Polykids – Otago Polytechnic Childcare Centre

Learning is fun and every day presents a new opportunity to discover something new!

The Childcare Centre provides quality education and care for children from birth to school age. We welcome all children from our community – supporting and respecting children and families from all cultural, educational and social backgrounds. Children of all abilities are members of our learning community.

The Centre’s primary mission is to provide quality education and care for children of staff and students of Otago Polytechnic. If spaces are available, then children from the wider local community and Dunedin are accepted. Children of staff and students from Otago Polytechnic are always given priority on any Enrolment Waiting List.

Polykids has separate designated areas for children under the age of two and those over two years old. We can take children from birth through to school age although we prefer children to begin at three months old, as this has given their immune systems a little time to develop. All of our teachers are fully trained or currently in training.

The Polykids philosophy

Our mission is to provide quality Early Childhood Education and care for children from birth through to age five. Our programme follows the Principles of Te Whaariki – the Early Childhood Curriculum of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Through participation in our programme, children will become confident, capable learners and communicators who develop positive dispositions for learning that guide them through life. Our Centre also promotes respect for all, and values the differences that make us all unique. We place special value on the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand, and through consultation and communication with our parents and whanau, we aim to reflect the cultures, aspirations and values of our learning community.

We believe in:

• Providing a learning environment that is welcoming and inclusive
• Building positive and honest relationships – these are paramount for fostering an environment of engaged learning and education
• Promoting collaboration, exploration, problem solving, challenge and reflection, in the belief that children are competent and capable
• Fostering the development of self-belief
• Using the Principles of Te Whaariki to guide our programme and practice in conjunction with the belief that learning occurs through responsible and reciprocal interactions
• Establishing simple and clear boundaries for behaviour to promote respect and an understanding that the setting is fair for all
• Promoting the importance of structure and routine for children to develop a sense of belonging and security
• Advocating, as teachers, for our children, our parents and whanau and for Early Childhood Education