Footprints Educare

Our Philosophy

Footprints educare welcomes whānau and tamariki into a caring Christian environment where we seek to nurture each tamaiti as a unique creation of God.  Commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi forms a strong foundation for ensuring the bicultural partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand is maintained.  This is evident in all aspects of our practice which is guided by Te Whariki early childhood curriculum.

​We endeavor to provide tamariki with a rich curriculum that fosters their identity as successful learners.  The learning environment provides opportunities for tamariki to learn through play and to enable their holistic development to be supported and extended. We allow time for tamariki to take the lead and follow their interests.

​Meaningful relationships are fostered between kaiako, tamariki and whanau. Kaiako are attuned to tamariki cues, and are intentional in responding to these in ways to engage in and extend their learning.​

We work in partnership with whānau to ensure their aspirations for their tamariki and ongoing learning is achieved.  Manaakitanga for self and others is encouraged and role modelled at all times.​

Opportunities to explore kaitiakitanga creates learning development for new skills and experiences. We value the role of environmental guardianship and see the importance of teaching this to our future generations.

Social competence and Christian values are a key focus within our curriculum. Promoting independence and self-help skills forms the foundation for preparing tamariki to successfully transition into their next learning steps.

We see the environment as an important learning tool for our tamariki.

Footprints educare facilities have been carefully designed to make the most of our beautiful Far North setting.  All learning centres are integrated by design with the outdoors.  Whether it be lunch together, water play, or story time under the Pohutakawa tree – exploration of our environment is encouraged and celebrated.