7 Kawerau Avenue, Devonport, Auckland
View on mapERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards | ERO’s judgement |
| Curriculum | Meeting |
| Premises and facilities | Meeting |
| Health and safety | Meeting |
| Governance, management and administration | Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Belmont Montessori Preschool is privately owned by two certified teachers. They lead a team of five qualified teachers, one in training and one unqualified. Previously known as Acorn Montessori Children’s House, the service has been relicensed and is under new ownership. This is the first ERO review under the new ownership.
The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as competent and confident learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. A language-rich environment supports children’s learning.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.
The service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development, both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. Children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour are supported.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
1 February 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Belmont Montessori Preschool |
| Profile Number | 20000 |
| Location | Belmont, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 35 children aged over 2 years |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 100% |
| Service roll | 47 |
| Review team on site | November 2023 |
| Date of this report | 1 February 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akarangi | Quality Evaluation, July 2021; Education Review, August 2016 |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licencea to operate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:
Akarangi | 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 Acorn Montessori Children’s House are as follows:
Outcome Indicators | ERO’s judgement |
| What the service knows about outcomes for learners | Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains | ERO’s judgement |
He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning | Whakaū Embedding |
Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement | Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management | Whāngai Establishing |
Acorn Montessori Children’s House is a privately owned early learning service. Children attend from the local community and represent diverse cultural backgrounds. The centre owner is a qualified teacher who oversees governance and management. She is supported by a head teacher and kaiako who have Montessori and teaching qualifications. The service’s Montessori philosophy guides teaching and learning.
Please note, since the completion of this review the service has changed ownership and has a new name, Belmont Montessori Preschool.
Leaders and kaiako are inclusive of all tamariki. Kaiako nurture children’s sense of belonging through respectful interactions. Children’s learning and play is supported through learning focused partnerships. Leaders ensure that all children have access to quality, inclusive education and care.
Kaiako maintain a calm, slow pace that gives younger children the time and space to engage in play of their choosing. Children benefit from an environment that is well resourced. Kaiako use the Montessori curriculum to integrate children’s literacy and mathematical concepts in their play. Kaiako are respectful of Māori views of the world and speak te reo Māori in their daily practice.
Leaders and kaiako use Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in programme planning and assessment. Kaiako gather and use information for individual children, including whānau aspirations, to inform planning, and they monitor children’s learning over time. Kaiako regularly provide feedback to whānau about children’s learning.
Relational trust among the team supports collaboration and openness to improvement. The leader works to build capability across the teaching team. The leader and kaiako take individual and collective responsibility for their professional learning and development.
The leader and teachers actively contribute and participate in professional development and inquiry with a focus that all children should experience success as learners. The team uses relevant research to generate solutions and support decision making and strategies that they implement. The service engages purposefully with external expertise to review, validate and support its improvement actions.
Acorn Montessori Children’s House will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Acorn Montessori Children’s 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:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
7 July 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Acorn Montessori Children’s House |
| Profile Number | 20000 |
| Location | Devonport, Auckland |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 35 children aged over 2 years of age |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Service roll | 35 |
| Ethnic composition | NZ European/Pākehā 20 other ethnic groups 15 |
| Review team on site | April 2021 |
| Date of this report | 7 July 2021 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Education Review, August 2016 Education Review, June 2013 |