Glendowie Montessori Preschool

1 ERO’s Judgements

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 Glendowie Montessori Preschool are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Glendowie Montessori Preschool is jointly owned and managed by two qualified teachers. Most of the teachers have Montessori and early childhood qualifications. The service’s curriculum is guided by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the Montessori philosophy, which focuses on collaborative play and hands-on learning.

3 Summary of findings

Children are supported to be highly independent and to take responsibility for their own learning. They are confident to express their feelings and ideas. Children at this service are persistent and very focused in their learning. They respect and care for their environment and each other.

A wide range of Montessori materials helps to extend children’s development across the breadth of the early childhood curriculum. The uninterrupted Montessori work cycle supports children to use their hands-on experiences to make sense of their world. The learning environments provided are inclusive, appealing and very well resourced. Children have frequent opportunities to explore and inquire through geography and cultural resources.

In-depth observations by kaiako inform high quality planning and assessment records that show how each child’s learning is extended over time. Kaiako very effectively combine Montessori teaching approaches with practices that reflect the holistic outcomes from Te Whāriki. Parents’ and whānau perspectives inform curriculum design and development.

Te reo and tikanga Māori is well integrated in teaching practices and curriculum experiences. Kaiako actively promote connections with Māori communities through their connections with the local marae and iwi. Tuakana/teina relationships between older and younger children are highly evident and promote reciprocal learning opportunities. Children from diverse cultural backgrounds are very well supported and their identities are celebrated at the service.

Leaders and kaiako demonstrate exemplary teaching and learning practices, which are shared externally with the Montessori community and student teachers. They regularly participate in relevant professional development that contributes to improved teaching practices. The dedicated teaching team works together to identify new possibilities that, when enacted, make a positive difference to children’s learning.

Owners implement responsive governance and management practices, including collaboration with relevant agencies to support equitable outcomes for children. They are part of a network in the Montessori early childhood community that focuses on improving the effectiveness of Montessori practices and theory.

4 Improvement actions

Glendowie Montessori Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

• enhance how the service’s curriculum and teaching practices support learning outcomes for Pacific children
• enhance internal evaluation processes to more clearly show how innovation and improvement impacts on equitable outcomes for children at the service.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Glendowie Montessori 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.

Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

27 May 2021 

6 About the Early Childhood Service

1 Evaluation of Glendowie Montessori Preschool

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

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

Background

Glendowie Montessori Preschool is a small service in East Auckland that provides education and care for up to 27 children between two and six years of age. The programme operates from 8am to 4pm, and some younger children attend for half days.

The centre changed ownership a few weeks prior to this ERO review. The change of ownership has been carefully and sensitively managed. The teaching team includes three Montessori trained teachers. The new owners and two staff are also registered early childhood teachers.

ERO's 2013 report noted many good practices and identified the need to strengthen strategic planning and bicultural practices. Good progress has been made in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children work happily together and relate well with adults. Teachers actively foster respect, mindfulness and positive social interactions in a calm, settled atmosphere. Children are familiar with expectations and have a secure sense of belonging. They are supported well to be independent and to develop a sense of responsibility for caring for each other and their environment.

Children are articulate, capable and competent. They confidently choose activities from a good selection of high quality, well presented Montessori materials in a carefully prepared environment. Children also have good access to an attractive and inviting outdoor learning environment where they are able to explore resources more flexibly.

The teaching team has high levels of commitment to bicultural practice and to learning about te Ao Māori. They purposefully build children's familiarity with the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand and also about the wider world. New parents and children are welcomed in a Piki Mai Kake Mai ritual that promotes children's sense of themselves as hosts.

Teachers provide skilful support for children's learning through Montessori materials. They are sensitive and responsive to children's skill levels, progress with materials and particular needs. Children have plenty of time to practise developing skills. Teachers have established good relationships with Montessori classes in two primary schools. It would be worthwhile now for teachers to specifically review their approaches to supporting children's literacy learning in light of best practice and current theories of early childhood education.

Teachers plan for and assess children's progress with Montessori materials. They assess children's learning and development and include links to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Teachers share this information with parents electronically and at regular meetings. Many parents provide valuable information about their children's interests and strengths. Parents are very well informed about the centre's Montessori philosophy and provide feedback about the programme. Some children's assessment records illustrate the strong partnerships that parents have with teachers in supporting their children's learning.

Children's capability as thinkers, communicators and independent learners could now be better recognised in their assessment records and in teachers' planning and evaluation. The new owners are keen to ensure that these documents provide a more holistic record of children's learning progress and are more useful for children, parents and teachers.

The teaching team has established a good format for internal evaluation and the new owners have undertaken a worthwhile process of review over recent weeks. They have begun to update policies and procedures, including those related to teachers' performance appraisal. A collaborative process of reflecting on philosophy and practice has provided a good basis for the owners to develop new strategic and annual plans. It has laid a strong foundation to build on current good practices and to sustain the special characteristics of the centre that are valued by whānau and staff.

Key Next Steps

The owners have identified appropriate key next steps to support ongoing centre development. These are to:

• continue working with staff and families to review practices, develop the centre's strategic goals and plan of action and strengthen coherence across centre documents and practices

• use the Montessori Journey to Excellence and other indicators of best practice in early childhood education to foster discussions about the centre's philosophy and practices and to increase the rigour of internal evaluation

• encourage ongoing teacher reflection and evaluate the extent to which Te Whāriki is reflected in centre practices.

To help them enrich programmes for children, the teaching team could place a greater holistic focus on children's developing dispositions for learning. This will involve:

• considering ways to promote learning through creative, imaginative play

• planning how to build on children's interests and ideas in the programme, to better engage them in sustained, self-extended play

• fostering children's independent thinking and decision making that goes beyond making choices about where to work.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Glendowie Montessori 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.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Glendowie Montessori Preschool will be in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

28 September 2016

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.