101 Athenree Road, Waihi Beach
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 Athenree Montessori 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 |
Athenree Montessori is privately owned. A qualified owner and centre manger lead the teaching team. The service’s philosophy is underpinned by Montessori principles and values children being able to explore the natural world. Of the children enrolled one third whakapapa Māori, and a small number are from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Children experience an environment that positively enhances their independence, physical and emotional wellbeing, and understandings of the world around them. Calm and well-resourced environments enhance children’s exploration and freedom of choice. Children with additional needs are included and supported by external agencies. Teachers utilise respectful practices as they attend to younger learner’s care routines. Children's learning is extended through natural world experiences and regular trips to the estuary.
The service is in the early stages of developing a culturally responsive curriculum. Some families are sharing valued home cultural information. Teachers are building their understandings and there is some use of te reo Māori. Leaders and teachers have undertaken professional learning to strengthen this practice and have self-identified this as an ongoing growth area.
Children's learning progress is discussed with parents and is becoming more evident through assessment and planning. Assessment recognises children’s dispositions and skills learnt. Parent’s aspirations for their child’s learning are gathered annually, with these becoming more evident in curriculum planning. Limited documented evidence was found relating to the learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Next steps for the service are to strengthen their responses to children’s learning, and integrate the learning outcomes, through documentation. Leaders have identified a need to build priorities for learning alongside parents to strengthen learning focused partnerships.
Leaders and teachers are taking steps to grow their professional knowledge. Sharing of ideas and mentoring is ongoing. Growth cycles are yet to reflect the impact of changes in teaching practices on children’s learning outcomes. Evaluation practices are established and a strengthening of these is required.
Leaders are working towards enabling conditions that support capability building and identified priorities for improvement. Relational trust exists between teachers, leaders, and governance. Governance is becoming strategically focused. Children’s learning and wellbeing are considered in resourcing and decision making.
Athenree Montessori will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Athenree Montessori 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:
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.
Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)
13 August 2024
| Early Childhood Service Name | Athenree Montessori |
| Profile Number | 47496 |
| Location | Waihi Beach |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 35 children, including up to 15 aged under 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 49 |
| Review team on site | June 2024 |
| Date of this report | 13 August 2024 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, February 2021 |
ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
|
Curriculum |
Meeting |
|
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
|
Health and safety |
Meeting |
|
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Athenree Montessori is a privately owned and operated education and care service. The owner and centre manger lead a team of nine staff. The service is based on the Montessori philosophy. There are two age-based rooms, each with a separate outdoor area. This is the centre’s first ERO review.
Children experience respectful and positive relationships between themselves and with their teachers. An inclusive learning curriculum supports children to develop close interactions with their peers. Children’s preferences are respected. The environment, indoors and outdoors, provides children with opportunities to enhance their learning.
The centre’s strategic and annual plan guide daily operation. Procedures promote the health and safety of children. Policy review helps centre-wide improvement. Parents are involved in the learning and development of their children.
Next steps include:
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui
10 February 2021
|
Early Childhood Service Name |
Athenree Montessori |
|
Profile Number |
47496 |
|
Location |
Athenree |
|
Service type |
Education and care service |
|
Number licensed for |
35 children, including up to 17 aged under 3. |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
|
Service roll |
50 |
|
Gender composition |
Female 26, Male 24. |
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori 8 |
|
Review team on site |
3 November 2020 |
|
Date of this report |
10 February 2021 |
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of the service. |
All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.
Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.
All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulated standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through: