42 Silverdale Street, Silverdale
View on mapAkarangi | 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 are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Coast Montessori Preschool are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whakaū Embedding |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whakaū Embedding Whakaū Embedding |
Coast Montessori Preschool is one of two services owned by the service provider. A qualified centre manager is responsible for daily operations and leads a team of five qualified teachers and two unqualified staff. Fifteen percent of enrolled children are of Māori heritage.
Children experience an environment that positively promotes their independence. Children recognise their own ability to learn in an environment that is well resourced, inclusive and affirming. They learn to manage and express their emotions while showing respect for others. A consistent and responsive teaching team fosters children’s mana and their sense of belonging in the service.
The curriculum is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the Montessori philosophy, which promotes self-directed activity and collaborative play. Children have opportunities for natural
play-based experiences. Teachers use a range of strategies to promote early literacy and mathematical learning. Leaders and teachers identify children’s individual learning needs and ensure all children are supported to fully participate in the curriculum provided.
Leaders and teachers demonstrate a growing awareness of providing a curriculum that reflects Māori ways of knowing, being and doing. This focus is being led by a teacher with specific interest in this area. Te reo Māori is used with intent and in positive ways to affirm children’s learning and behaviour.
Children’s learning is well documented in assessment records. Teachers confidently identify children’s increasing capabilities and evaluate how well the curriculum is contributing to children’s learning. Leaders recognise they need to seek the cultural knowledge of parents and whānau to further inform assessment practices.
Relational trust supports collaboration amongst the teaching team. New knowledge is collectively shared and documented through teachers' professional growth cycles. Leaders agree to focus on monitoring the implementation of individual and team improvement actions. This monitoring would include evaluating how changes made have impacted on children’s learning.
Leaders have created a positive working environment with a commitment to the professional growth of teachers. This has facilitated the recruitment and retention of a well-qualified, capable teaching team. Leaders model and expect professional accountability and collective responsibility for the wellbeing and learning of all children at this service.
Coast Montessori Preschool will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
To improve the extent to which the cultural knowledge of parents and whānau is used to inform assessment of children’s learning.
To monitor the implementation of improvement actions and evaluate the impact of these changes over time on children’s learning.
Before the review, the staff and management of Coast Montessori Preschool completed an ERO 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; safety checking; teacher registration; ratios)
relevant evacuation procedures and practices.
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 to show the following non-compliance has been addressed:
Having a record of training provided to adults who administer medication to children within the service (HS29).
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
17 July 2023
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Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Early Childhood Service Name: |
Coast Montessori Preschool |
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Profile Number: |
46272 |
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Location: |
Silverdale, Auckland |
|
Number licensed for |
45 children over 2 years of age |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
|
Service roll |
57 |
|
Review team on site |
June 2023 |
|
Date of this report |
17 July 2023 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review February 2019 Education Review, October 2015 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Coast Montessori Preschool is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Coast Montessori Preschool is one of two centres with the same licensee. It is located in the township of Silverdale, Auckland, in purpose-built premises. The owner's other centre is located in Kumeu. The centre employs a culturally diverse staff.
The centre is licensed to provide sessional and full-day education and care for 45 children over two years of age. Children share the indoor space, and have free access to the outdoor area for much of the day. Most children who attend the centre are Pākehā. There are six Māori children, and the ethnicities of other children include Chinese and Korean.
Coast Montessori's philosophy and approach to children's education is consistent with the teaching of Maria Montessori, while acknowledging the intentions of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Partnership with parents and the wider community is valued.
The owners operate the centre with the support of a head teacher. They take a keen interest in the management of the centre, and in children's education and care.
The 2015 ERO report noted the positive relationships and interactions that children experienced, and opportunities that they had to build their literacy and numeracy knowledge. The report also affirmed the support provided for children with additional needs, information sharing with parents, assessment and planning processes, and management systems. These continue to be strengths of the centre. The report suggested that staff strengthen bicultural practices and the documenting of strategic planning. Good progress has been made in these areas.
Children continue to benefit from positive and supportive relationships with staff. Teachers support children's emotional wellbeing, and very skilfully support their learning by using questions and suggestions to extend their thinking. Children with additional needs are well catered for in the inclusive environment.
Teaching practice is consistent with the centre's philosophy. Teachers have strong curriculum knowledge and know the children and their families well. They allow children to make decisions about their play and help them to access resources. Teachers promote tuakana/teina relationships by encouraging children to help each other with tasks.
The environment is well organised and resourced, and presented in ways that encourage children's curiosity and engagement. A wide range of equipment, including specific Montessori curriculum resources, is available in the indoor and outdoor areas. Children work with the equipment individually or with friends. Teachers are available to support the children in their play-based learning.
Staff have made good progress extending bicultural practice in the programme. Good use is made of individual teachers' knowledge and interests to support this aspect of the curriculum. Teachers take leadership roles to build their knowledge and confidence in using aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori. The centre has developed meaningful links with the local marae. Staff share aspects of Māori culture with the families that attend the centre.
Transitions into the centre and to school are well managed. Children and their parents are supported to feel confident about their transition to school. The centre has built positive relationships with the local schools, and teachers visit them regularly.
Managers provide time each day for teachers to reflect on the progress children are making, and to plan for children's next learning steps. Programme planning is well documented. It reflects the detailed information about children's learning that teachers regularly record and share electronically with families. Parents are encouraged to contribute to these records, and they often talk informally about the children with teachers.
Centre managers set high standards for all aspects of the centre's operation, and together with teachers they collaborate to meet these standards. Ongoing improvement is supported by a strong appraisal system, the provision of relevant and significant professional learning, and effective internal evaluation.
To provide an even stronger focus for improvement and monitoring purposes:
teachers could make greater use of evaluative questions to guide their review of centre practices
strategic planning would be strengthened by writing clear strategic goals that are shared with staff.
Before the review, the staff and management of Coast 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:
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 Coast Montessori Preschool will be in four years.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services
Northern Region
19 February 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.
|
Location |
Silverdale, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46272 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children over the age of 2 years |
||
|
Service roll |
49 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 25 Girls 24 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Review team on site |
January 2019 |
||
|
Date of this report |
19 February 2019 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
October 2015 |
|
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.
Coast Montessori Preschool is located in the township of Silverdale, North Auckland. The centre is licensed to provide sessional and full day education and care for 45 children from two years to school age.
Coast Montessori Preschool follows the principles and practices of the Montessori philosophy, as well as those outlined in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The centre’s philosophy has an emphasis on promoting the uniqueness of the individual child and on children learning and exploring in a safe and child-orientated environment.
Coast Montessori Preschool is privately owned. The two owners have management and teaching roles and operate the centre together. They are supported by a head teacher and a teaching team of mostly registered and qualified teachers.
This is the first ERO review of the centre, which has been operating since 2013. Since opening, the owners and head teacher have continued to develop relationships with families and the community. Resourcing the environment has been a key priority.
Children and families benefit from an environment that is welcoming and inclusive and promotes a strong sense of belonging. Children experience close and trusting relationships with teachers and develop good friendships with their peers. The focus on building and sustaining relationships with families is a feature of the preschool.
Children are familiar with the centre’s clear routines and play both independently and in groups. They have easy access to resources and specialised Montessori equipment in a spacious and well organised environment. The outdoor space is well designed and offers a variety of activities and equipment to promote children’s learning. The daily outdoor programme provides children with the opportunity to follow their own interests.
Teachers know children well and are caring and supportive of their exploration and learning. Teachers focus on one-to-one interactions with children. They sensitively build children’s capability in literacy and numeracy. Teachers could consider further teaching strategies to continue to build on children’s thinking and creativity.
Teachers include te reo Māori through greetings, waiata, stories and numeracy. The owners and the head teacher acknowledge their need to continue strengthening bicultural practices. They agree that making use of Tātaiako - Cultural Competencies for Teachers of Māori Learners, would support this next step.
The preschool continues to develop links with local schools. These relationships support children in their transition to school. Children with special education needs are also well supported as they move within the preschool, and on to local schools.
Information shared by parents is appreciated and used to build teacher’s knowledge of children’s learning and their relationships with children and their families. Parents’ value access to the interactive electronic portfolios that show their child’s learning journey.
Teachers take detailed notes about how children spend their time, and their learning progress. They use this assessment information to guide children to the next task in the area of the Montessori curriculum. The owners and the head teacher are continuing to refine their planning, assessment and evaluation practices so that teachers meet the individual needs and interests of each child.
The owners and teachers work collaboratively and leadership is shared for the day-to-day running of the preschool. Ongoing self review is well documented and used to continually improve the quality of learning programmes, and the systems that guide the operation of the preschool. Teachers are encouraged to participate in professional development and to continue with personal study. The appraisal system is used to identify individual teacher’s goals and their professional learning needs.
ERO agrees with centre owners and the head teacher that the key next steps for preschool improvement are to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Coast 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:
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 Coast Montessori Preschool will be in three years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
2 October 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 |
Silverdale, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
46272 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
45 children, including up to 0 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
70 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 43 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
|
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 |
August 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
2 October 2015 |
||
|
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.