Childcare options in Mt Roskill

Little Pearls are not for profit community established childcare centres, delivering a warm, nurturing, safe and affordable home-like environment, striving for high quality care and education services for children aged 3 months to 5 years old in Owairaka / Mt Albert and Puketapapa / Mt Roskill.

Our Mt Roskill centre is open each weekday, from 7.30am until 6.00pm

At Little Pearls, we are compassionate and passionate about children. We recognise the importance of play, using spontaneous and planned moments to build upon a child’s existing knowledge and skills to enhance their learning.

Our centre has a full time on-site chef who provides nutritious and delicious meals to satisfy any little taste buds. Children are provided with hot meals at lunch time and fresh baking in the mornings and afternoons, not to mention fresh and dried fruit. We are part of Heart Foundation reward programme and following their advice accordingly.

We value the partnership we have with the parent/whanau as we work together with you to care for, train, build character, and prepare children for life. We celebrate parent and Whanau involvement through Parent-Teacher Meetings, Family Whanau Days, Dinners, and Seminars.

We are proud of and have confidence in our dedicated and professional teachers, who enable us to provide excellent programs for your child here at Little Pearls.

Our Rooms

Infant Room

Adult Child Ratio no more than 1: 3 to 4

Our infant room caters for children 3 months to 2 years old providing the highest quality care in a nurturing “home-like” environment. Whilst in our care, children are stimulated with engaging activities as they learn through exploration and play.

Respect is the basis of Little Pearls Approach. We not only respect babies, we demonstrate our respect every time we interact with them. Respecting a child means treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object.

Developmental goals and objectives for children in the infant room are supported by Little Pearls designed programs which includes Pikler, RIE philosophies, Schema concept, and Te Whāriki (ECE Curriculum of NZ).

Toddler Room

Adult Child Ratio no more than 1:6 to 7

Our toddlers’ room caters for children who are 2 years to 3.5 years old. At this age, children are meeting new challenges and learn best in a stimulating environment.

Our qualified Educators help facilitate learning and discovery through interest based activities which encourage investigation and exploration.

Developmental goals and objectives for children in the toddlers’ room are supported by Little Pearls designed programs and Te Whāriki (ECE Curriculum of NZ).

Preschooler Room

Adult Child Ratio no more than 1:7 to 8

Our preschool room caters for children who are 3.5 years to 5 years old. Our preschool program is conducted by qualified educators, maintaining the value of play and focus on learning as it best suits the individual child.

We take an enthusiastic approach designed to motivate the children in a fun and exciting way to learn some very important skills to assist each child to transition to school successfully.

Developmental goals and objectives for children in the preschool room are supported by Little Pearls designed programs and Te Whāriki (ECE Curriculum of NZ).

Our purpose built childcare centre, which is located at 143 White Swan Road has been running for over a year now. The location is very strategic as it is easily approachable from Mt Roskill Hillsborough, Lynfield and Blockhouse Bay.

The early learning centre incorporates restoration of Turret House (Brooks House), which was on site since 1913. Turret House is now in the loving hands of the children of New Zealand.

The centre is licensed for 105 children, with a license for 25 children under two years of age and 80 children over 2 years of age. The children at the centre have the opportunity to spend time in the Manuka Room (0 to 2 years), Kowhai Room (2 to 3 years) Pohutakawa Room (3 to 4 years) and Kauri Room (4 to 5 years).

The teaching team is strongly inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. Our centre environment is very unique and acts as the third teacher for the child. The educators encourage open-ended learning through provocations they provide within the centre environment. The identity of the capable and competent learner is visible throughout the centre. Strong relationships with children and their whanau are fostered and we actively work towards engaging with the community.

Why Us?

• Encouraging the use of natural materials
• A strong transition into school
• Teaching team inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach supports your child’s creative potential.
• Healthy, tasty hot meals cooked fresh
• 20 ECE hours available/free sessions for 3 year olds
• A boutique, homely feel to our centres
• Strong connections between teachers and whanau.

What will the children learn?

While some of these teacher provocations are planned, projects often move in unexpected directions due to the open ended nature of the provocation and also due to the immense potential of a child’s mind. Thus, program planning involves open-ended and often prolonged projects that are based on the teacher-child, child-parent and teacher-parent interactions. Projects also give children the opportunity to make a connection between what they know and what more can they know about the topic. Hence in its true sense, a project is considered a vehicle of learning.

The centre environments strongly reflects our inspiration – The Reggio Emilia philosophy, from Reggio Emilia, Italy.

The centre environment is one of its kind and is definitely worth a visit. The image of the child is very powerful and is strongly visible in the centres. The current whanau of children is very diverse and multi cultural. Our normal day involves a pleasant blend of the Reggio Emilia approach, diverse cultures and many open ended opportunities, all under the umbrella of Te Whaariki, the NZ early childhood curriculum. Our onsite chefs prepares hot and nutritious meals for children. A diverse menu incorporates the various cultures of the families. Teachers skillfully support children’s learning through meaningful experiences. Artifacts, re-cycled material and unique recourses are the special characteristics of the centre. We encourage a very strong and powerful image of the child. Detailed portfolios reflect the child’s learning. Families often contribute to the child’s development through their portfolios, through open discussions and through parent evenings.

All children over 4 years of age participate in a multifaceted Transition to School program.

Sessions, short days and full days are the options of enrolment available.

Our philosophy

Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centre believes in providing a creative and open ended environment which encourages infinite learning for the children and strong relationships between teachers, children and families.

Our proactive quality environment acts as the third teacher for our children. Teachers aim at spending quality time talking and listening to the children. Respect is the key word and it is emphasised in all aspects of the day, whether it is routines, educational program or interactions between children and adults.

There is flexibility in the day’s routines, at the same time care is taken that each individual child’s needs are recognised and respected.

We believe in partnership and as a team we focus on extending this respect to children, families and team members.

We provide a stimulating, unique and natural environment that allows children to engage in experiences that they plan and implement. We believe in giving children complete ownership of their learning and their experiences.

We work towards planning for the children in a triadic manner, with teachers, parents and children being completely involved with centre life.

Modern and purpose built, with beautiful natural learning environments, Lollipops Lynfield is a fun loving and family orientated centre for the early years. Our passionate and caring team will bring out the best in your child, setting them up for success as a happy, confident and capable learner.

Seeking the highest quality care and education for your child?  Want a learning environment that’s rich, nurturing and inspiring? You’ve found it here at Lollipops Lynfield.

Our philosophy

At Lollipops Lynfield we believe that every child has the right to care and education in an environment that values and extends the unique experiences, knowledge and cultures that they bring to the centre. This translates into inclusive, equitable practice coupled with an ethic of care and respect; for our people, our planet and our things.

Our rooms

Lollipops Lynfield is currently separated into three classrooms – one room for our under 2s and two rooms for our over 2s. Each classroom has its own beautifully designed outdoor play area.

Under Twos

Our under 2s environment is a calm, caring and nurturing home away from home, where every child feels they have a place and knows they are cared for.  Our teachers have strong relationships with both children and parents and open communication is encouraged.  We use daily communication books to let parents know about their child’s day. Our learning curriculum is flexible depending on the age and stage of each child. Teachers work alongside children to develop an environment and programme that supports each individual.

Over Twos

Our over 2s environment is set up to inspire open ended questioning, provoke thinking and challenge our tamariki’s little minds. Teachers work alongside children, encouraging them to extend their thinking and learning. Teachers observe each child to see what their interests are, and from here a learning pathway is created. We use Storypark (an online tool) to communicate with parents and families about their child’s learning journey.

Why choose us?

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

• New purpose built centre
• Short day and full day options gives families flexibility
• Extended opening hours great for working parents (7.30am to 5.30pm)
• Natural learning environment
• Passionate, caring teachers
• Excellent teacher to child ratios
• Separate spaces for under 2s and over 2s
• Beautifully designed outdoor play areas
• Jitterbubs dance and movement

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.