Papatoetoe Footsteps Community Preschool

Our Philosophy

Our Preschool is unique because God’s love is our motivation.   We want each child to experience the unconditional love of Jesus and to believe that they are valuable (taonga).   In our Preschool we respond to the preciousness of others, because all are precious to God.  We respect and value the influence of the family and their diverse cultures and consider it a privilege to share their child.

We believe the Bible demonstrates the best way to live.   Because of this, it forms the heart of our curriculum.  The principles of loving God and others are demonstrated through the developing of warm, caring, reciprocal relationships (ngā hononga) across the Centre and explored through Bible stories, Christian songs, prayer and Christian values in the daily, play-based learning programme.   Each child in our care will be encouraged to develop respect, emotional agility, to actively learn, to be community-focused and to have a heart of love.  These fundamental values (our Flourishing Spirit-Led Child curriculum) will be creatively woven through the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, being delivered in a way that upholds Te Tiriti O Waitangi, is responsive to individual learners and where parents are respected as first teachers.

Practising collaboration with family and whanau (whanaungatanga), kaiako will implement a responsive, dynamic curriculum that enables every individual to flourish as competent and confident learners (whakamana) and communicators (mana reo), healthy in mind (taha hinengaro, taha whanau), body (taha tinana) and spirit (taha wairua), secure in their sense of belonging (mana whenua) and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society (mana tangata).

Our values & dispositions

As a Christian early childhood centre, we will explore a rich range of values with your child as they experience life and interact with each other in the course of their day. In particular, there are a number of values which we desire to be characterised by as we operate as Christian professionals. We wish to be defined by these values and held accountable for their intentional implementation through our flourishing Spirit-led child curriculum and in our practice.