Childcare options in Orewa

At Dreamers Nest Montessori, we believe that a child is a taonga, a treasure to be nurtured, to grow, and to flourish. Our commitment is to provide a warm and caring educational environment where every child can become competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.

🌿 D.R.E.A.M - Our Identity as a Team:

D is for Dedication: we are more than just teachers; we are a dedicated team committed to bringing out quality learning outcomes for each child. Our passion is to nurture and guide, fostering a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.

R is for Respect: respect is at the heart of our practice. Through our respectful approach, we aim to be role models. In our learning environment, respect is not just taught; it's lived and experienced daily.

E is for Experience: children at Dreamers Nest Montessori are encouraged to explore the world through real-life experiences carefully planned by our experienced and skilled team. Learning is not just about information; it's about living and breathing the lessons, creating a foundation for lifelong curiosity.

A is for Aroha: aroha, love, forms the firm foundation upon which we build trust, security, and a sense of belonging for the children in our care. It is the thread that weaves through every interaction, creating an environment where every child feels valued and cherished.

M is for Motivation: motivation drives our journey of learning, growth, and flourishing. Both teachers and children are motivated to discover, explore, and reach their full potential. In this dynamic environment, every child is encouraged to take ownership of their learning and set goals collaboratively.

🌲 Philosophical Influences - R.I.E. and Montessori:

At Dreamers Nest Montessori, we embrace the beautiful philosophical influences of R.I.E. and Montessori to create a home away from home for the children in our local community. Our purposeful learning spaces empower children to be the architects of their own learning within the freedom we provide, allowing them to achieve the goals we set together.

🌎 Empowering Independence:

We are committed to providing freedom for children to independently choose the work that captures their interest. Time and space are generously given for exploration, with clear limits and expectations guiding each child toward achievable goals for their age and stage.

"Establishing peace is the work of education," said Maria Montessori. Let's embark on this journey together, creating a nurturing environment where each child's uniqueness is celebrated, and the joy of learning flourishes. 

Join us at Dreamers Nest Montessori, where education is a journey of discovery and a celebration of every child's potential.

Lollipops Orewa is a loving and homely early learning centre in a spectacular coastal location.

Purpose built, with separate rooms for under 2s and over 2s, we nurture children’s social, emotional and physical wellbeing, equipping them with a love of learning that sets them up for life.

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.

Our philosophy

At Lollipops Orewa we believe that respectful relationships are at the core of our teaching practice. We value our children, whanau and colleagues for their individuality and support our children to build respectful relationships. We learn how to respect others as well as our environment (Papatuanuku). We take pride in our environment and strive to help the children understand how important it is to take care of it. Whanaungatanga (sense of family connection) is paramount to our philosophy.

We understand that each child is unique with their own special approach and we instil them with the confidence to explore independently. We celebrate individuality and focus on people’s strengths to help them reach their full potential. We promote a nurturing environment to support the children to feel loved, safe and happy with a strong sense of belonging.

Our rooms

Nursery 0 - 2 years

This is a fun and inviting place where the youngest members of the Lollipops Orewa whānau enjoy lots of loving care and attention. In the Nursery we follow the Pikler/RIE philosophy, which is based on the respectful interactions between adults and children and the belief that children are very capable from a young age.

We also subscribe to the free movement guiding principle and don’t put the children in positions they cannot get into on their own. We have a primary care system so each individual child has a specific teacher who is responsible for that child’s care moments as well as being the main contact for family.

We follow each individual child’s routine from home helping to keep the transition as smooth as possible. We communicate with parents and whānau on a daily basis and discuss any changes to routine.

Preschool 2.5 - 6 years

This is a welcoming and friendly place where children feel loved and supported by our caring teachers. A variety of areas with lots of exciting activities give children the opportunity to develop their understanding of the world around them, and how things work.

Children in this room often develop strong friendships and work towards a good level of independence.

The children each have their own Individual Portfolio that records their learning and development here at Lollipops Orewa. As parents and whanau you’ll be encouraged to contribute to the Portfolio in order to share information about your child and further enrich their learning.

Transition to School

A very important step in your child’s learning journey is their transition from preschool to primary school. At Lollipops Orewa we aim to make this process as seam-less as possible for both you and your child.

Our transition to school programme has been developed in consultation with our local schools and new entrants teachers so we are aware of their expectations. The transition to school group meets each day and with the support of a teacher they spend their time developing the skills and knowledge that will assist them in becoming confident learners, ready to take on the challenges formal learning brings.

Why choose us?

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

• Healthy meals provided
• Safe and nurturing environment
• Fresh and exciting curriculum
• High staff to child ratios
• Extended hours ideal for busy working parents (7:00 am – 6:00 pm), with the option of short day or 4 hour sessions
• Multicultural and inclusive
• We foster close relationships with our family and whanau
• Fun activities including Zumba 
• Regular family events available and hosted by us
• Foster sibling relationships within the centre
• Secret garden to grow our own vegetables for our meals

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.

We pride ourselves on quality childcare with a strong emphasis on safety and nature within a whānau environment. We recognise the importance of providing care and education for children in their early years that encourages them to develop foundation life skills through "Learn, Laugh, Play".

Our values and philosophy

Educare Acknowledges and respects the rights of all children. We value children’s individuality, their special qualities, skills and attributes which contribute to a holistic learning environment enabling them to Learn, Laugh and Play.

Every child is unique and needs acceptance and respect to develop to their full potential. Each child is given time and space to progress and develop at his/her own natural pace.

All relationships, within Educare, are respectful. Relationships between teachers and children are especially respectful, with firm, fair and consistent boundaries that will provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to grow socially competent.

We believe that open communication between management, teachers and parents is essential as we work in partnership to provide quality care and education for all children.

Teachers display sensitivity, compassion and support to each other and the families who attend our centres. Educare actively supports their staff to continually grow, both personally and professionally.

Centre environments are regarded as ‘third teachers’ to evoke curiosity, and support learning through careful attention to aesthetics and creative spaces.

Our bicultural heritage of Aōtearoa New Zealand is recognised and naturally integrated within the centres, through Te reo (language) and tikanga (practice).  Additionally we appreciate and value our society as being increasingly multicultural and diverse.

Educare embraces Te Whāriki, (New Zealand’s National Early Childhood Curriculum) as our guiding document. It is the holistic approach of Te Whāriki that not only underpins planning and practice for children but also makes us reflect during the process of policy making and self review.

Our curriculum

Our desired outcomes for Educare children are:

• Caring for themselves, others and the community – Participate as a member of a community
• Cooperate with others – Celebrate accomplishments
• Express many emotions – Love and be compassionate
• Persevere with difficult tasks in order to succeed – Be inquisitive, initiate, invent solutions
• Laugh, play, sing, dance, run, hit, catch, throw, kick and tumble
• Construct objects of beauty, paint, draw and sculpt.

Language/s, mathematics, science, technology, social services, the arts, and health and physical well-being are woven throughout the planning to meet our desired outcomes for children at Educare.