Gr8 Kidz Childcare and Learning Centre

We purpose built Gr8Kidz with two goals in mind. To create an open environment and to give the children space to be themselves.

Our open environment means the children are not hemmed in to certain rooms but are free to explore what the whole centre has to offer.

We have enough square metres for over 80 children but we stay below 50. This means that every child has more space to move and explore. On wet days where we have to be inside, the kids have many different areas and resources to interact with.

Our outdoor environment is a fantastic area. The children have lots of equipment to test their physical skills and discover what they are capable of. We have a mixture of constant equipment like a playground, sandpit, bikes and carpentry as well as equipment they can move like boxes, tyres and planks where they can create their own obstacles and be creative.

We have an orchard where children get to explore and care for the natural environment and where our kai comes from. This area is surrounded by native trees and flaxes as we continue to learn about what is unique to New Zealand and learn to engage with our taonga (treasures). We also have an outdoor stage for putting on a show and a fire pit.

Relationships

We believe relationships matter. We have systems in place so that children get to be with each other and with teachers they know well. We also know what children need developmentally and therefore have spaces, relationships, and practices to support this. We staff more teachers per child and make sure that children get the support they need.

We are a centre where children can meet together and come together as everyone can see and interact with one another. This means that siblings can be together and that children can learn to respect and show kindness to children that are at a different age and stage to them.

We have an under two area so that those children have space, time and opportunities to work things out without the busyness of older children as well. Older children ask to come into these areas and toddlers can go between the spaces as we know that they may need that space some days as well as connecting with teachers that they may of known for most of their life.

We run at ratios of 1:8 for over twos and 1:3 for under-twos (this is under the required Ministry of Education ratios are 1:10 for over two and 1:5 for under-twos). We staff with more teachers because we believe that children have better learning opportunities when there are more teachers available to support them as well as having smaller group sizes. We believe that there should be enough teachers that every child has the opportunity for their own voice to be heard. They should be cared for individually, being nurtured and developed in a way that is best for them.

We love watching tuakana-teina relationships (relationships between older and younger children) develop as well as children learning to interact with their peers and form friendships.

We value whanau and love our Gr8Kidz family.