Kingsdene Kindergarten

Kia ora and welcome to Kingsdene Kindergarten

Kingsdene Kindergarten’s attractive, inviting and well thought out learning environment on Mascot Ave facilitates and encourages our little ones to discover, learn, problem-solve, observe and explore with guidance from our professional and qualified teachers. We take pride in our centre, and aim to welcome and nurture all of the children who enter it.

Embracing the many cultures of New Zealand is important to our multicultural kindergarten in Kingsdene, as well as working alongside families and the community to grow our little ones into well-rounded people. Our kindergarten values inclusiveness – all children and their whānau are welcome. The the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki, helps us to nurture and educate Kiwi children of all backgrounds, based around five principles of learning: wellbeing (mana atua) belonging (mana whenua), contribution (mana tangata), communication (mana reo) and exploration (mana aoturoa). Keeping in line with these principles, we provide top quality early childhood education in Kingsdene.

Our centre is a part of the wider Auckland Kindergarten Association, a long lived organisation with a charitable purpose that has overseen the early childhood educations of many Kiwi kids for more than a century. Kindergartens have a well established reputation for innovative and creative teaching, quality learning environments and effective programmes which nurture learners according to their individual needs.

A focus on community involvement sets the kindergarten experience apart from other Kingsdene childcare options. We encourage and cultivate strong relationships with other local organisations including the nearby schools, allowing for a smooth transition from kindy to primary school. Kindergarten prepares your child for life, both in the classroom and outside of it.

Our learning philosophy

For the past 110 years, the Auckland Kindergarten Association has been igniting young minds by encouraging them to explore their imaginations through play. For many of us, kindergarten was where we began our life of learning; it was where we started learning skills like sharing, tolerance, patience, respect and self-confidence.

We view children as capable, competent, life-long learners, and our philosophy encourages children to make their own learning choices, problem-solve and observe and explore at their own pace…with support from teachers, parents, wider whānau and their peers. We value the importance of child-initiated, play-based experiences. Our kindergarten teachers nurture your children’s interests and natural curiosity by working alongside them, expanding language and introducing mathematical and science concepts, as well as literacy, digital technology and sustainable practices.

Our centres have gardens and natural outdoor spaces where children can create, explore, be imaginative and expressive. There’s plenty of room to safely run about, being imaginative and physically active. In fact, the natural world is essential to free-range play. AKA encourages each kindergarten community to explore and enrich their diversity and uniqueness. Some have regular excursions into the local community; some are Enviroschool kindergartens that live and breathe sustainable practices; while others engage in long-term research on child interest-based programmes of learning.

As an organisation, we formally acknowledge the dual heritage of Aotearoa / New Zealand, and work to uphold the spirit and intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in each kindergarten. We are accessible, secular and welcoming to the wide diversity of tamariki and whānau who attend our centres, and value ongoing partnerships between teaching teams and leadership staff with families and whānau. We value ongoing learning for teachers, parents and whānau, and the sharing of knowledge, skills and attributes is fundamental to achieving the best learning outcomes for children. Teachers and staff can access collegial professional time to ensure that quality practice is enhanced so current theories of learning and development within New Zealand’s world-class Te Whāriki early childhood curriculum are shared and understood.

Children learn

Children in our kindergartens have the opportunity to:

• Feel confident, develop responsibility and a sense of independence
• Play meaningfully alongside other children and adults
• Develop effective communication skills
• Persevere, problem-solve and take risks
• Explore limits, boundaries, routines and conflict resolution strategies
• Practice fine motor skills such as threading, writing, cutting and grasping
• Develop gross motor play such as physical games like climbing, throwing, kicking, balancing and lifting
• Develop creative expressions through painting, music, collage, movement, dance, finger-painting, drawing, cutting, pasting and story sharing
• Develop early numeracy, literacy and science skills
• Learn techniques through trial and error
• Explore the world through experimenting, questioning and curiosity
• Develop confidence and celebrate both attempts and successes
• Develop a passion for learning and a love of life
• Have fun!

Older children will be supported in their transition to school to make this process as simple and seamless as possible. Book a visit here on Kindello today, we’d love to meet you.