Lollipops Educare Takapuna

Safe, nurturing and inspiring, Lollipops Takapuna provides high quality care and education to a diverse and vibrant multicultural mix of local families. Our highly experienced teachers will equip your little one with everything they need to settle in and succeed in this ever changing world. Your child will build confidence and resilience, develop independence and social skills, and gain a strong sense of belonging. They’ll thrive in an engaging environment that encourages learning through fun and play. Located in a beautiful renovated building, we offer a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces specially designed for each age and stage, with great facilities, first-class resources, and an excellent transition to school programme.

Our Philosophy

At Lollipops Educare Takapuna we believe that our philosophy is underpinned by providing a welcoming second home for our tamariki and whānau, where their uniqueness (Mauri) is acknowledged, they enjoy a strong sense of belonging (Whanaugatanga), through strong attachments knowing that they have a place here at our centre.

Our kaiako acknowledge and affirm that our curriculum is bi-cultural. We respect and reflect the unique place of Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and acknowledge and validate the diverse multicultural backgrounds of our whānau, their Mana, their values and virtues.  We also believe it is fundamental to seek to reflect our multiculturalism through the way in which we welcome all cultures.  Our multiculturalism is reflected in “who we are” and is embedded in our curriculum and practise.

Open communication with our parents and whānau is the foundation for positive and reciprocal relationships and is the cornerstone of this partnership.  It is through this that we maintain a respectful environment where our tamariki experience Manaakitanga: being nurtured and loved through a curriculum of care, focussing on kindness, supporting children’s self-regulation and in promoting Kotahitanga: taking pleasure in our connections with each other.  These relationships and connections are the basis for all learning and development.

Our rooms

Lollipops Takapuna has two separate outdoor areas and three separate indoor spaces, catering to children at each age and stage of development.

Outdoors we have an infants and toddler play area, where our children can explore safely at their own calm pace, as well as a preschool area, where our older children enjoy more challenging activities.

Inside, we have the following rooms:

Cubs Room

This caters for children from birth to approximately 18 months.  We have a ratio of one teacher to four children, which means we have a maximum of eight babies per day.  We follow each baby’s established routine from home and cater for their individual needs in every way. During this stage of a baby’s development we encourage self-discovery which is why our babies regularly enjoy heuristic play and an environment that provides opportunities for exploration with all the senses. We enjoy listening to songs, nursery rhymes, waiata and music from different nations.  Our programme is based on Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum that fosters children’s holistic development

Tigers Room

Here we cater for children from approximately 18 months up to 3 years of age. Our teachers follow a programme which supports and develops our toddlers’ physical, social and cognitive skills and language development with resources that encourage problem solving and exploration. During this stage of a child’s development they are discovering their individuality and gaining independence by developing self-help skills. Our Tigers benefit from a free play philosophy where they are able to choose from a range of interactive experiences on offer to them throughout the day. We also have structured mat times, music and movement time and art learning experiences

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why families choose Lollipops Takapuna. Here are just a few of them:

• Healthy Heart meals provided including for those with special dietary needs
• Two separate outdoor areas for different age groups enable children to explore safely at their own pace
• Regular walks in the local community (e.g. library, beach, parks)
• Excellent transition to school programme including established partnership with Takapuna Primary School
• Multicultural environment, including many families that have recently arrived in New Zealand
• Skilled staff work collaboratively to settle children from other nations using many strategies to create a strong sense of security, belonging and wellbeing
• Our staff speak several languages and we believe in teaching children in their first language whenever possible
• We celebrate cultural days of all families represented at our centre
• Our team is skilled in adapting teaching practice for children with diverse needs, abilities and strengths
• Close relationship with our neighbours, the Takapuna Methodist Church
• Two parent evenings each year including dinner and guest speakers
• Annual summer excursion (e.g. Auckland Zoo, Kiwi Valley Farm Park, Butterfly Creek)

Our team of dedicated teachers provide the  highest quality care and education,  delivering rich and inspiring learning experiences and environments that bring out the best in every child. Unlock your child’s unique potential