Evacuation Scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service to keep it current.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS4]
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.
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
1 September 2022
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Montessori Rotorua Preschool |
|
Profile Number |
40091 |
|
Location |
Rotorua |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
50 |
|
Review team on site |
July 2022 |
|
Date of this report |
1 September 2022 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2020; Education Review, March 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.
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.
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 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:
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 certification; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Montessori Rotorua Preschool is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Montessori Rotorua Preschool, previously known as Hi Jinks Childcare, is a privately-owned centre located in Rotorua. It was relicensed in January 2018 to provide all day education and care for 75 children, including up to 15 under the age of two, in two age-based areas. The current roll of 59 includes 7 children who identify as Māori.
The centre philosophy embraces 'help me do it myself' and integrates Montessori and Te Whāriki curricula. It includes a focus on supporting children to be active learners, able to communicate, accept challenges and develop independence.
Since the last ERO report in 2016 the teaching team has increased. Most staff are qualified early childhood teachers who hold current practicing certificates. The owner retains overall responsibility for management and governance decisions. She is supported by three leaders who contribute to curriculum overview, professional learning and development, staff appraisal and aspects of centre administration and management. Development of the outdoor space and experiences, identified in the previous report, is ongoing.
Children are empowered to make choices about their learning and engage in periods of sustained and uninterrupted play. Curriculum developments and teaching practices provide children, including infants and toddlers, with a strong sense of belonging and continuity of learning as they progress through the centre. The emphasis on children gaining confidence and independence to ‘do it for themselves’ is highly evident in practice.
Children’s learning journals reflect their emerging interests and progression of learning within both the Montessori and Te Whāriki curricula. There is a need to strengthen the presence of children’s languages, cultures and identities in the curriculum and assessment documentation.
Children experience positive, sensitive and responsive relationships with teachers. Teachers take time to closely observe and genuinely listen to children, exploring and responding to the deeper meanings in children’s thinking and learning. They provide opportunities for children to make sense of the natural, social and physical worlds. Children’s skills, knowledge and dispositions are nurtured in an environment where play and exploration are valued. Early literacy and mathematical learning is contextual and meaningful to all age groups.
Children with diverse needs benefit from an inclusive culture where teachers work collaboratively with their families and whānau and external agencies. This collaboration enables children to fully participate alongside their peers.
Effective internal evaluation and inquiry improves the quality of education and care. A collaborative approach to identifying quality provision is enabling teachers to inquire into their practice and implement relevant change.
A clear centre vision, underpinned by Montessori principles of learning and development, is focused on promoting positive learning outcomes for all children. Strategic direction guides ongoing improvement and sustainability of the centre. Leaders are building teacher capability through targeted professional learning and development, shared leadership, coaching and mentoring.
Key next steps for the service are to:
develop a process, with timelines, for planned review and evaluation of the service's philosophy, policies and procedures, in consultation with centre community
document the service's system for teacher appraisal
develop teachers' knowledge and use of Te Whāriki 2017 to support the development of a localised curriculum that reflects:
Before the review, the staff and management of Montessori Rotorua Preschool 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 an area of non-compliance.
The service provider must review the centre’s child protection policy to meet the requirements of The Children's Act 2014.
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS31].
Darcy Te Hau
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region - Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
16 March 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 |
Rotorua |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40091 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
59 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Male 36 Female 23 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
7 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
December 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
16 March 2020 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
March 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
January 2013 |
||
|
Education Review |
February 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 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.
Hi Jinks Montessori is a privately owned early childhood service that has been operating in Rotorua for 27 years. The centre has been recently extended to include a new purpose-built classroom. It has been re-licensed to provide education and care for up to a maximum of 75 children over the age of two. The roll is increasing and at present includes 37 children, of whom 6 are identified as Māori, mostly affiliated with Te Arawa. The centre provides parents with flexible options, including half-day or full-day sessions.
The highly experienced owner/directress continues to provide knowledgeable and well-considered leadership for the centre and its parent community. She retains responsibility for all governance and management matters. The owner/directress is well supported by a team of long-serving teachers, including a head teacher. Teachers are trained in Montessori early childhood education, and three are fully qualified. The directress and staff have responded positively to the area for development in the 2012 ERO report relating to formalising self-review processes. Staff successfully managed centre operations and sustained the programme for children while the directress was away for an extended period.
The centre philosophy embraces ‘everything that we do’ and integrates Montessori and Te Whāriki curricula. It includes a focus on supporting children to be active learners, able to communicate, accept challenges and develop independence. Parents are warmly welcomed into the centre and teachers spend time talking with them about their child’s care and education. Parents choose the Montessori model of early childhood education through informed choice and are provided with extensive information about the centre programme, events and activities.
Hi Jinks Montessori Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
The Montessori curriculum is highly evident in the learning environment and effectively facilitated by experienced and competent teachers. Children are able to independently access activities such as practical life and sensorial experiences, environmental activities, and language and mathematics learning. Teachers focus on the development of children’s senses, critical thinking, daily life skills, and character development. These developments guide teacher’s responses to children’s learning and behaviour and result in a calm, settled learning environment.
Children are able to initiate their own learning and play activities, and are empowered to independently manage their own care routines. Teachers help children to work with prepared resources and equipment and support their interaction with the natural environment. Children are confident communicators who play both independently and collaboratively. They make their views and needs known to adults who promote their social competencies and positive behaviour. Children, guided by teachers, were able to sustain their play, both in the indoor environment and outside, for considerable periods of time.
Children enjoy respectful and affirming relationships with adults who respond to their physical and emotional needs. They develop a strong sense of identify and belonging. Staff respond appropriately to children from different cultural backgrounds. Children have benefitted from teachers increased confidence and competence in te reo and tikanga Māori.
Teachers work collaboratively in helping children interact with the prepared environment while responding to their emerging interests and strengths. Children with special learning requirements are well supported by caring teachers and appropriate external expertise. Teachers have engaged in professional learning in developing self-review strategies, with a particular focus on extending literacy experiences for children. Each teacher has initiated their own inquiry question related to the overall focus. Children are benefitting from the improvements in practice and programme resulting from strengthened self review.
Children’s learning is carefully observed and recorded in individual learning stories and plans. These are shared with parents along with considerable information about the curriculum. Children are able to access their portfolios and revisit their learning with the support of their parents and teachers. They are well supported as they transition to school.
The owner/directress has successfully established and maintained relationships of mutual trust and confidence with parents. She has well-developed educational networks, especially with the Montessori Association. Teachers feel well supported and valued.
The directress and ERO agree that the outdoor learning environment is the next area for strategic review and development. This should allow increased opportunity for children to experience all aspects of the Te Whāriki and Montessori curricula.
Before the review, the staff and management of Hi Jinks Montessori Centre 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 Hi Jinks Montessori Centre will be in three years.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
1 March 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 |
Rotorua |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
40091 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
75 children, including 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
38 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 20 Girls 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Other Indian |
6 27 3 2 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
50-79% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
December 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
1 March 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
January 2013 |
|
|
Education Review |
February 2010 |
||
|
Education Review |
June 2007 |
||
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.