149 Whites Line East, Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt
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 Shine Montessori Educare are as follows:
Outcome Indicators(What the service knows about outcomes for learners) |
Whāngai Establishing |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
|
Learning ConditionsOrganisational Conditions |
Whāngai Establishing Whāngai Establishing |
Shine Montessori Educare is one of two services under shared governance. A principal and head teacher oversee day-to-day operations. The curriculum is underpinned by a Montessori philosophy and also promotes Christian values and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Significant, ongoing staff changes have occurred since the 2020 review. Little progress has been made against the key next steps identified in the 2020 ERO review report. There is a diverse roll including a small number of Māori children, and those of Pacific heritages.
Children experience a well-considered, teacher-led and interest-based curriculum that supports their developing independence and confidence. Teachers integrate literacy, numeracy, and science throughout the programme. A well-resourced and presented environment promotes challenge, choice, and opportunities for children to revisit prior learning. The service collaborates with whānau and external agencies to develop planning so that children with additional needs are well supported.
There are regular opportunities for children to hear and use te reo Māori. Teachers weave kupu, waiata Māori and aspects of tikanga Māori through the daily programme.
Teachers are responsive to the needs, interests and strengths of infants and toddlers. They provide learning opportunities that promote self-esteem and oral language development for this age group.
Assessment for learning practices do not yet reflect the integrated curriculum. Separate planning systems run concurrently. One is aligned to the Montessori curriculum, and the other relates to interest-based learning for individual children. Better integration of these systems is required to clearly show children’s learning and progress in relation to Te Whāriki learning outcomes in assessment documentation. Whānau have regular opportunities to share their aspirations. While cultural information is provided, it is yet to be fully integrated within the curriculum.
Governance and management systems for improvement are established. A useful framework is used for internal evaluation. However, greater scrutiny of all information is required to better inform the resulting action plan. There is an appraisal in place. It is timely for leaders to further develop the professional growth cycle and build their capability to engage more effectively in critique of professional practice to support teachers’ ongoing improvement.
A greater emphasis on aspects of compliance and outcomes for learners by governance and management is required. Board meetings are focused on staffing and finance. Governance is yet to evaluate the strategic plan, to better inform decision-making and identify what is working or not, and for whom.
Shine Montessori Educare will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
effectively use and make visible, whānau information about children’s cultures, languages, and identities in the enacted curriculum, and planning and assessment documentation
better integrate assessment practices to show children’s learning and progress more clearly in relation to Te Whāriki learning outcomes.
build managers and leaders capability to engage more effectively in critique of professional practice to support teachers ongoing improvement
build center-wide internal evaluation practices, including greater scrutiny and use of analysed data to inform decision making and know the impact of actions on outcomes for children.
Before the review, the staff and management of Shine Montessori Educare 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.
ERO identified the following areas of non-compliance:
[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services, 2008, HS6, HS9, HS17]
During the review, the service provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliance:
all staff must be safety checked every three years in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014. [GMA7a]
ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure non-compliances identified in this report are addressed.
Kathy Lye
Director Review and Improvement Services (Acting, Southern)
Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
22 February 2023
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Early Childhood Service Name |
Shine Montessori Educare |
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Profile Number |
60121 |
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Location |
Lower Hutt |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
50 children, including up to 10 aged under 2 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
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Service roll |
47 |
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Review team on site |
November 2022 |
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Date of this report |
22 February 2023 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, February 2020; Education Review, August 2016 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Shine Montessori Educare is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
Shine Montessori Educare is an early childhood centre situated in Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt. The service is owned, operated and governed by a charitable trust. It provides full time education and care for children from 6 months up to school age. At the time of this review, five of the children enrolled at the service identify as Māori.
The centre philosophy emphasises the importance of providing a safe, educational, inclusive and unique environment for all tamariki. Learning experiences are underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and a blend of Montessori and Christian values.
The centre principal manages the day-to-day operation of the centre supporting the head teacher and teaching team. Most teachers are fully qualified and represent a diverse range of cultures.
Since the August 2016 ERO report, the centre's licence was changed to enable them to provide education and care for up to 10 children up to the age of two. This report identified several areas requiring further development. These included: strengthening appraisal; provision of a more culturally responsive curriculum; building teachers capacity for inquiring into their practice and evaluation processes. Progress has been made in some areas and some are ongoing.
Children participate in a blend of play-based, child led, and teacher led learning programmes. Literacy, mathematics and science concepts are skilfully woven into the curriculum. Teachers work alongside children supporting and growing their independence and social skills. The spacious outdoor environment offers physical challenge and invites children to become involved in wide variety of experiences.
Teachers engage in one-to-one responsive interactions with infants and toddlers. They maintain a calm, slow paced environment in which younger children have space and time to lead their learning.
Children with additional learning needs are well supported. External agencies are accessed when required to eliminate any potential barriers to enable a child’s full participation in the programme and support their learning.
The centre’s philosophy has recently been reviewed in collaboration with leaders and teachers. Leaders have identified the need to consult with their parents, families, whānau Māori and their Pacific community to determine what educational success means to them.
Aspects of kaupapa Māori concepts are evident in the programme. Teachers continue to develop their confidence to use te reo Māori in meaningful ways to enrich children’s learning. Leaders have identified the need to develop a localised curriculum that celebrates places of value for Māori and the community.
Group and individual planning for learning is based on children’s emerging interests. It provides a shared focus and enhances the blended Montessori and Christian programmes. Teachers provide a wide range of experiences. They recognise what is important for learning by using Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum to develop specific learning outcomes.
Children’s learning journals provide a rich record of their developing friendships, emerging interests and learning. Their voices are a key feature in assessment documentation. To improve assessment records teachers should more clearly show how:
learning partnerships are developed with parents and whānau in relation to the aspirations for their child’s learning
children’s cultures, languages and identities are celebrated.
Leaders and teachers are improvement focused. A new internal evaluation framework guides and builds understanding and practice. As this develops, leaders should continue to build the teaching teams capacity and capability to evaluate the impact of their practice on children’s learning.
A sound appraisal process focuses on growing teacher capability. Aligning appraisal goals to the centre’s strategic priorities would better enable the service to realise its strategic goals.
An effective distributed leadership model is promoted. Teachers are confident to lead aspects within the curriculum according to their strengths and interests. They show a strong commitment to the philosophy, vision and values of the centre.
ERO and leaders agree that the next steps for improvement are to:
consult with parents, whānau Māori and the Pacific community to determine what educational success looks like for them and their children
develop a local curriculum and support the consistent use of te reo Māori
enhance aspects of children's assessment documentation
align appraisal goals to the centre's strategic priorities
build teachers capacity and capability in internal evaluation for ongoing improvement.
Before the review, the staff and management of Shine Montessori Educare 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.
Dr Lesley Patterson
Director Review and Improvement Services Te Tai Tini
Southern Region
10 February 2020
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 |
Lower Hutt |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
60121 |
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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 10 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
52 |
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Gender composition |
Male 32, Female 20 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori NZ European/Pākehā Asian Other ethnic groups |
4 5 21 22 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
October 2019 |
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Date of this report |
10 February 2020 |
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Most recent ERO report(s)
|
Education Review |
August 2016 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
August 2013 |
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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.