7 Bains Avenue, Hamilton Central, Hamilton
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Well placed with an action plan.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Montessori The School House is owned and operated by the BestStart education and care umbrella organisation. It is located in an historic house in the Hamilton suburb of Claudelands and is licensed for 40 children from two years old to school age. There are currently 43 children on the roll including eight Māori. The centre offers both sessional hours and full-day services from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Centre leaders, the manager and head teacher, are qualified Montessori teachers. They are supported by a professional services manager (PSM) and a business manager from the BestStart organisation. Some teachers are participating in Montessori training. There are four teachers with early childhood qualifications and two support staff. BestStart provides effective governance for the service.
Children from diverse nationalities learn in two separate, age-based areas. The Bambini room caters for children from two to three years old and the Casa room for children from three to school age.
Since the 2015 ERO report there have been significant and ongoing changes to professional leadership, centre management and the teaching team. The 2015 report identified the need for improvements to the programme, assessment and planning, strategies to positively guide children's behaviour, implementing bicultural practices, enriching the outdoor environment and improving teaching interactions. Good progress has been made with children's assessment. Bicultural practices that value and respect Māori culture are now evident. Many of the remaining areas continue to need strengthening and embedding. Professional leaders have developed an action plan to address these areas with the new teaching team.
The recently reviewed philosophy aims to provide a Montessori-inspired curriculum that promotes children's independence, underpinned by a profound respect for each child, their family and the teachers.
Children are learning in a calm and well-ordered indoor environment. They access good quality, age-appropriate Montessori materials. Children learn about and celebrate the cultures of the world.
Older children enjoy making choices and interacting with equipment that challenges their thinking. They benefit from respectful interactions with teachers. They are learning self-management skills and some children demonstrate high levels of independence. Early concepts of literacy, mathematics, science, cultural and sensorial experiences are shared through a systematic and sequential process at the child's own pace. Māori cultural values are evident through centre displays, respect for tikanga practices, equipment and materials and cultural celebrations such as Matariki.
A particular feature of the curriculum are the weekly walks for small groups of older children to a nearby, bush-filled gully. This has enriched the outdoor experiences for these children and resulted in close links with the local community involved in the maintenance and restoration project. One teacher has strong links to the history of this area and is supporting children and teachers to deepen their appreciation of Papatuanuku and the natural world.
Children's learning and development is well documented. Attractive individual portfolios, digital portfolios, centre displays and regular teacher summaries of learning are available. Parents share their aspirations for children's learning at formal meetings with teachers and through frequent informal conversations. A strength is the multicultural staff who are able to speak with some parents in their own languages.
Next steps for strengthening the programme are for teachers to:
find ways to further integrate the language, culture and identity of each child in assessment, planning and the environment
review centre routines to better align with best practice indicators in early child and Montessori settings.
The newly established teaching team has formed professional and collegial relationships amongst BestStart leaders, parents and whānau and staff. They work positively with specialist agencies to respond to children with additional needs. Teachers are committed to ongoing professional learning and development to support the implementation of a Montessori-inspired curriculum. ERO observed some examples of good teaching practice. However, strategies to positively manage children's behaviour need to be consistently evident in all teacher interactions with children, particularly in the Bambini room.
The newly appointed centre manager is well supported by the PSM through a planned induction process. She is setting clear direction for the re-introduction of a Montessori curriculum and models respectful practice in her interactions with children.
BestStart leaders continue to provide ongoing support for the service. A particular challenge is sustaining continuity for children and families through the many changes of staff over a number of years. The service benefits from governance support that includes:
up-to-date policies and frameworks to guide centre operations and meet regulatory requirements
comprehensive induction for new staff
regular visits, reporting and documented feedback from the PSM and business manager
relevant and regular appraisal, professional learning, development and mentoring to build teacher capability within a Montessori context
regular and targeted self review that leads to development and improvement.
Leaders recognise the need for ongoing improvement and have developed an action plan that aligns to the key next steps for improvement identified by ERO .
ERO identified a number of areas that need to be implemented and embedded in order to fulfil the intent of the service philosophy and improve outcomes for children. Leaders and teachers need to:
provide a wider range of equipment and materials, readily accessible by children, particularly in the outdoor environment
implement teaching practices that promote quality outcomes for children and reflect Montessori philosophy and best practice in early childhood education.
Before the review, the staff and management of Montessori The School House 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 Montessori The School House will be in three years. ERO will monitor progress in line with the action plan.
Lynda Pura-Watson
Deputy Chief Review Officer
Te Tai Miringa - Waikato / Bay of Plenty Region
13 December 2017
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 |
Hamilton |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
30073 |
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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 |
40 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
43 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 23 Girls 20 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8 |
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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 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
October 2017 |
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Date of this report |
13 December 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
July 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:
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.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Montessori School house requires further development.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Montessori @ The School House is owned and operated by Kidicorp Limited. It is located in the Hamilton suburb of Claudelands and is licensed for 40 children aged from 2 to 6 years. There are currently 35 children on the roll, 6 of whom identify as Māori. The centre offers sessional hours and full day services and is open from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.
The centre follows the Montessori philosophy of independence, self management and decision-making. Scaffolded learning is promoted and encouraged through a well-prepared indoor environment. The centre operates two classrooms – the Bambini room is for children 2 to 3 years and the Pre-school room for children 3 to 6 years.
The centre has gone through a number of changes in the last year. A new centre manager has been appointed as well as a new Kidicorp professional services manager. The teaching and administration team is also predominantly new.
The children at the centre come from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. A high number have English as a second language. The centre celebrates the children’s cultures by honouring events such as Diwali, Chinese New Year, Matariki, Easter, Christmas and the Muslim festival Eid.
All teaching staff are either qualified Montessori teachers or progressing through their Montessori training. Most teachers are registered early childhood teachers.
Children follow a programme that covers the defined areas of the Montessori curriculum including: practical life, sensorial (sensory development and refinement), language (literacy), culture (geography, botany, science, zoology etc) and mathematics. ERO observed some aspects of the Montessori approach to teaching and learning termed the “prepared environment” in the centre. Materials and activities are set out in an orderly and sequential manner. Only one of each activity is available to promote turn taking and patience. Natural and real materials such as wood and glass are used and the environment is uncluttered and features displays of classical artwork and cultural artefacts.
Teachers are at the early stages of planning a programme that compliments and enriches the learning supported by Montessori activities and equipment. ERO observed some children demonstrating high levels of:
Staff are currently reviewing centre routines (such as morning tea and mat times) so they are more in line with Montessori philosophy and best practice.
Children and parents are formally and warmly welcomed into the centre. ERO observed respectful relationships between teachers and children. Children were generally respectful to each other and worked within their individual working spaces. Some challenging behaviours were observed and these required closer supervision and the use of better positive guidance strategies.
Generally, teachers have a good working knowledge of Montessori equipment and how to prepare the inside environment to support sequential learning and development in literacy and numeracy. Teachers use the Kidicorp on-line portal 'Story Park' to share learning stories and survey parent aspirations. Transitions into the centre are well managed with a staged approach and transitions within the centre are flexible to suit each child’s needs.
The new centre manager is strongly supported in her role to build leadership capability within her new team. Her commitment to community involvement in children’s learning has had a positive impact on the programme. Some examples are the regular conservation excursions and involvement in the local tree-planting event. In collaboration with the professional services manager, the centre manager has revised the centre’s annual plans in order to address the areas for development identified through focused self review.
Good use is made of professional development learnt through attendance at a recent Montessori conference. This experience has supported positive team building within the centre.
The centre has a shared vision underpinned by the Montessori approach to teaching and learning. They have maintained a strong connection with Montessori Aotearoa New Zealand (MANZ). The centre benefits from the management structure of the Kidicorp organisation and their systems and policies. The new management team is working hard to embed new systems to ensure an improved quality service is provided for all children.
ERO has identified a number of areas for development that are likely to have a significant impact on outcomes for children. Centre management and ERO agree that it is now necessary for the centre to plan to support teachers to continue to improve in the following areas: There is a need to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Montessori @ The School House 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:
ERO recommends that the service consult with the Ministry of Education and plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.
The next ERO review of Montessori @ The School House will be within two years.
Dale Bailey,
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern,
8 June 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 |
Hamilton |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
30073 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
40 children, none aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
35 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 14 Boys 21 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian African Middle Eastern Other |
6 8 7 4 4 6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:9 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
April 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
8 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 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:
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.