17 Geraldine Place, Kohimarama, Auckland
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Kohimarama Montessori Pre-School 1 is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kohimarama Montessori Pre-School 1 is a small, long-established centre. It is one of two privately-owned centres with the same service provider. The owner is closely involved, particularly in the management and administration of both centres.
This centre provides education and care for up to 15 children from two years of age to around three and a half. Most children transition into Preschool 2 and remain there until they move on to school.
The head teacher has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the centre. Both teachers are qualified early childhood teachers and also have Montessori training. Together, they provide the learning programme.
The 2015 ERO report noted that children were confident and played purposefully. This continues to be evident and a strength. While leaders and teachers have made some progress towards addressing the key next steps of the 2015 report, there is further work to be done to:
strengthen teachers' understanding and use of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum
strengthen child-initiated learning
increase the promotion of Māori language and culture.
Children are well supported to settle into the learning programme and experience responsive, caring relationships with their teachers. They benefit from the small number of children at this centre and time with attentive teachers. Children establish friendships that support their sense of belonging and wellbeing as they learn to separate from their parents and whānau.
Children enjoy a calm environment and are closely engaged in their Montessori work. They have opportunities to make choices about their participation within the carefully prepared learning environment. Teachers talk with children about their work to foster oral language skills.
Teachers are welcoming and inclusive. They know children and families well. Teachers view children as capable learners. They affirm children's work and support their play. Teachers gather comprehensive information about children's progress, particularly in relation to their use of the Montessori equipment. They intentionally prepare the orderly learning environments and lead topic-based activities. Music and singing are a regular part of the programme.
Transition into this centre is based on the needs of each child and family. Transition between the two pre-schools is well planned and managed to support children's seamless move to Pre-School 2.
Parents have online access to children's learning records and information about their participation in the programme. Teachers review children's progress every six months and report the outcomes to parents. Centre policies, procedures, and other relevant centre information are also readily available. Parents who spoke with ERO were appreciative of knowing teachers well, and the thoughtful care given to their children's wellbeing and learning.
The owner supports teachers to engage in a useful appraisal process. Appraisal feedback supports teachers to strengthen their practice and improve outcomes for children. The centre's strategic planning needs to be strengthened. It should include an emphasis on curriculum provision for children, and annual action planning that shows how goals will be achieved and then evaluated.
Key next steps include:
reviewing the philosophy to reflect the centre's commitment to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and bicultural practices
strengthening assessment, planning and evaluation processes to increase the focus on dispositional learning, and to make children's learning and creative work more visible in key documentation and the environment
ensuring all children can independently access their learning information and easily share it with each other, their teachers and whānau
increasing engagement in internal evaluation, and include a curriculum focus to evaluate the impact of teaching practices on outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kohimarama Montessori Pre-School 1 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
11 April 2019
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.
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Location |
Kohimarama, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
20095 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
15 children aged over 2 years |
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Service roll |
15 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 8 Boys 7 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2019 |
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Date of this report |
11 April 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2015 |
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Education Review |
June 2012 |
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Education Review |
May 2009 |
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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.
Kohimarama Montessori Pre-school 1 is a well established centre with a positive reporting history with ERO. It is one of two centres, owned and managed by the same licensee. Pre-school 1 provides education and care for 15 children from two to three years. Many of the children transition onto Pre-school 2 which caters for children from three years to school age.
The centre is staffed by two qualified teachers. They provide high adult-to-child ratios with stability and consistency of care. The two teachers from Pre-school 1 join the teaching staff at Pre-school 2 in the afternoon. Teachers have maintained their Montessori philosophical approach and aligned this to Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum. They continue to have a shared belief in supporting children to ‘absorb learning by using their hands’.
The centre owner manager and head teachers from both pre-schools form a leadership team. Since the previous ERO review in 2012 the centre has been relicensed under the 2008 Early Childhood Education and Care Regulations. Teachers have reviewed and improved children’s access to the outdoor learning area.
Well established management practices and an emphasis on partnerships with parents/whānau, continue to be reflected in centre practices and procedures.
Centre managers have a strong commitment to providing a good quality service with a culture of teacher reflection and a focus on continuous improvement. Clear shared vision and management plans guide centre operations. Sound systems to monitor health and safety are in place. The centre's philosophy statement is well documented and understood by the centre’s parent community. Teachers’ professional capabilities and leadership are fostered through ongoing professional development.
Children are confident, play cooperatively and communicate well. They have a strong sense of belonging and show care and consideration for others. Children have good opportunities to make choices about their play. Teachers support them to develop science, literacy and mathematics skills and concepts in the centre’s well resourced environment. Children are capable, competent and sociable learners.
Children’s play is purposeful and sustained. They show high levels of engagement in tasks and activities. They are aware of the routines of the day and take advantage during periods of outside play to engage in active and imaginative play. Teachers are considering strategies to maximise opportunities for more play and complex learning to develop in the outside area. They could also continue to review how well the programme meets the needs of two year olds.
Centre leaders and teachers value parental and community involvement. Parents/whānau receive good information about their child’s learning and development. They are encouraged to contribute to the centre programme and join in events. There is a high level of parent satisfaction and appreciation of teachers and the programme.
Teachers are affirming of children’s ideas and supportive of children’s play. They develop and extend children’s skills and knowledge in a variety of Montessori learning areas. Teachers provide a balance between structured and child-initiated play. Children’s independence and self-management skills are valued and fostered by teachers. Teachers engage children in meaningful and sustained conversations that support children’s language development and encourage problem-solving strategies.
Warm relationships and respectful interactions underpin the programme and contribute to the centre’s calm and welcoming tone. Centre leaders are keen to further develop bicultural practices and to increase child-led assessment, planning and evaluation practices.
Centre managers are aware that self-review could be more evaluative, collaborative and child focused. They are aware of the benefits of strengthening the existing strategic plan and aligning it well to annual planning. Teacher appraisal could also be strengthened. External professional development would assist the centre to develop robust self review to guide improvements to teaching practices and the educational programme.
ERO and centre managers agree that next steps for the centre should include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kohimarama Montessori Pre-School 1 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 Kohimarama Montessori Pre-School 1 will be in three years.
Dianne Moffitt
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
6 July 2015
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 |
Kohimarama, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
20095 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
15 children aged over 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
23 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 13 Boys 9 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian Chinese other European other |
2 9 3 2 2 5 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
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|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
|||
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
May 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
6 July 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
May 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
April 2006 |
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.