Trillium Montessori School Ltd.

1 Evaluation of Trillium Montessori School Ltd.

How well placed is Trillium Montessori School Ltd. to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

The centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

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

Background

Trillium Montessori School Ltd is a privately-owned education and care service in Hornby. It is a full-day service licensed for 32 children, including six children under two years old.

Children learn and play in two separate, purpose-designed indoor areas. The under two-year-olds have a separate play area from other children. Children attending the service come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, which is representative of the diverse cultures in the local community.

Almost all teachers (including the owner) are ECE and Montessori qualified. There have been several staff changes since operation began in 2017.

The vision and values, which are informed by Montessori principles and Te Whāriki (The New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum), promote the concepts of 'independence', 'taking responsibility for self and others', 'natural curiosity in the world around us' and 'partnership with parents.'

This is the first ERO review for this service.

The Review Findings

The owner is providing quality, improvement-focused direction and support for the service. The owner takes responsibility for day-to-day management as well as governance. Documentation, systems and processes that guide centre operations are designed to promote high expectations and consistency of practice at all levels of the service's operation.

Teachers are well supported to develop leadership and teaching capability. The owner is committed to building a capable and cohesive teaching team which is well-positioned to respond to the learning and wellbeing of all children who attend the centre. There are mentoring systems in place to support teachers new to the centre and those who are new to teaching. As well as providing internal professional support for teachers, the owner sources external professional learning opportunities that are related to the service's strategic priorities. Useful guidelines and templates drive individual and group planning. Teachers' planning incorporates children's interests and considers future directions for learning. Transitions into and within the centre are guided by the needs of children and the expectations of their whānau.

Internal evaluation is beginning to provide useful information to inform improvement. A recently completed evaluation proved useful in making modifications to transition practices into and within the service. An appropriate framework for internal evaluation is in place and in current use. External support has been sourced to assist teachers in developing reflective practices. Appraisal processes are being established to ensure Education Council requirements for teaching standards are met.

The diverse cultural backgrounds of children, including Māori children, are celebrated. A number of children have English as a second language and teachers consult with parents about appropriate communication strategies for these children. Bicultural practices are growing and are evident in the use of te reo, waiata and other aspects of Māori culture.

The curriculum is Montessori informed and has an emphasis on the use of natural materials and skill development in everyday situations. Children choose how to engage with the resources provided and teachers work alongside children, responding to their interests and needs.

Children under two years old are nurtured by their teachers. Calm interactions and flexible routines that accommodate individual needs, promote a positive environment and a sense of belonging.

Key Next Steps

Internal evaluation is an area for further development. Refining internal evaluation practices will assist the leadership and teaching team to identify which systems and practices are sustainable and most effective in supporting children and their whānau at this centre. ERO has identified areas of practice which it would be timely to evaluate for their impact on children's learning outcomes. These include:

• evaluating teaching strategies to identify which are most effective in promoting learning and wellbeing

• success for Māori children, in terms of understanding how effective current practices are in promoting language, culture and identity

• annual planning, in relation to how effectively it supports the achievement of strategic goals.

The appraisal process needs to be fully implemented to ensure compliance with Education Council requirements for annual attestation in relation to the teaching standards.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Trillium Montessori School Ltd. 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 Trillium Montessori School Ltd. will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review & Improvement Services

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

5 February 2019

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

Location		Christchurch
Ministry of Education profile number		47227
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		32 children, including up to 6 aged under 2
Service roll		37
Gender composition		Boys 16 : Girls 21
Ethnic composition		Māori Pākehā Asian Other ethnicities	4 8 14 11
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates		80% +
Reported ratios of staff to children	Under 2	1:3	Meets minimum requirements
	Over 2	1:9	Meets minimum requirements
Review team on site		November 2018
Date of this report		5 February 2019
Most recent ERO report		No previous ERO reports

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.