67 Walmsley Road, Otahuhu, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Tipu Montessori School is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Tipu Montessori School in Otahuhu provides early childhood care and education for 50 children up to school age, including 18 under two years of age. The centre operates in two separate houses. Children under three years, teina, learn in one house and the older children, tuakana, in another. Families have made a deliberate choice, some travelling great distances, to enrol their child into Montessori education.
Since ERO's 2015 review, new staff have been appointed. Most staff are registered teachers and several are qualified in Montessori early childhood education. Teachers align the Montessori philosophy with Te Whāriki 2017, the early childhood curriculum. The centre philosophy is strongly influenced by the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and promotes the nurturing of children as they develop respect, inner discipline and self-esteem.
The 2015 ERO review identified many positive features that continue to be evident. The report recommended strengthening programme documentation and self-review processes, and further developing teacher appraisals. There has been positive growth in these areas.
Children under three years of age receive very good care and education. They are fondly greeted into a warm and calm learning environment. Teachers let children settle at their own pace as they engage in conversations with parents about children's ongoing development. Children rekindle their friendships in languages they clearly understand and teachers learn to interpret.
Children who transition to the older children's house are very well prepared to take on the challenges that teachers plan. They are confident in their play, use good decision making processes and remain on task for sustained periods of time.
Children confidently share their language, culture and identity. Teachers celebrate important cultural events with families and the environments show some influence of children's culture. Regular gatherings provide opportunities for children to sing and dance together and appreciate different languages and cultures.
The programme is reflective of the children and their interests. Children benefit from social competencies being explicitly taught. They experience skills-based activities that challenge them.
Children play and learn in age related outdoor spaces that have been upgraded. Further development for the older children's outdoor space is planned. Teachers would benefit from professional development relating to outdoor play and the development of children's physical skills.
Teachers know children well. Learning stories celebrate the child and their family. They tell the child's learning journey and how teachers provide ongoing growth and development. Some parents contribute written feedback about these stories and others engage in open conversations with teachers. Teachers use this feedback to plan next learning for children.
The owner has a keen sense of social responsibility and provides extra resourcing to support children and their families. Teachers are strong advocates for children and their families.
The service is underpinned by clear, coherent frameworks for strategic development and professional expectations. Well-established practices for monitoring these systems ensure compliance with regulations. The centre owner agrees that moving from reviewing to evaluating the effectiveness of systems and their impact on outcomes for children would provide valuable information for centre improvement.
Key next steps are to:
review the centre philosophy to identify and promote the role of teachers in the Montessori journey for each child
build teachers' understanding of developing children's physical skills
continue to promote leadership opportunities for teachers through professional development.
Before the review, the staff and management of Tipu Montessori School 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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
3 May 2019
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 |
Otahuhu, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25189 |
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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 |
50 children, including up to 18 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
40 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 25 Girls 15 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2019 |
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Date of this report |
3 May 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
July 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
June 2012 |
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Education Review |
April 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:
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.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
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.
Tipu Montessori School in Otahuhu provides early childhood care and education for 50 children up to school age, including nine less than two years of age. The centre was previously known as Wee Wisdom Montessori Tuakana Teina. It is now under new ownership and has been renamed. The new directors and centre manager are supporting staff through this period of change.
The two houses on the property are named Tuakana and Teina, with children up to the age of three years occupying the Teina house. Families have made a deliberate choice to enrol their child at the centre because of the Montessori education model it provides.
Most staff are registered teachers and are qualified in Montessori early childhood education. Teachers align the Montessori philosophical approach with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Their shared philosophy includes supporting children to ‘absorb learning by using their hands’.
Since the 2012 ERO report, directors have renovated the outdoor environment, making the deck more accessible in all weather. This has made a positive difference to how the space is used for learning.
The new centre directors are committed to providing a good quality service with a focus on continuous improvement. Management planning and a clear shared vision guide centre operations. Sound systems are followed to monitor children’s health and safety. Positive support from the centre directors has promoted the smooth transition of staff, children, and whānau since the change of ownership.
Relationships between teachers, children and their whānau are positive and respectful, and give each child and their family a sense of belonging. Teachers value children’s languages, cultural and life experiences and this helps them to enrich the programme.
Children experience a programme and routines that reflect their individual interests. They can sustain their play for long periods. Children confidently initiate conversations with their peers and adults. They enjoy imaginative play and explore happily alongside each other.
Teina children respond well to teachers’ routines and the programme is flexible to cater for their developmental needs and preferences. Teachers encourage children’s self-managing skills. During meal times children can serve themselves and put their dishes away. A good transition programme has been developed to allow for children to transition to Tuakana house when they are ready.
Learning environments are attractive and reflect the multicultural nature of the centre. Well defined areas of play have contributed to children’s engagement in the programme. Children’s work is valued and displayed on the walls.
The acknowledgment of cultural diversity is a feature of the centre. Children, families and staff enjoy cultural experiences and celebrations together. Some teachers use children’s home languages to support their language development and engagement in the programme. Children with Pacific heritages learn about and can see their cultures reflected in the programme. Children respond to teachers speaking te reo Māori. They are familiar with waiata, and karakia.
Assessment portfolios give a useful summary of children’s learning and participation. The programme includes literacy, mathematics, science, technology and music to extend children’s learning experiences. Teachers encourage and support children to take on leadership roles and responsibilities in the programme.
Leadership is a collaborative process. Teachers are developing ways of using parent and whānau contribution more in the centre’s programme. Whānau communication with teachers is strengthened through regular formal and informal opportunities.
The directors and head teacher have identified appropriate development priorities. These include further developing:
Before the review, the staff and management of Tipu Montessori School 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 Tipu Montessori School will be in three years.
Dianne Moffitt
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
16 July 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 |
Otahuhu, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25189 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 9 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
40 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 22 Girls 18 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Tongan Asian Indian African |
6 11 9 7 3 3 1 |
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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 |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
June 2015 |
||
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Date of this report |
16 July 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 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:
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.
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.