Apples Education has been around for 10 years in the Auckland area. We encourage the children to care for and develop a sense of love for nature and the world around us. We prefer the use of natural play materials and recycling to help promote a sustainable society. Tamaiki start learning from birth; they learn about sharing and turn taking, about the importance of communication and listening to others, all while gaining independence and caring for those around them. These are all skills and abilities that are important for later on in life. We don’t just support children to learn in the here and now, but also to gain skills and knowledge that will help them for the rest of their lives.

We believe that tamariki should be encouraged to learn and grow in a safe, caring and stimulating environment that recognises and appreciates each child’s individuality. We understand that having respectful, responsive relationships with our tamariki and their whānau is a key to a successful learning foundation for all children. We value the input and connection that the staff form with the family and whānau. It is through this connection that children are supported to experience deeper, more meaningful and ongoing learning.

Our rooms

Our Juniors building has been designed with a free flow concept in mind. This allows the children to be able to freely move and explore all of the wonderful resources, while the teachers can still easily observe and support their interactions. We are inspired by the RIE & Pikler practices within room. This is evident as we follow the child’s lead in their play and development.

Our Preschool room is built in an old house and the small rooms provide the chance for more direct small group interactions between staff and children. These small group experiences allow children possibilities for paying attention, hearing and listening to each other, developing curiosity and interest, asking questions, and responding to them. It is also a great way for the children to experience and enjoy the more in-depth project based learning that takes place within the centre.

Our philosophy

Family

“Where Families come First”

We value the time whānau spend with their tamariki in our centre. We believe that vital learning takes places at home. Tamariki are a taonga (treasure) and the parents are entrusting their most prized taonga in to our care. We have an open door policy and whānau are welcome to pop in for a visit at any time. Our staff are always available to talk to and parents receive ongoing emails updates about their childs learning and they are also invited to join our closed Facebook groups. This allows them the chance to see more of the day to day moments.

Nature

“Where Nature meets Nurture – developing long lasting relationships with the wider world.”

We keep tamariki grounded with the Papatūānuku by using the environment as a third teacher. As we venture out into the community, the tamariki are seeing more of the natural world around us and are able to learn of the many aspects that mother nature provides us. We also provide the tamariki the opportunity, in centre, to grow and care for various gardens we have and use nature as a play resource.

Community

“Connecting our Children to Community through Nature – encouraging children to are for the world around us.”

We believe that for the tamariki to feel they belong in the community, they need to develop a connection to it. This can be done in many different ways. This connection will help them later in life to care and nurture the environment we live in. For those in centres, we like to get out in to the community through regular walks and trips to nearby parks and fields. Within the Homebased setting, the children are often experience getting out in to the community. We also participate in community events like santa parades and fundraiser walks.

It is through these events that we believe our tamariki will develop a connection to the world around us. It is this connection that will help them to care for the world we live in.

Willow Tree Early Learning Centre is situated in the heart of Onehunga, close to the main town Centre and the Onehunga Primary School. We are a privately owned and family run centre licensed for 54 children. Staffed by passionate and dedicated teachers who provide quality childcare and early education. We are devoted to providing a nurturing environment where children can develop to their full potential. In partnership with the children’s families, it is our vision that we are creating confident and competent lifelong learners.

Willow Tree Philosophy

Willow Tree is a boutique Early Learning Centre dedicated to creating a safe and respectful environment where children develop a strong sense of belonging. We are committed to offering a warm, nurturing and homely environment for our Tamariki.

At the Willow Tree each child is respected as a competent, inquisitive and curious explorer, developing their own ideas and knowledge about the world around them. Play is integral to children’s development and at the Willow Tree, we provide opportunities for both structured and spontaneous experiences. We provide warm and inviting indoor spaces and explorative outdoor areas to empower our young learners to follow their individual interests for fun and creative learning.

Our teachers will take the time to observe children’s individual interests and understand parent’s and whanau’s aspirations for their children. Creating tailored play and development opportunities to suit the individual needs of our Tamariki. Our well-trained educators have regular professional development and quality non-contact planning time. This encourages collaboration and idea sharing with their teaching team away from the classroom.

We foster the social, physical and emotional development of children through a balance of activities and the provision of an ongoing educational programme, which is following the New Zealand curriculum Te Whaariki.

Our practices are responsive to the identities, languages and cultures of our community. We acknowledge the strong influences of The Treaty of Waitangi in guiding authentic and meaningful bi-cultural practice. We recognise and celebrate diversity within our community and embrace the cultural heritages of all people in Aotearoa.

Kia ora and welcome to Oranga Kindergarten

We are committed to ensuring positive and respectful relationships with people, places and things. Every child is valued as a unique individual with their own interest and talents. At the heart of this is Te Ao Māori, as we value this as a distinctive taonga (treasure) within Aotearoa New Zealand.

We create a welcoming culture that reflects our dynamic and richly diverse community. To help achieve this we work in consultation with whānau, sharing aspirations for our tamariki in the kindergarten environment and beyond. We believe teaching and learning (ako) is a reciprocal and collaborative process. This approach compels children’s engagement and exploration of their world, focusing on their interests and encouraging inquiry and active participation.

We endeavour to sustain a well-resourced, equitable and responsive environment that provides the best possible setting for tamariki to flourish.

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.

Onehunga Playcentre provides a complete and high quality early childhood education for all children aged 0-6 years. Children at Onehunga Playcentre thrive in a dynamic mixed-age environment that nurtures curiosity, confidence and creativity, all the while enjoying high adult ratios on session.

We believe our children are capable and competent learners. We believe that children learn best through play and play that is child-led. Our children make their own choices and are supported and encouraged by both adults and other children to actively explore and make sense of their natural, social, physical and material worlds.  We run 6 sessions at Onehunga Playcentre 1 being our outdoor session for our children over 4 years old.

We would love you to come and visit us with your children on one of our sessions, call or email the centre and our enrolments officer will organise a day for you to come along.

BestStart Onehunga is a beautiful childcare centre near the suburbs of One Tree Hill, Royal Oak and Onehunga. We provide a home-like environment that creates a sense of belonging for our children. We have a multicultural and very passionate team of teachers that provide the very best care and education for local children aged from 3 months up until they go to school.

Where whānau come first

We provide a safe physical, emotional and holistic environment, which allows our children to develop self-confidence, as well as gross motor skills. We believe children learn through free play and encourage them to explore their surroundings and take control of their own learning. The team at BestStart Onehunga value children as confident, competent learners and communicators.

Choosing an early childhood centre is a big decision. At BestStart Onehunga we have created a stimulating and safe educational environment for children and their families. We work closely with parents and this partnership helps children achieve their learning potential. We have excellent staff to child ratios, quality equipment and toys in an attractive learning environment.

A special feature of our centre is the close proximity of our learning environments and playgrounds as this helps in a smooth transition for our toddlers and is also very beneficial for siblings. In addition, our unique Be School Ready initiative has been developed to ensure that children leave the centre as confident, capable learners and prepared for the next step in their education journey.

Who is BestStart?

BestStart is for families who want more from early-childhood education. Safe, nurturing and educationally focused, we’re committed to growing caring people with curious minds.

Together we teach, learn and nurture.

Our vision is to work in partnership with families, whanau and communities to enable children to achieve their learning potential.

Ko tō mātou tirohanga hei mahi ngātahi i te taha o ngā whānau me ngā hāpori, kia āwhinatia ngā tamariki, kia tū pito mata ai rāatou, hei rangatira mō āpōpō.

We are committed to being a progressive and responsive leader in early-childhood education. We do this by enhancing our services, investing in our people, developing our support structure and continuously improving the educational outcomes and experiences of our children, families and the communities we serve.

Some facts:

• We’re licensed to educate and care for 15,000 full-time children daily.
• 18,000 families use BestStart services annually.
• We have over 270 centres nationwide located from Whangarei to Invercargill.
• Each centre is managed by a Centre Manager who is supported by a local Area Manager. This gives our centre teams ongoing quality training and support.
• Te Whāriki, the world-wide acclaimed national early childhood education curriculum, is used in all centres.
• We have over 4500 permanent teachers nationally. Over 90% of our permanent teaching staff are either fully qualified with a diploma or bachelor of teaching (ECE) or higher, or are in training. These figures are very high by national standards within the ECE sector.
• We provide a two-year Advice and Guidance Programme for all recently certified teachers, providing further mentoring and training. This gives strong support for teachers from provisional registration to full teacher registration with the NZ Teachers Council.
• We regularly spend around $4 million on teacher training per annum.

We’re for children

At our heart is our commitment and passion for children. Central to this belief is our focus on the holistic development of children. We support children to explore the world around them, learning through relationships, creating a love of learning in an ever-changing world. Exploration, friendship and fun are part of the journey.

We’re for good

BestStart is a registered charity owned by the Wright Family Foundation. We support initiatives and programmes within BestStart and the wider early-childhood education sector (ECE) that support good outcomes for all children. We do this because we want to make a positive difference to the lives of all children.

Innovation leads us

At BestStart, innovation guides our thinking. We advocate positive change for learners through our research and practice. We’re proud to be thought leaders within ECE, openly challenging ourselves to think differently to provide the best for our children, families and staff.

We’re responsive

Our centres reflect their children, staff and communities. We celebrate individuality, uniqueness and diversity, encouraging a spirit of empathy, understanding and collaboration. Through our responsive relationships and our curriculum, we support learners to choose their own path.

Our people matter

At BestStart people come first. When we grow and develop our people, everyone benefits. We strive for whakamana/empowerment, nurturing a culture of excellence with engaged, talented professionals. Their commitment, skill and passion light our way.

School of Fish Onehunga is a boutique childcare centre nestled in gorgeous suburban Onehunga. Operating out of a 1907 villa oozing with personality and charm, School of Fish is the perfect setting for enquiring young minds.

Our children and their families are at the heart of everything we do. We gain inspiration from a range of learning philosophies and our vision reflects our children, families and changing community. Our environment is child-centred and our goals are to invite, excite and inspire while offering time, learning experiences and opportunities for creativity and expression. We believe that both children and teachers are learners and grow together. We respect all children and value them as unique individuals.

We have a strong commitment to personalising everything and aim for that to be apparent in the ambience of the centre, the appearance of the centre and our documentation. We have a sound curriculum delivery with a project based approach that is implemented by a team of young, energetic and passionate individuals.

Our richly qualified team of staff facilitate fantastic transitions within the centre and establish strong partnerships with our children, families and whanau. We promote a culture of inclusion with staff, children and families through hosting family events, staff team-building and embracing the soul that everyone brings to the centre.

School of Fish has been established by Tara and Richard Taaffe. Tara, a former new entrant teacher and junior school team and curriculum leader, has fulfilled her dream of setting up a home-style centre that is committed to quality early learning and an effective relationship with the local schools and community.

We can’t wait to get to know your child and their family and share their learning journey together!

Nurture Early Learning in Onehunga has a great location on Onehunga Mall. Our Centre in Onehunga is licensed for 75 children and is divided into 3 separate areas. Like all our Nurture centres Onehunga also has a separate kitchen and dining space for our children to leave their rooms and enjoy a relaxing meal. In addition to this, we also have a large upstairs Treetops area our teachers can have extended project-based learning, or run our Moving Smart program. This upstairs space is also great for a rainy winter’s day to give our children room to run around.

Nurture Early Learning is a family owned and operated group of early learning centres.

In 2008 the owners visited numerous centres to enroll their young children. Very quickly they felt disheartened that nothing seemed to provide the environment or values that either the owners or their peers would accept for their treasured babies. It was here that Nurture’s vision and values evolved created around a few key points:

• social competency
• play and creative based learning
• environmental awareness
• a passion for nutrition and wellbeing

We Nurture & Respect Our Children

Each child in our Centre is unique, each child is nurtured as a capable competent learner. Our Nurture infant rooms practice respectful caring relationships between our infants and teachers, while our older children are encouraged through a Reggio Emilia teaching philosophy to become socially competent, lifelong learners, engaged with the world around them. The wellbeing of our children is supported through a carefully crafted nutritious seasonal menu. Our specially trained childcare chef provides your child with the nutrition they require for optimal growth and development and robust digestive health through offering tasty and nourishing homemade whole-foods, freshly made on site. We support a Hauora, or holistic, approach to food and eating through focusing not only on what goes on the plate, but also the environment in which it is served.

We Nurture & Respect Our People

All our centres have qualified educators, who have trained for many years as well as up and coming teachers in training. We are passionate about their vocation so are committed to providing a substantial budget and resources for them to further their knowledge and understanding of their profession. You can be assured that while they nurture your child we nurture and respect our team.

At Nurture respectful practice is also carried out through our relationships with our families. We encourage open communication with our families, so together we build a healthy positive environment for your child.

We Nurture & Respect Our Environment

Nurture believes in creating a sustainable environment for future generations, together with our children we are learning to become Kaitiaki - guardians and protectors of our environment. Our children learn about what is unique to their local environment and how they can protect it. We strive to resource our centres with sustainable locally produced products and source from ethically produced communities.

Our buildings are designed to allow our children to easily engage with nature, so they can be aware of the movement of light throughout the day and seasonal changes throughout the year

Igniting children’s sense of wonder and curiosity is an amazing way to learn!

Young & Amazing, a delightful owner operated early childcare centre located in Onehunga, catering for the care and education of children from 6 months to 5 years old.  Dedicated to creating life-long learners in an environment of nurture, laughter, and learning.

Our Philosophy

We believe that every child is amazing and that they possess an incredible ability to develop and learn.

We use imaginative and inspiring environments to ignite each child’s sense of wonder and curiosity to make new discoveries, gain new knowledge, and develop an ongoing love of learning.

We strive to create life-long learners and know we have succeeded when we see children proudly leaving for school full of confidence and demonstrating a love of learning.

Our teachers make an amazing contribution to the Centre to provide our children with the best possible care and opportunity to learn.  The nurture, laughter, and learning imparted by our teachers truly reflects their understanding and commitment to the philosophy of Young & Amazing.

Te Papapa Preschool is a learning community that nurtures enthusiastic, confident and responsible learners, where diversity is valued and success is celebrated.

We offer a child-centered programme where the holistic development of each individual child leads all learning.

Our preschool is a place of safety, belonging and learning. We believe that children learn naturally through play. Our programme reflects play-based learning where children gain confidence while developing self esteem and a sense of independence.  Our children are encouraged to make sense of their world through questioning, exploring and expressing their ideas!

At Kohi Learning Centre we strive to provide our children with an enriched programme where play is valued and recognised as meaningful and authentic learning.  Collaboration between teachers, children and parents is the foundation of our child-initiated programme planning.

We believe that children are lifelong learners. The early years play an important role in a child’s life and that is why we endeavour to provide many opportunities within our environment that will support and build a solid foundation for their continuous learning throughout life. 

Each child has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world.  We will assist them in discovering who they are so they can express their own opinions and nurture their own ideas.  We embrace a vision of a world where people respect, accept and celebrate differences. We value all our families and believe it is important to develop strong partnerships between the home and the centre.