11 Matipo Street, Takaro, Palmerston North
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 Inspiring Minds Montessori Pre-School 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 |
The service philosophy emphasises the provision of a Montessori approach (based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play) within the framework of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A small number of Māori or Pacific children are enrolled. Since ERO’s 2021 review, improved systems for managing regulatory compliance have been developed.
Children’s wellbeing and learning are well promoted through unhurried Montessori rituals and meaningful learning interactions. A calm, purposeful environment promotes critical thinking and creativity. Children have time and space to develop and test their own theories about how the world works. A responsive and mana-enhancing curriculum successfully supports children to take responsibility for themselves, others, and the environment.
Curriculum planning responds positively to what individual children know and can do. Learning records detail children’s involvement in a wide range of centre experiences and show their developing capabilities over time. Teachers are yet to reliably draw on parents’ knowledge in relation to their child’s learning to form strong learning partnerships. A cohesive approach to involving parents in curriculum design has not yet been established.
An inclusive curriculum offers a range of cultural practices to support children’s individual identities. Tikanga Māori is naturally woven throughout the environment and daily routines. The languages of Pacific children are reflected in their learning stories. With external support, teachers are establishing a collective approach to strengthening internal evaluation to better understand how individual and groups of children are progressing in terms of Te Whāriki.
Recent professional learning has resulted in the development and introduction of a range of systems and processes for governing and managing the service. The centre manager is beginning to share responsibility for some management tasks, and to consider distributing leadership for some curriculum priorities. This is a priority to support future operational sustainability.
Inspiring Minds Montessori Pre-School will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Inspiring Minds Montessori Pre-School 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)
20 December 2023
| Early Childhood Service Name | Inspiring Minds Montessori Pre-School |
| Profile Number | 46752 |
| Location | Takaro, Palmerston North |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 28 children aged over 2 |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80-99% |
| Service roll | 36 |
| Review team on site | October 2023 |
| Date of this report | 20 December 2023 |
| Most recent ERO report(s) | Akanuku | Assurance Review, February 2021; Education Review, June 2017 |
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 |
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Inspiring Minds Montessori Pre-School is a privately owned service that opened in 2015. The owner has overall responsibility for governance and management and is supported by three registered and two additional teachers. Most have Montessori qualifications.
Children are given a range of experiences and opportunities to extend their learning aligned to the service philosophy. Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum provides a language-rich environment. It respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages them to understand other cultures.
Strengthening of systems to monitor and record compliance actions across a range of areas has been implemented since ERO was on site.
Since the onsite visit the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:
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
18 February 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Inspiring Minds Montessori Pre-School |
| Profile Number | 46752 |
| Location | Takaro, Palmerston North |
| Service type | Education and care service |
| Number licensed for | 28 children aged over 2. |
| Percentage of qualified teachers | 80%+ |
| Service roll | 39 |
| Ethnic composition | Māori 2 NZ European/Pākehā 14 Chinese 9 Indian 9 Pacific 4 Other ethnic groups 1 |
| Review team on site | December 2020 |
| Date of this report | 18 February 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s)
| Education Review, June 2017. |
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: