Childcare options in Oxford

We are a small, family owned and operated centre nestled in the foothills of the Southern Alps. With a rural and environmental focus, we believe that play is the best tool for learning.

Our Values

Our Kindy Family

We believe in developing strong relationships with families, whanaungatanga. We get to know you, our families whanau, through your whakapapa and by engaging in open, honest communication. Kaiako encourage families to take an active part in the children's learning. We invite you to storypark where you can see your child's progress documented in notes, stories, videos, pictures and have input on your child's individual plan. We encourage family whanau to spend time at Kindy sharing your talents or joining in the fun. We also offer opportunities throughout the year to get together and enjoy excursions.

Inclusive Kindy

Our mixed age group allows for many learning opportunities and the concepts of Ako (teaching and learning together) and Tuakana Teina (older children modelling to younger children and vice versa). We take time to get to know your child, seeing each learner as an individual who will learn and develop at their own pace. We partner with families whanau in this process to cater for individual needs. We celebrate children's unique cultural heritage including language, celebrations, and traditions, making connections between people, places, and things. Kindy recognises Maori as Tangta Whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Sustainable Kindy

We believe tamariki thrive in the outside environment. Nature pedagogy has great benefits to children's learning. Spending time in the outside environment enhances physical, social and emotional development. We hope to foster a love of nature and a respect for taonga and the environment. We offer opportunities for nga tamariki to practice kiatiakitanga (guardianship of the land). We use natural resources to enhance children's learning experiences. We hold green/gold Enviroschool status in recognition of our ongoing sustainability journey. Enviroschools is a programme dedicated to ensuring sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do.

Learning at Kindy

Our programme offers uninterupted periods of free play for tamariki to explore, take risks, and learn through their individual interests. We offer a wide variety of open ended activities and resources for your child to explore, enabling them to generate their working theories and weaving in the curriculum domains. Our qualified, experienced teachers give children time and space to explore, extending learning through quality korero, listening to the child's voice, positive guidence and intentional teaching. Our mixed age group offers unique learning experiences, tuakana teina, empowering nga tamariki, and offering leadership opportunities. Teachers share childrens learning through our online portfolio, Storypark.

Moving on from Kindy

We aim to support children and families as they transition from Kindy to school. We provide information for all our feeder schools as well as advice and guidance. Families choose when and where to send their child to school. Teachers can liaise with New Entrant teachers and will, with families permission, share information about your child's learning journey at Kindy through a transition to school statement. We recognise that children develop at their own pace and in their own time, and each individual child's journey to school will be unique.

Located at the West end of Oxfords Main Street, Oxford Playcentre occupies a rear section with a large outdoor space full of wonder for our tamariki (children) to explore.

At Oxford Playcentre we believe that child-initiated play allows children to become confident and competent self-directed learners. Our dedication to the Playcentre philosophy means that our children are continually making and strengthening warm relationships with adults and their peers. We pride ourselves on providing a nurturing environment where our tamariki are supported to play, explore, discover, create, and grow.

Our family co-operative

Our pakeke (adult) and whānau (family) are actively involved with the running of our centre and our sessions. Pakeke are supported on their Playcentre journey as they grow their knowledge of early childhood education through the Playcentre Adult Education programme, which enables us to run high quality sessions and support our qualified ECE co-ordinators at our centre.

At Oxford Playcentre you are not just a parent, you are an educator to all of the children. Every pakeke holds a role within the centre ensuring we all contribute to the success of our tamariki’s education.

Playcentre offers you

• Fun & friendship in your community
• Learning through play with your children
• Licensed early childhood education
• Quality play environment
• High adult : Child ratios
• Free adult education(NZQA)
• Mixed aged sessions – birth to age 6

Who you are makes a difference

Who I am makes a difference

Who we are together makes a difference

Let’s weave our differences together and make a whāriki of whanaungatanga.

Oxford's Community, Non Profit Preschool

The Preschool is administrated by a Christian Charitable Trust and provides full childcare for all families/whanau in the community. We are committed to quality care and education through a combination of structured programmes, supervised play and stimulating environment. We provide a secure, safe environment where children can learn new skills and experience a wide range of activities.

Our Preschool is split into three different areas for nurturing and learning.

The main part of the preschool caters for the nursery and the two to three year olds. It is important to us that your child/ren settle well into the centre. We encourage as many transition visits as you and your children need. Our staff will work with you through the transitioning to ensure we understand how you are feeling and make plans together, for your child/ren, before any permanent bookings are made.

This area is also where our main administration is run from for any queries etc.

The four year olds building has a bigger playground for bigger personalities. The transition to school building runs a Wāi Mahi programme in the mornings focusing on pencil grip, colours, letters, numbers etc. The team works with schools for transition visits; made easy with the use of the Trust van to go to Oxford Area School.

Our nurturing, caring team of registered teachers work with child/rens interests as part of their transition into all areas of learning.