10 Blenheim Street, Glenfield, Auckland
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 (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Luna Montessori Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Whakaū Embedding |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Luna Montessori Preschool is a family owned and operated Montessori-based service that opened in 2016. The service owner is a provisionally registered early childhood teacher who manages a team of two qualified teachers and three unqualified staff. The culturally diverse service caters for children from two years of age.
Children are encouraged to be socially confident and expressive. They enjoy self-directed and complex imaginary play that expands their thinking and exploration. Children are secure in their relationships with peers and teachers, and confidently explore the environment.
Children’s mana is enhanced by teachers who acknowledge and intentionally value their cultures and languages. Family aspirations and expectations are prioritised in the programme. Teachers provide meaningful learning experiences that build children’s early literacy and numeracy skills. Mealtime routines foster children’s social interactions, independence and self-help skills.
Leaders and teachers model and implement te reo and tikanga Māori through a variety of learning opportunities. Leaders and teachers have successfully designed a curriculum that includes the history and legends of their local area. Resources reflect children’s diverse cultural backgrounds and demonstrate relevant integration of a play-based curriculum and the Montessori philosophy.
Transition processes for children new to the centre support their emotional wellbeing and help to build learning-focused partnerships with parents. Children with additional learning needs are well supported through an inclusive and individualised curriculum. Nurturing relationships between older and younger children are strongly evident.
Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, is clearly reflected in programme planning, children’s learning stories and the service’s philosophy. Teachers implement current teaching theories and professional learning in their teaching practice. They have an emphasis on promoting positive learning outcomes for all children.
Leaders’ strong focus on continuous improvement and relational trust contributes to a shared staff understanding of the service’s philosophy. Leaders allocate time for teachers to develop responsive relationships with parents/whānau, and to build the capability of teaching staff in their roles and responsibilities.
Luna Montessori Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Luna Montessori 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Phil Cowie
Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
24 September 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Luna Montessori Preschool |
| Profile Number | 47033 |
| Location | Glenfield, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
30 children over 2 years of age |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
34 |
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā 5, Indian 9, Chinese 6, Filipino 5, Korean 4 |
|
Review team on site |
June, 2021 |
|
Date of this report |
24 September 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, September 2018 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Luna Montessori is a privately owned and operated centre in Glenfield. The centre opened in 2016 and provides for up to 30 children over two years of age. It operates in a renovated family home.
The service attracts families from the surrounding suburbs. The majority of children are Asian. Three of the seven staff are registered teachers, including the newly appointed head teacher who supports the owner/centre manager with overseeing the curriculum.
The owners provide a framework of policies, procedures and guiding documents. The centre's philosophy indicates an intention to support children's learning and development in a caring, respectful environment. The curriculum is guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, as well as the Montessori approach to learning.
This is the centre's first ERO review.
Children have positive relationships with adults and with each other. They interact confidently and play well together in small groups. Children are familiar with most routines and expectations. Staff provide a welcoming environment. They are warm and friendly, and show enthusiasm in their work with children.
The centre is a spacious, well-organised learning environment. Montessori learning areas are well defined, resources are attractively displayed, and most traditional play areas are accessible to children. Children are able to eat morning snacks at their leisure. This supports children's independence and allows for prolonged periods of uninterrupted play.
Staff work closely with small informal groups of children during Montessori work periods. They have different strengths and strategies to engage children. Staff provide opportunities for children to take leadership roles, and they listen to their contributions and respond with interest. As a result, children are learning to cooperate and are becoming familiar with working in a group.
Children enjoy the relaxed nature of the afternoon programme. This period is focused on opportunities for children to pursue their own interests. Children engage independently in sand, water and social play with more purpose and interest.
Recognition of culture is a strength of the programme. High quality Montessori resources, displays and the cultural dimension of the Montessori philosophy provide the basis for respecting and valuing difference. A programme theme featuring cultural celebrations has enabled children to learn about aspects of different cultures. The environment creates a sense of belonging for the centre community.
Staff include some waiata, te reo and tikanga Māori in the programme. They have undertaken professional development to help them to enhance this aspect of the programme. Staff are developing relationships with local kaumātua. The centre celebrates Pacific language weeks, and has recently worked with a local aoga amata to share ideas about their cultural learning programme and values.
Staff record highlights of the programme each day under both Te Whāriki and Montessori headings. These notes provide good information about activities for parents, and serve as prompts for staff when they evaluate the programme. Teachers have yet to plan for or evaluate learning outcomes for individual children. A clearer focus on children's interests, strengths, dispositions and progress over time, would help teachers to improve records of children's learning.
The centre is well managed. The managers have a variety of skills and knowledge to support centre operations, and are focused on promoting positive learning outcomes for children.
The centre managers and head teacher agree that useful next steps to strengthen the programme for children include:
continuing to improve assessment practices and documentation for individual children
developing a shared understanding of Te Whāriki, and current educational theories and practices
evaluating the effectiveness of programme provision, particularly for boys, and children under three years.
In order to strengthen governance and management practices, leaders should:
align strategic and annual plans, and monitor progress towards strategic goals
provide clarity and support around the head teacher's role as curriculum manager
consult with teachers and parents to refine strategic planning and identify priorities for the annual plan
provide professional development for all teachers to build their capacity to fully implement Te Whāriki.
Before the review, the staff and management of Luna Montessori 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.
The next ERO review of Luna Montessori Preschool will be in three years.
Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Director Review and Improvement Services
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
11 September 2018
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 |
Glenfield, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
47033 |
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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 |
30 children over the age of 2 years |
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Service roll |
36 |
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Gender composition |
Girls 18 Boys 18 |
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Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
3 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2018 |
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Date of this report |
11 September 2018 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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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:
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.