Montessori Milestones Preschool

1 Evaluation of Montessori Milestones Preschool

How well placed is Montessori Milestones Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Montessori Milestones Preschool is a small privately owned and operated education and care centre located in the suburb of Papamoa, Tauranga. The centre is licensed for 20 children over the age of two years. At the time of this review seven children were attending the centre.

The centre's philosophy states that teachers will recognise the uniqueness of each child and promote independence, self motivation and self discipline. Teachers aim to foster and guide respect for self, others and the environment in a non-competitive atmosphere with equitable opportunities for learning.

The 2015 ERO report identified the need for greater clarity in documentation and the strengthening of a localised bicultural curriculum. These areas continue to be priorities for improvement.

The Review Findings

Children show that they are confident in the routines of the centre. Teachers foster independence, self management and genuinely listen to children. Regular parent evenings support families to know and understand their children's learning experiences within the Montessori philosophy. Children are guided positively to make independent choices.

A calm and unhurried learning environment supports children’s sustained engagement in play. Active literacy and mathematical exploration is evident. Assessment, planning and evaluation requires strengthening to ensure individual children's learning progress over time is clearly documented and easily accessible to both children and their families.

Relationships with parents support an inclusive approach for children with additional needs. These learners are well supported to engage in all aspects of the programme. The centre-wide focus on grace and courtesy enhances social competency amongst children. Children take the initiative to actively care for each other and their environment.

The approach to transitioning children into the centre and on to school is flexible and responsive to individual needs.

Leaders show a strong commitment to the philosophy, vision and goals of the centre. They articulate a desire to improve the quality of education and care. Professional learning and development opportunities are actively sought. A high level of relational trust is evident. Children and their families are well known.

A clear and well-embedded philosophy promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The strategic plan defines goals for improvement. There is a useful guiding framework for evaluation.

Key Next Steps

Centre staff need to build understanding and strengthen:

• self review to focus on improving outcomes for children
• the way processes for assessment, planning and evaluation are made visible and accessible to parents
• bicultural practices and development of a localised curriculum
• the documentation that guides the consistent and robust implementation of procedures for every day practice, including establishing clearly defined roles and responsibilities for staff.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Montessori Milestones 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:

• 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; 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

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to appraisal, endorsement of practising certificates, provision of emergency supplies, regular emergency drills, monitoring children's sleep and records of hazard checking. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

• completion of an annual cycle of appraisal that sufficiently meets the requirements of the Education Council for the issue and renewal of practising certificates
• provision and regular monitoring of emergency supplies to ensure the care and safety of children and adults at the service
• adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry these out with children on an at least three-monthly basis
• procedures for monitoring children's sleep are displayed and implemented and a record of children's sleep times is kept
• a documented risk management system that records the on-going daily checking of equipment, premises and facilities for hazards to children.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA7, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS12, Section 31, Education Act 1989]

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Montessori Milestones Preschool will be within two years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer

Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region

29 June 2018

The Purpose of ERO Reports

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.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

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.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

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:

• Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
• Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
• Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
• Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

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.