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Community Ownership: Parents likely have a strong say in how the service operates and what happens to children, all money earnt stays within it, and teachers may be paid better and childcare charges may be lower compared to most (but not necessarily all) private and corporate owned services. (Ask: Is it an Incorporated Society? Does it also have charitable status?)
Small Boutique Centre: Centres with 50 or fewer children make it easier for staff to provide a warm and nurturing environment, for children to have their individual needs met and skills, knowledge, and competencies extended. (Ask: For continuity of care and relationships, do children stay with the same group of children and teachers throughout their time at the service?)
100% Qualified Teacher Funded: All staff counted toward meeting the minimum adult-child ratio requirement must hold a practising certificate as a teacher if the service receives this level of Ministry of Education funding.
(as at last year):
Men Included on Teaching Staff (as at last year): There are strong benefits of having both men and women on the teaching team for the quality of care and education a service provides to children. Additionally, gender bias in staff recruitment and employment is not generally acceptable in society today. (Ask: How many teaching staff are employed and what proportion are men?)
(last year and year before):
Clean Licence Record (last year and the year before): To be licensed a service must comply with regulations that help ensure children’s safety, care, and a suitable standard of education. When requirements are breached the Ministry of Education may downgrade a service’s licence to provisional or issue a suspension. Check the lists of services placed on a provisional or suspended licence https://oece.nz/public/information/standards/
Recommended Highly by 80% or More Families: The service is recommended by at least 80% of families, based on results from the independent OECE parent survey. To qualify, the survey must have a response rate of at least 51% of enrolled families and have been completed within the past three years.
1 Review on “Birkenhead Point Montessori Pre-school”
We have been so pleased with our daughter’s experience at Birkenhead Point Montessori. From the very beginning, the teachers have been warm, supportive, and truly attentive to her individual needs. She is encouraged to follow her interests, and we’ve seen her confidence and independence grow so much.
The Montessori environment is calm, engaging, and beautifully set up. It allows children to take responsibility for their own learning, while still being gently guided. Our daughter comes home excited to share what she has learned and is developing a real love for learning.
We also appreciate the strong sense of community. The teachers keep us informed and involved, and it’s clear they genuinely care about each child’s development, not only academically but socially and emotionally as well.
We feel very fortunate to be part of this Montessori and would highly recommend it to other families looking for a nurturing and inspiring place for their children.