45 Ascot Avenue, Remuera, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Thrive Montessori Remuera operates as part of the Evolve Education Group and provides education and care for up to 45 children from infancy to school age. The Evolve organisation offers a policy and management framework and a range of support systems, to support the needs of each service. Daily centre operations are delegated to the centre manager. Cluster meetings with other Evolve centres provide a support network for centre leaders.
The centre’s Montessori philosophy, and aspects of Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum, inform the programme and teaching practices. The philosophy focuses on fostering children's innate desire to learn and to achieve independence. The centre provides three age related spaces to meet children's developmental needs.
The centre was previously reviewed as Lollipops Educare Remuera. The centre has undergone significant changes since the 2014 ERO review. It became part of Evolve Education Group in 2016. Since then the centre transitioned its philosophy and curriculum focus to Montessori.
There have been several staff and leadership changes. The new centre manager is developing a shared staff understanding of the Montessori curriculum and teaching expectations. The centre is staffed by five registered teachers, including the centre manager, regular relievers and cook who prepares nutritious meals on site.
Children engage and learn at an unhurried pace in a calm and supportive environment. They confidently approach teachers with trust and affection when requiring reassurance or assistance. Children observed were settled, courteous and showed respect for others.
Teachers interact with children with respect and courtesy. They sensitively support children to engage in Montessori activities and develop social skills. Teachers are inclusive of children with additional learning needs, maintaining the dignity of each child. Respectful practices and nurturing care underpins teacher practice in the infant area.
Teachers encourage children to make choices and problem solve, and develop a sense of personal and social responsibility. They provide good support for children's oral language, and affirm children's use of home languages. Teachers value and affirm children’s cultural identities, and they plan to increase their knowledge of tikanga and te reo Māori.
Teachers plan and implement a curriculum with a strong Montessori approach, and an increasing focus on Te Whāriki the early childhood curriculum. They provide opportunities for children to use literacy, mathematics, and science and develop creativity through the Montessori curriculum. Children’s assessment portfolios are highly valued records of children's involvement in the programme.
Teachers know children and their families well. Frequent communication with parents, especially through online services, ensure they are informed about their child’s progress. Teachers value partnerships with parents and encourage them to share their aspirations, ideas and goals.
The centre manager is supportive of teachers, and she provides sound professional leadership. Teachers are developing collaborative and cohesive teaching practices. They are enthusiastic about professional development and contributing to internal evaluation. Better documentation of teachers' evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching practice could guide ongoing improvement to teaching and learning.
Internal evaluation is developing and used to guide decision making. The centre has a strong focus on supporting children and families, and has a clear vision for ongoing improvement. Evolve personnel give good support for the centre manager to implement effective management systems, and to continue strengthening teaching practices.
The Evolve Education Group is in a phase of continuing growth and development. A strategic vision and plan have been developed and provide a starting point for each centre's strategic planning. The organisation has a strong commitment to consultation with the community of each centre, to the professional development of staff and the integration of bicultural practices throughout the service.
Centre leaders agree that next steps include:
further developing internal evaluation through deeper analysis, collaboration and focusing on effectiveness in improving children's educational outcomes
strengthening teachers' understanding of Te Whāriki and child initiated learning
more consistently recording how children’s thinking and individual interests are extended over time
strengthening bicultural practices
evaluating how well the environment promotes investigation and exploration, especially for toddlers.
Before the review, the staff and management of Thrive Montessori Remuera 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 Thrive Montessori Remuera will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
Te Tai Raki - Northern Region
14 November 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.
|
Location |
Remuera, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46070 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
31 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 16 Girls 15 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Pākehā |
13 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
August 2017 |
||
|
Date of this report |
14 November 2017 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
September 2014 |
|
|
Previously known as Lollipops Educare Remuera |
|||
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 |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Lollipops Educare Remuera opened in 2013. It operates out of newly renovated premises that were formerly known as the Remuera Early Learning Centre. The service is licensed to provide education and care for up to 48 children. Toddlers and pre-schoolers from two to five years of age attend on a mainly sessional basis. This is the centre’s first ERO review as Lollipops Educare.
The centre is housed in an attractive building and the learning environment reflects the soft, natural tones and ambience of the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Children come from diverse cultural backgrounds and are provided for in age-based groups. Teachers warmly welcome children to the centre and include parents as partners in their approach to education and care for young children.
The Lollipops Educare Corporation is the overarching organisation that provides management systems and leadership support for the centre. A permanently appointed teaching director leads the centre’s daily operations. An experienced head teacher supports the teaching team and the development of its early childhood education programmes.
The centre’s philosophy is based on the principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, combined with Reggio Emilia influences and approaches.
Centre teachers know their children well. Staff relationships with children are affirming, gentle and caring. Teachers respectfully listen to children’s ideas and opinions to support their learning experiences. Interactions with children promote good quality learning conversations.
Whānau partnerships are valued by teachers. They recognise the importance of the community’s role in contributing to educational outcomes for children. Teachers continue to explore ways to consult with their community. They are making effective use of communication technologies to develop positive relationships with families and to help parents to access information about their children’s learning.
Centre programmes and the learning environment reflect a focus on children’s interests. Children’s knowledge and ideas are gathered to enrich their learning opportunities. Children appear confident and capable as their identities are affirmed through learning situations.
Teachers’ planning is based on specific observations to identify changes and developments in children’s learning dispositions, needs and strengths. Reflection on and evaluation of children’s learning progress is integral to teachers’ practice.
Teachers promote the development of children’s social competencies. Children regularly engage in sustained, collaborative play and show respect for one another while working in small groups. They are purposefully guided in how to solve problems together and how to deal with conflict where it arises.
Assessment documents focus on children’s individual learning and stories outlining their progress are evident in displays and narratives on centre walls. Planned literacy and numeracy learning occurs within daily programmes and helps to support children to confidently transition into school.
There is an ongoing commitment to developing bicultural philosophy and practice. Teachers are proactive in learning te reo Māori and in developing their understanding of tikanga. The centre makes good use of support from local iwi who visit the children regularly and contribute to their learning about te ao Māori. A variety of cultural events are celebrated to acknowledge children’s diverse backgrounds.
Effective self-review systems are in place and centre leaders and teachers have a focus on continual improvement. Review practice informs purposeful strategic and annual planning.
ERO and centre leaders agree that next steps for centre improvement could include:
Before the review, the staff and management of Lollipops Educare Remuera 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 Lollipops Educare Remuera will be in three years.
Steffan Brough
National Manager Review Services
Northern Region (Acting)
5 September 2014
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 |
Remuera, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46070 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
48 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
38 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Girls 22 Boys 16 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
NZ European/Pākehā Chinese Indian Middle Eastern South African other |
12 10 3 2 2 9 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
July 2014 |
||
|
Date of this report |
5 September 2014 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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.