Our Team
Our kaiako (teachers) are wonderful and amazing people, who have been selected based on their experience within Early Childhood, their professional knowledge of teaching and nurturing young children and their philosophy of education and knowledge of child development.
We value professional development, and encourage our team to participate in a variety of courses, in order to grow and keep up to date with new developments in the early childhood educational field.
Curriculum
We are committed to follow the aspirations of the New Zealand National ECE Curiculum, Te Whāriki,
“For children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society”.
Te Whāriki envisages kaiako in early learning settings working in partnership with parents, whānau and community to realise this vision. The expectation is that, in their early years, children will experience a curriculum that empowers them as lifelong learners.
Te Whāriki supports this work by providing a framework of principles and strands. The principles are the foundations of curriculum decision making and a guide for every aspect of pedagogy and practice. The strands are 5 areas of learning and development, where the focus is on supporting children to develop the capabilities they need as confident and competent learners. Each setting takes these principles and strands and, in partnership with parents and whānau, uses them to ‘weave’ a curriculum whāriki that is specifically designed for their children.
Our Environment
Infants
0 – 1 years
Our infants have their own space if needed throughout the day, but when they are exploring with the older children they are supported by one of our infant teachers working alongside. We love incorporating nature, natural materials and ‘real items’ in our environment as we believe that with these items infants are able to gain an understanding of the world they live in. It encourages open-ended learning, and promotes sensory development.
Care Rituals
Giving bottles, feeding and change times are special care moments, and a time to awhi. We are able to nurture, sing, hold and support the infants to create a feeling of warmth, connection and aroha. Teachers will talk with your child , modelling language and allowing them to be a part of the routine in a respectful way.
Toddlers
1 – 2 years
Our infant and toddler teaching team provide a nurturing, relationship focused learning programme which is enhanced by developing a secure attachment with your child. We respect that parents are the first teachers, you know your child best, so we want to work closely with you to meet your child’s individual needs whether that is with child focused routines or their learning and development.
The preschool children have mat times throughout the day where they learn songs, stories and are encouraged to share things with the other children. The under two children have routines that suit their age group and individual and group play experiences are created in partnership with whanau. We respect that each child learns and develops at their own pace, when they are ready, and that play is children’s work.
Young Children
3 – 5 years
Play is open-ended, child directed and full of fun as we embrace the unknown of how children explore and experiment with their ideas and theories of how the world around them works. Our teachers know that learning through play children will develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments. When you enter KIDSPACE there is a buzz of activity as children excitedly choose from the numerous resources and activities provided for them with support from their teachers. The free flow between inside and outside gives children the opportunity to learn in nature, or indoors.
We know that our local schools support a play based approach to learning yet want their new entrants to have pro social and self help skills. So this is very much a focus for us here at KIDSPACE too. Children are supported to go to the bathroom independently, wash their hands, look after their belongings and dress themselves. You will also find Maths, Science and Literacy are thoughtfully woven into play experiences by qualified and experienced teachers.
Sustainability
We introduce sustainable habits and practices to our children by encouraging them to reduce, reuse and recycle. We also keep worm farms and grow our own vegies in our very own KIDSPACE garden.
Using Storypark significantly reduces the amount of paper used for forms and newsletters.
We use local suppliers and partners where possible, supporting the sustainability of businesses in our community.
We believe every little bit helps to ensure sustainability for our precious future generations!
Connecting Children with Nature
The natural world is a giant, open-ended learning laboratory. Children are innate scientists and love to experience the sights, scents, sounds, and textures of the outdoors.
Whether it’s growing vegetables, creating a masterpiece with dirt, twigs and sand, watch worms wriggle through the soil, gazing at clouds, jumping in puddles, listening to birds sing, smelling fresh-cut grass and collecting seeds – any outdoor learning experience is always a positive one! Where possible we encourage childrens experiences with the natural world.
Contact us, book a tour or join our waiting list,
we’d love to hear from you!
We understand that your child’s education & care is a priority and that choosing the right centre can be a big decision. We would be delighted to share in your child’s learning journey. Feel welcome to contact us in whichever way is most convenient for you, or visit our centre and meet our Teaching Team!