Waikanae Montessori Preschool

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.

ERO’s Judgement

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.

Background

Waikanae Montessori Preschool is an all-day early learning service situated in Waikanae. The centre is organised into two mixed-age classrooms providing learning experiences that are underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum and the Montessori philosophy. Children from diverse cultural backgrounds attend the service.

Summary of Review Findings

Children participate in a child led, play-based programme. The service’s curriculum is informed by assessment, planning and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, development and interests. It also acknowledges and celebrates the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. 

The design and layout of the premises support the provision of different types of indoor and outdoor learning experiences for all children. Adults providing education and care, engage in positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.  

A policy framework and annual planning guide operation. Health and safe procedures are implemented, monitored and changes made when required.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• continue to build on and celebrate the localised curriculum and make explicit intentional teaching strategies and evaluate the impact of these on children’s learning in assessment documentation.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern)

Southern Region | Te Tai Tini

14 December 2020

Information About the Service

Early Childhood Service Name	Waikanae Montessori Preschool
Profile Number	60198
Location	Waikanae
Service type	Education and care service
Number licensed for	40 children aged over 2 years
Percentage of qualified teachers	80%+
Service roll	56
Ethnic composition	Māori 12, NZ European/Pākehā 40, Other ethnic groups 4
Review team on site	October 2020
Date of this report	14 December 2020
Most recent ERO report(s)	Education Review, May 2019

General Information about Assurance Reviews

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.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
• where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

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:

• curriculum
• premises and facilities
• health and safety practices
• governance, management and administration.

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:

• 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 certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service
• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems
• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

1 Evaluation of Waikanae Montessori Preschool

How well placed is Waikanae Montessori Preschool to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

Waikanae Montessori Preschool requires further development to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

ERO found a number of non-compliances with the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008. A number of key policies have not been reviewed and updated and self review requires development.

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

Background

Waikanae Montessori Preschool is an all-day early childhood and care service. It is licensed for 40 children aged from two to six years. Of the 59 children currently enrolled, seven identify as Māori.

A governance committee is responsible for the centre. An administrator supports the board of trustees, the parent committee and centre staff. Since 2018, an acting manager has had responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the service. The board has recently reviewed the constitution charter. This has informed the future leadership structure.

The centre is organised into two mixed age classrooms. Since the beginning of 2018 the service has begun to enrol two year olds.

While some of the key next steps from the April 2016 ERO report have been addressed; assessment for learning and internal evaluation continues to require development.

The Review Findings

Te Whāriki (2017), the Early Childhood Curriculum, blended with Montessori principles, is becoming increasingly visible in the enacted curriculum. Recent professional development has helped staff recognise the importance of reviewing their philosophy statement. This is a priority.

Children are highly engaged in the variety of experiences available within the prepared environments. The well-designed outdoor spaces invite exploration and provide challenge.

Learning partnerships with parents are being appropriately developed. Leaders and teachers understand the importance of gathering parent and whānau aspirations, and work collaboratively and responsively to enact them. Parents are asked for and regularly give their input in the termly statements about their child's participation in the programme.

Assessment portfolios do not clearly nor consistently reflect Māori children’s culture. Teacher's need to build their knowledge and confidence to effectively support the success of these young learners.

Te reo me ngā tikanga Maori is being effectively promoted by an external facilitator. He is supporting the development of links to the local Marae.

Children with additional needs are well supported in an inclusive environment. External agencies are accessed as required.

Transitions into the centre are well considered. Teachers are particularly responsive to how well young children settle. With an influx of younger children into the centre teachers have appropriately revised practices and have provided suitable age-appropriate resources in the environment.

Understanding of self review and internal evaluation is at an early stage and requires development. While both long term and spontaneous reviews are undertaken, processes are needed to support their implementation and completion.

Key Next Steps

ERO has identified, and centre managers agree, that the next steps are to:

• strengthen understanding of assessment for learning practices

• develop shared understandings of self review and internal evaluation at all levels to better inform decision making.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Waikanae 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:

• 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.

Actions for compliance

ERO identified areas of non-compliance relating to governance and management and health and safety. To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following areas:

• the child protection policy needs updating to ensure it meets all the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014

• a written procedure is needed for the safety checking of all workers before they have access to children, that meets the requirements of the VCA 2014

• key systems for supervision are fully implemented and monitored.

Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS31, GMA7A, HS22

In order to improve current practice the service provider should ensure that:

• appraisal is fully developed and robustly implemented

• an appropriate schedule for the review of all policies is developed, implemented and maintained. When policies are reviewed, it is important to ensure they match practice

• annual planning is adequately documented.

Development Plan Recommendation

ERO recommends that the service, in consultation with the Ministry of Education, develops a plan to address the key next steps and actions outlined in this report.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services Southern

Southern Region

29 May 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		Waikanae
Ministry of Education profile number		60198
Licence type		Education & Care Service
Licensed under		Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for		40 children aged over 2
Service roll		59
Gender composition		Boys 33, Girls 26
Ethnic composition		Māori NZ European/Pākehā Other ethnic groups	7 50 2
Percentage of qualified teachers		80% +
Reported ratios of staff to children	Over 2	1:10	Meets minimum requirements
Review team on site		April 2019
Date of this report		29 May 2019
Most recent ERO reports		Education Review	April 2016
		Education Review	May 2014

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

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.

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.