Childcare options in Papakura

Little Gems Childcare - We are a small family owned Preschool providing Education to 2-5 years old. Come and visit us @ 88 Opaheke Road, Papakura. Everyone is welcome! We take pride in nurturing your little gems!

At this Reggio Emilia inspired Early Learning centre, we offer the highest quality learning program from our Opaheke location. We are passionate about early childhood development and root our approach in the highly-regarded Reggio Emilia way of learning.

We inspire families to adopt our life-long learning approach to education, on the basis of facilitating the importance that their children deserve the best possible start in life and the many opportunities available for their future endeavors.

Our philosophy

The highly regarded Reggio Emilia Approach underpins our approach to childcare and learning. We see children as a source of strength and inspiration and recognize their ability as constructors of their own experiences. We create supporting and enriching environments that encourage discovery and interactions with peers, families, educators and the wider society. Get in touch to learn more about our Early Childcare Learning approach.

Our place

Thoughtfully designed and richly resourced, our warm and inviting early learning centre is created to enable children of all ages to confidently explore and interact with one another. Children are encouraged to flow freely between indoor and outdoor environments. Just like home, they will feel comfortable, secure, happy and inspired. Book a tour today to see our beautiful centre yourself.

Our curriculum

In addition to drawing inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach, All About Children 429 Great South Rd, Opaheke follows the Ministry of Education recommended Te Whariki curriculum. A collaborative approach with educators, parents and the community are adopted. We aim to preserve children’s natural curiosity and confidence, setting them ready to learn with fun. Get in touch to learn more about our program.

Our team

Our loving and passionate team understand the responsibility that comes with the role of an educator, and are committed to ensuring that every child not only enjoys their time with us, but has been exposed to every available developmental and learning opportunity. Led by centre manager, Gunvant, we love celebrating the wonder of early childhood and connecting with you about it. Book a tour to meet our team.

Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association

We are a community based not-for-profit organisation, proud to be providing quality and affordable early childhood education in the Franklin and Counties Manukau areas for over 60 years. Our kindergartens and early learning centres provide high-quality environments that reflect the local community. We are New Zealand owned and operated and provide more qualified staff, equipment, learning opportunities, ICT, excursions and large attractive educational environments.

Book a visit today, we look forward to meeting you soon!

Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association

We are a community based not-for-profit organisation, proud to be providing quality and affordable early childhood education in the Franklin and Counties Manukau areas for over 60 years. Our kindergartens and early learning centres provide high-quality environments that reflect the local community. We are New Zealand owned and operated and provide more qualified staff, equipment, learning opportunities, ICT, excursions and large attractive educational environments.

Book a visit today, we look forward to meeting you soon!

Welcome to Kids Count! We’re a Kiwi-owned family of childcare centres established to ensure every child can reach their potential, no matter what their family circumstances. Education is critical to future happiness and success. It starts in the home and is supported by children attending a preschool centre. We understand that it’s not always easy to ensure your child is able to attend preschool, so we have made it as easy for you as possible.

• 20 hours free from age 2! Most children qualify. If any fees apply, we keep them low and help you to meet them
• Our van service collects and drops off your children at home every day - free!
• Free swimming lessons included - certified instructors lead our tamariki in this important life skill. Offered in our pools at most centres for ages 4 and up
• We're open on public holidays - closed only on Christmas Day and Good Friday
• Healthy meals and snacks prepared and provided free at our centres

To start with (at no cost to you), we will collect and drop off our tamariki every week day in our sign-written vans. Once children arrive at a Kids Count centre, we make sure they’re fed nutritious and fun meals and snacks throughout the day. That means everybody has a full puku to help them focus in their learning and you don’t need to be bothered with meals — including breakfast if you are running late.

We keep our fees as low as possible. All children over 3 are entitled to at least 20 hours of free care per week, and this includes access to all our services. When fees do apply, they are set according to the Work and Income Childcare Subsidy. We’re committed to working with families to ensure our centres are accessible to everyone and that issues of payment of fees do not compromise your child’s future. There is always a solution to this matter. Don’t be embarrassed or shy — you are not alone.

We also include transitions to school programs so that our tamariki can feel excited about their next steps after graduating and leaving our centres to attend the “big” school. These programs are applied individually to children based on their development so that they have the learning skills they need to be confident and competent learners at school. Lessons also include Kapa Haka and cultural events that celebrate our heritage and give kids a sense of belonging. As physical development and confidence is a key part of a child’s development, swimming lessons for children over 4 are offered by trained instructors in our centres with pools and attendance at community gym classes are funded for those children at our centres that don’t have a pool. (At no cost to whanau).

For parents, Kids Count offers community partnerships through our Family Liaison Services, which connects families with advocacy and support services, budgeting assistance, WINZ, Salvation Army and counselling to help overcome any barriers they face. We also run free parenting sessions and community groups. We know that by supporting parents, we’re helping our tamariki thrive. Parents are the foundation of a child’s journey, and we’d love to partner with you to help your little one grow.

Kids Count was founded in 2009 by Mary McLeod. She wanted to create a program that removed barriers so ALL CHILDREN could get a great start in life. Now with four centres and more in construction, Kids Count continues to expand the benefits of an early childhood education to all our children and their whanau.

Book a visit today to learn more about what we can offer your whanau! 

You have nothing to lose and you and your children have a great deal to gain!

Having been an integral part of the local community for over 40 years our large natural outdoor environment enables children to connect with the local flora and fauna. We believe that to give children the optimum start in lifelong learning they require a foundation that acknowledges their holistic development. 

Our qualified teaching team supports tamariki to develop their motor, social, language and cognitive skills through play experiences. We encourage whanau to visit and discover what makes us unique:  

• Children moving freely between indoors and outdoors throughout the day 
• Spacious environment supports large group, small groups and individual learning experiences 
• Whanau based where siblings can enroll together 
• Offer morning, afternoon, 6 hours and all day 
• A bronze enviroschool kindergarten that encourages our young children to develop a respectful relationship with all living and non-living things. 

Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association

We are a community based not-for-profit organisation, proud to be providing quality and affordable early childhood education in the Franklin and Counties Manukau areas for over 60 years. Our kindergartens and early learning centres provide high-quality environments that reflect the local community. We are New Zealand owned and operated and provide more qualified staff, equipment, learning opportunities, ICT, excursions and large attractive educational environments.

Book a visit today, we look forward to meeting you soon!

At Marne Road Kindy we read books, tell stories, rhymes and philosophize, we tumble in the grass, laugh and be crazy. Sometimes we silently sit and listen to the sounds around us. We capture real bugs to observe and answer our well thought out questions, pick real fruit from our fruit trees and even go on nature walks once a week. The children have opportunities to observe animals and discover plants, jump in puddles and forecast the weather by watching the changes in the clouds.

Our Children develop strong friendships and social skills. They will gain a deep awareness of nature, themselves and their environment. With this they will also have a respect for mother earth and each other, with our unique abilities and personalities. 

Our children love to explore the vegetable patch for slugs. snails and worms grow some tasty vegetables to eat and share with the family. They love to go and hunt for treasure, play dress ups and figure out just exactly which stick makes the best magic fairy wand or pirates’ sword. To ensure this learning is authentic we provide a natural environment; children learn through nature and build strong connections with the natural world, as much time as possible is spent outside through our flexible daily programme that caters to every child’s wellbeing. 

Through Manaakitanga (respect) aroha (love) and whanaungatanga (relationships) we create a welcoming and collaborative environment. We let Nature be another teacher – Utilising, encouraging and valuing all areas of learning and development through Papatuanuku - Mother Nature. Providing the children the freedom of just being in nature daily and experiencing wild spaces within the grounds and on regular excursions to “The Magic Tree Gardens” giving them the time to connect with nature and learn to love papatuanauku so they are able to care for, respect and protect it growing up to become guardians of the land. 

We take great care and pride in offering children and their families an environment that is a home away from homeChildren have the freedom to discover, investigate, socialise, build interests, prepare for school and grow as learners.

Quality Programme and Project Approach 

Our programme is based around the project approach and is always alive throughout BestStart Marne Road Kindy life. We encourage children to thrive through their interests. Our children can engage deeper in their play and learning with support from teachers. Children have a strong disposition to explore and discover. The project approach builds on their natural curiosity, enabling children to interact, question, connect, problem-solve, communicate, reflect, and more. This kind of authentic learning extends beyond the classroom to each child’s home, our community and the world. It essentially makes learning fun, challenging and exciting to dig deeper into our funds of knowledge. We believe our stimulating environment helps children build strong relationships with their teachers and peers. 

Meals 

At BestStart Marne Road Kindy, we believe in having a positive attitude towards food and nutrition and we support our children to develop skills in healthy eating. We provide a nutritious morning and afternoon tea that is prepared with the children and parents provide a lunch box for children attending after 12pm. This encourages children to develop independence in managing their lunch box and we support this as part of our Be School Ready approach.

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.

Talofa Lava

We are a Samoan total immersion centre based in Papakura. We cater for 40 children from ages 0-5yr old. 

We open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm. 

Feel free to bring your child to engage, learn and play at our Aoga Amata  

Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Papakura Playcentre

Playcentre is unlike any other early childhood education organisation. At Playcentre, both children and their parents / caregivers attend.

At Playcentre children get the opportunity to learn and explore in a fun and safe environment.

The curiosity and creativity of our tamariki is nurtured in a way that allows them to learn about themselves and their world.

Your child will be given a chance to explore, create, climb, read, sing, experiment, play music, wear costumes, have their face painted (or do it themselves!), garden, do carpentry with real tools, bake and cook, build sandcastles, swing, slide, dance, spend time in nature and get messy.

The activities change every day. Playcentre parents all bring different skills, interests, and cultural backgrounds to add to the rich learning environment.

We welcome families with children aged 0 – 6 years. Mixed age play allows your children to engage with others older and younger than themselves. Pre-schoolers learn how to communicate, share and negotiate with empathy for their younger peers.

At Playcentre, families come together and lifelong friendships are formed.

We welcome you to visit any time during the year. You are entitled to three free visits so come and check out what we do – we would love to meet you and your family!

Kawakawa Bay Kindergarten is centrally located in the rural seaside community of Kawakawa Bay.  We have great facilities and a wonderful play area for the children.  Our team consists of two teachers, a teacher aide, and an office administrator, we are also lucky enough to have some wonderful volunteers and the full support of our community.

One of our most recent projects was to create a Cultural Art Garden.  This is just one of the many areas that enable us to allow the children to learn in a warm and welcoming environment.  Our centre contains a large outdoor area with a pet rabbit and a beautiful butterfly house and for our 4-year-olds we have a Nature and Discovery Programme amongst many more wonderful experiences for your children.

Our new Interactive TV has just been installed to promote creativity and literacy and a new perspective on IT learning within the centre.

Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association

We are a community based not-for-profit organisation, proud to be providing quality and affordable early childhood education in the Franklin and Counties Manukau areas for over 60 years. Our kindergartens and early learning centres provide high-quality environments that reflect the local community. We are New Zealand owned and operated and provide more qualified staff, equipment, learning opportunities, ICT, excursions and large attractive educational environments.

Book a visit today, we look forward to meeting you soon!

Welcome to Kids Count! We’re a Kiwi-owned family of childcare centres established to ensure every child can reach their potential, no matter what their family circumstances. Education is critical to future happiness and success. It starts in the home and is supported by children attending a preschool centre. We understand that it’s not always easy to ensure your child is able to attend preschool, so we have made it as easy for you as possible.

• 20 hours free from age 2! Most children qualify. If any fees apply, we keep them low and help you to meet them
• Our van service collects and drops off your children at home every day - free!
• Free swimming lessons included - certified instructors lead our tamariki in this important life skill. Offered in our pools at most centres for ages 4 and up
• We're open on public holidays - closed only on Christmas Day and Good Friday
• Healthy meals and snacks prepared and provided free at our centres

To start with (at no cost to you), we will collect and drop off our tamariki every week day in our sign-written vans. Once children arrive at a Kids Count centre, we make sure they’re fed nutritious and fun meals and snacks throughout the day. That means everybody has a full puku to help them focus in their learning and you don’t need to be bothered with meals — including breakfast if you are running late.

We keep our fees as low as possible. All children over 3 are entitled to at least 20 hours of free care per week, and this includes access to all our services. When fees do apply, they are set according to the Work and Income Childcare Subsidy. We’re committed to working with families to ensure our centres are accessible to everyone and that issues of payment of fees do not compromise your child’s future. There is always a solution to this matter. Don’t be embarrassed or shy — you are not alone.

We also include transitions to school programs so that our tamariki can feel excited about their next steps after graduating and leaving our centres to attend the “big” school. These programs are applied individually to children based on their development so that they have the learning skills they need to be confident and competent learners at school. Lessons also include Kapa Haka and cultural events that celebrate our heritage and give kids a sense of belonging. As physical development and confidence is a key part of a child’s development, swimming lessons for children over 4 are offered by trained instructors in our centres with pools and attendance at community gym classes are funded for those children at our centres that don’t have a pool. (At no cost to whanau).

For parents, Kids Count offers community partnerships through our Family Liaison Services, which connects families with advocacy and support services, budgeting assistance, WINZ, Salvation Army and counselling to help overcome any barriers they face. We also run free parenting sessions and community groups. We know that by supporting parents, we’re helping our tamariki thrive. Parents are the foundation of a child’s journey, and we’d love to partner with you to help your little one grow.

Kids Count was founded in 2009 by Mary McLeod. She wanted to create a program that removed barriers so ALL CHILDREN could get a great start in life. Now with four centres and more in construction, Kids Count continues to expand the benefits of an early childhood education to all our children and their whanau.

Book a visit today to learn more about what we can offer your whanau! 

You have nothing to lose and you and your children have a great deal to gain!

BestStart Papakura is not only one of Papakura’s hidden gems, it is a top 5 BestStart centre. Families love the teaching team and quality learning their children receive, rating their relationship with the centre and the centre’s performance over 96%

Together We Achieve Success

Walking into BestStart Papakura, you enter a calm, attractive reception area. If you turn left into the Kahurangi space you will feel the love our teaching team has for our youngest discoverers. Really getting to know each child and family means that the child’s care routines are supported and their interests stimulated through many fun and exciting activities. Be careful - you may find yourself in the middle of a bear hunt and then using natural materials to help make a bear.

With strong parent -teacher relationships we discuss when children are ready and plan their adventure to the next room. 

Meandering into Pounamu room you will see our curious and bright toddlers busy with their learning activities. Discovering with their senses means getting in there and messy – loving the waterplay, gardening exploration and art supplies. It may look like play however they are busy building social skills so they understand how their world works alongside others.  We plan, support and educate our curious group through an individual focus to allow children to grow and learn at their own pace.

You will hear the excitement from the Kawakawa Room preschool as you approach. Working in groups on projects, our incredible preschoolers are becoming their own people, and discovering their own interests. Our Be School Ready initiative is carefully designed to support children’s next big learning step when they move to primary school. We support parents and children as they develop the skills and attitudes for being a lifelong learner.  We connect with them regularly to ensure children are familiar with staff and the transition to school is streamlined.

Our success is working together – children, families and teachers. Using NZ’s curriculum Te whāariki guides the children’s learning and development, independence and readiness for school. We were recognized this year by Reader's Digest readers, who awarded us the Gold Quality Service award.

Come along with us and together we achieve success for you and your child.

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.

Celebrating the wonder of early childhood

All About Children Early Learning Centre Opaheke, Papakura is conveniently located on Great South Road, easily accessible to the motorway and public transport.

Our Early Childhood Centre inspires and nurtures children’s interests through hands-on experiences, innovative learning practices and a sense of belonging. A favourite of parents from Opaheke, Papakura, Drury and other adjoining areas, we promote the importance of community and family in all that we do.

Our philosophy

Our programme and values are based on Belonging. It is the basis for future learning and development. If someone feels like they belong they will want to participate in the programme because of the inspiring environment we create. We strive to acknowledge everyone as an individual, including children, parents and teachers. Keen to learn more about our philosophy? Get in touch.

Discover our world

We cater to infants, toddlers and preschoolers with spaces that support the learning and development of every age group. Colourful and warm, the indoors are spacious and welcoming. Our architecturally landscaped outdoor area has been thoughtfully created to bring natural elements into everyday play. Book a tour of the All About Children Early Learning Centre today to see our creative space for yourself.

Our curriculum

Children are at the centre of everything we do. In partnership with parents and the community, we have designed a programme that provides meaningful learning experiences that promotes overall wellbeing of your child. Holistic learning and an importance towards nutrition and active play forms part of the curriculum. 

Busy bees (under 2 years)

We follow a primary caregiver model for our littlest learners to build a sense of security and trust. A warm, nurturing and calm environment allows them to grow at their own pace. Every infant has different needs, so we have flexible routines and experienced educators to meet these diverse requirements. Learning programmes for this age aim to enhance their senses – smell, touch, sense and sight.

Honey pot (2 to 3 ½ years)

For a toddler, the world is a magical place, full of things to discover. We facilitate their adventure by providing a safe yet stimulating environment where they can take risks, learn and grow. Widely considered as the core foundation years of learning, we provide experiences that encourage cognitive thinking, self-help skills and sensory enhancement. Our days are full of fun and excitement with a sprinkling of structure.

Rainbow room (3 ½ to 5 years)

It’s that time of their life when the littlies start coming into their own. We help them explore their independence in a supportive environment while preparing them for more formal learning (a.k.a. school) through a transition to school programme. Teaching strategies are adapted to suit every child and progress learning with a low teacher to student ratio enabling such individual programme delivery.

Nature Walk Programme

We believe in rearing free-range kids. Learning opportunities abound outside the classroom and amidst nature. Our teachers and their wards frequent local trails and parks as part of our Nature Walk Programme. Children play with sticks, find bugs, climb trees … a whole lot of fun for all involved!

Our team

Led by centre manager, Poonam Kala, our inspiring team takes great pride in celebrating the wonder of early childhood. Every room has specialist educators and staff that work with your child to develop a tailored learning programme that is as unique as them. We also love visitors. So, come in and meet our team.

From birth, children demonstrate a curiosity to explore and learn. Our goal is to work with parents and the community to provide a stimulating environment and tailored learning that focuses on the needs and interest of each child.

Guided by the Ministry of Education’s Te Whaariki framework, our thoughtfully created childcare curriculum gives every child an opportunity to create meaningful learning experiences everyday through play. Your child’s personal journal will capture this wonderful journey as it unfolds.

JeMMa’s Home-based Education and Childcare was founded on the belief that early childhood education plays a major role in a child’s ability to develop skills and learn throughout life. 

As a kindergarten teacher, Jenny Tyrrell could see that children who had a focus of learning whilst in a home environment appeared better equipped to learn in the future. As well as this, children who were well socialised with other children of different ages appeared to cope better than others. 

It was those two key observations which cemented her belief; that a child, learning with other children, in a homebased environment rather than an institutional environment, was the best way to go. And that’s how JeMMa’s started. The name is derived from a combination of the two directors names, Jenny and Martin. 

At JeMMa’s we believe that home-based education and care is the next best alternative to learning at home with Mum or Dad 

Children who learn in a comfortable home-based environment seem to develop strong problem solving, social and learning skills. Because they are in a comfortable, uncrowded environment children they get the chance to develop and learn at steady pace with all the help they need. 

JeMMa’s children receive lots of one-on-one time with their educator, as well as interaction with other children in different age groups. These are two core components in the development of happy, energetic, sharing, respectful, thoughtful, problem solving and fun loving kids. 

Our Philosophy 

JeMMa’s is a quality privately owned family focused Homebased Education and Childcare Service that is committed to ensuring that all children, parents, whānau and kaiako are welcomed and encouraged to play an active role in promoting positive outcomes for our learners. We are guided and inspired by Te Whāriki our early childhood curriculum which encourages us to appreciate that children come into the world eager to learn and we see this as a privilege where we can work in partnership with children, parents and whānau to empower our learners through responsive engaging environments and experiences where they can reach their highest potential and develop an enthusiasm for ongoing learning. 

Building and sustaining quality learning focused relationships with everyone is the essence to who are and what believe is valuable for outcomes for children and their ongoing wellbeing and development. Our nurturing relationships will be underpinned through our Christian values and connection with people within our service and our wider communities.  Our environments will embrace cultural diversity of Aotearoa and our commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi will be authentic. 

We view all children as unique learners where they will have endless opportunities to learn through play and develop a range of knowledge, skills, and learning dispositions. This will spark children’s independence, urge to lead their own learning, social skills, curiosity, creativity, discovery, ability to express themselves and things that are important to them. Our kaiako will dedicate quality time with our children where they will nurture those in the moment opportunities and offer the guidance, support, and encouragement that our learners need to blossom and thrive. 

Here at Nature’s Point, our stunning location right next door to Papakura’s Kirks Bush provides us with the unique opportunity to provide rich outdoor learning experiences for our children. This allows children to explore one of our communities’ best kept secrets in a safe and supervised environment. Our distinctive nature inspired curriculum sees our teachers providing interesting experiences and engaging materials, inviting the children to explore then stepping back to allow them to take the lead and create their own enjoyable learning experiences. We believe that children will meet new challenges in our care, and our unique teaching practices will support them to gain the skills and strategies to meet these challenges with confidence to become competent and self-assured learners.

Pop in today to visit our new learning environment

• We are part of the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association
• We are a not for profit organization
• Providing 20 ECE hours for 3-5 year olds
• For children aged 6 months—5 years
• A Variety of enrolments offered
• Freshly cooked, nutritious meals provided
• Children are valued and given opportunities to become competent and confident learners within an inclusive environment.
• Individual children’s identity, culture and language are important to us
• We offer a well-resourced environment with qualified experienced teachers.

Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association

We are a community based not-for-profit organisation, proud to be providing quality and affordable early childhood education in the Franklin and Counties Manukau areas for over 60 years. Our kindergartens and early learning centres provide high-quality environments that reflect the local community. We are New Zealand owned and operated and provide more qualified staff, equipment, learning opportunities, ICT, excursions and large attractive educational environments.

Book a visit today, we look forward to meeting you soon!

Papakura Childcare provides a safe, loving and nurturing environment for children to grow and flourish. Our curriculum is designed to create learning experiences and opportunities for the children with a purpose to enhance the development of each child. We respect our children’s individualities, abilities and empower them to make their own decisions and grow as confident and competent learners. Our play based curriculum allows our children to explore, communicate, create, collaborate, co-operate, observe, problem solve and develop self-help skills.

At Papakura Childcare, we continually strive to work collaboratively with each family and openly communicate with parents. Families can share their insights into their child’s development, interests and needs.

Our team of dedicated teachers bring in their personal qualities to the centre such as education, experience, empathy, passion, warmth and respect to contribute towards centre’s success.

Information for Parents, Family/Whanau

The subsequent information will help you understand our methodology and what you can expect. You are free to discuss any queries you may have with any of our teachers or administrative staff. We encourage you to visit, explore, and ask questions regarding any aspect of our service you need clarity on. You can also arrange for an appointment with our manager, if needed, to discuss things over.

Be rest assured that your child’s development and well-being is our main priority. Find out further how you can get acquainted with the administrative process at Blossoms Educare.

Complete involvement of family

We believe in an open door policy and involve parents and family members in everything we do. Ensuring participation of parents makes the child feel comfortable and has a strong positive impact on the child. Keeping this in mind, we warmly welcome parents to the centre anytime.

The teachers and staff at Blossoms sincerely take care of the child’s happiness and comfort. We regard a three-way relationship between parents, caregivers and the child as an indispensable part of the child’s well-being.

Keeping track of everything

We make sure that parents are well-informed at each step of the way. They are provided with everything they need including newsletters, invoices, receipts and copies of learning stories.

Events and Outings

We believe that interaction and communication is vital. Keeping this in focus, we organize cultural events to help Blossom Educare members interact with other families and children and also with the teachers and staff. We are always on the lookout for such events and they form an integral part of our calendar.

Training for new teachers and volunteers

Volunteers and new teachers are thoroughly screened before getting onboard with us. They are required to meet our standards and adhere to our philosophy. Volunteers interact with the children and keep them engaged. Students of early childhood teacher training courses are properly supervised at the centre.

Facilities for availing subsidy

Our ‘Work and Income’ department operates a subsidy for parents. The subsidy is subject to an income qualification. Further information and forms shall be provided by ‘Work and Income’. Also, Blossoms provides 20 hours subsidy for all children above the age of 3. Please refer to our fees schedule for further information.

Educare Programme

‘Educare’ is a compound word meaning education and care. Our centres deliver educare programmes centered around the child. These programmes involve observing the children on a regular basis, evaluating their needs and concerns and planning activities around them. These programmes help the child develop in their own individual pace.

These programmes are founded on the guiding principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum policy of the Ministry of Education. We keep revising our developmental programmes to stay updated.

There are four broad principles at the centre of Te Whāriki – the early childhood curriculum.

• Empowerment - The early childhood curriculum empowers the child to learn and grow.
• Holistic Development - The early childhood curriculum reflects the holistic way children learn and grow.
• Family and Community - The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum.
• Relationships - Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, and things.

Karaka Learning Centre was established in 1986 incorporating a kindergarten approach to education and care for preschool children. From conception the Centre has reflected the partnership with parents, whanau and the community and has been providing a stimulating environment where young children are given a head start to a life of achievement.

An environment which builds trust and fosters self confidence and where learning opportunities are created through fun, laughter and play.

Karaka Learning Centre provides quality care and education to all children ranging from 4 months to 6 years.

Infants - 4 to 24 months

Staff to Child ratio of 1 teacher to 4 children

Toddlers - 2 to 3 years

Staff to Child ratio of 1 teacher to 7 children

Preschoolers - 4 to 6 years

Staff to Child ratio of 1 teacher to 8 children

Karaka Learning Centre, is a pre-school with a difference, is set within a large open rural property, offering extensive outdoor play areas and a large heated indoor pool.

Karaka Learning Centre is a place where children get to learn, laugh and play.

Nau Mai Haere Mai, Welcome to Inspire Early Learning Centre

Inspire Early Learning Centre is a family owned and operated, purpose built early childhood centre located at 95 Dominion Road, Papakura, Auckland. We are licensed for up to 70 children, including 10 under twos. We provide education and care from 6 months to five years old. Our Centre is separated into three learning areas: Nursery, Toddlers and Preschoolers.

The owner is Early Childhood qualified and registered with extensive industry experience and has a lot to offer. Being passionate about children and learning the owner has also completed her Post Graduate Diploma in ECE and plans to pursue her Masters in ECE in the future. We are a beautiful family of 4, which includes my husband and my two beautiful children, my son who is 16 months old and my daughter who is 7 years old.

Having my own children and seeing them develop and grow in the same childcare as I would work in before, has been my main motivation behind being so passionate about this profession.

We aim to provide our children with high standard of education and care. Our teachers are qualified, registered and experienced in early childhood teaching and they hold current first aid certificates. Inspire Early Learning Centre is a place where diverse cultures meet be it the kaiako or the tamariki.

Welcome to Papakura Early Learning Centre

At our Centre, children's emotional and learning needs are supported by experienced and caring teachers. Our staff are skilful at settling and working alongside the children, following their play ideas. Each child is welcomed for who they are.

Our team of registered teachers reflect the cultural diversity of our families and community.

We are proud to follow a Te-Whariki curriculum.

It’s our priority to ensure safety, security & wellbeing of your child and at the same time provide a challenging, caring & supportive learning environment.

Development

At our child care centres, children are helped to question, to experiment, to think and to reason. Opportunities for growth and development are provided for the child emotionally, physically, socially and intellectually.

Finally, our programme is play-orientated and it is our firm belief that “the more fun children have, the more they learn.”

Our Kōhanga Reo is located right next to Edmund Hillary School in Papakura. We are a small, whānau oriented Kōhanga where we aim to nourish te reo Māori.

Te Kōhanga Reo

The kōhanga reo movement is a unique initiative based on total immersion in Māori language and values with the aim of passing on Māori culture to future generations.

Kōhanga reo emphasise the revitalisation of the culture through te reo Māori and are dependent on the active participation of the whole whānau. The kaupapa of kōhanga reo aims to strengthen whānau capabilities in cultural, social, economic, spiritual and political matters. Education, health and wellbeing are inherent within all aspects of the kaupapa. The prime focus is the whānau – its collective development, growth, accountability and wellbeing set within a Māori cultural context.

Kōhanga reo do not regard tamariki in isolation, but as important members of the whānau. The kōhanga reo philosophy is that tamariki will benefit when whānau successfully operate according to the kaupapa. Tamariki are an integral part of whānau development.

The following key goals are the foundation of te kōhanga reo kaupapa established in 1982:

• total immersion in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga in daily operations
• whānau decision-making, management and responsibility
• accountability
• health and wellbeing of mokopuna and whānau.

The key goals of te kōhanga reo assure that there will be:

• security in te reo Māori
• a supportive, caring environment for mokopuna
• whānau (collective) sharing of responsibilities, knowledge and expertise
• greater respect and appreciation of each other.

Our Philosophy Our teaching team are loving and dedicated to assist Tamariki to grow to be confident and socially competent members of the community; who engage politely, honestly and with passion. Our blossoming environment provides a safe haven for our Tamariki, a home away from home. These are attainable by valuing parent/teacher partnership and to provide an open door policy where parents/caregivers/whanau are encouraged and welcomed to converse their aspirations for their children and prospects from the Centre. We believe that working alongside each other will help our Tamariki achieve their very best potential.

Our teachers strongly believe that teaching is from the heart and all children are cared for in a safe, secure, inspiring and stimulating atmosphere. Each child comes with their own individual identity, strengths, interests, values and beliefs which makes them unique. With this in mind, we aim to develop children’s creativity and self-confidence through providing motivating and developmentally appropriate opportunities that will encourage curiosity and empower them to take leadership for their own educational journey.

At Tamariki Garden Early Learning Centre, we develop and maintain opportunities for professional and personal developments for our teachers. We believe that quality development and training is best achieved through a team approach to achieve common goals and objectives which is underpinned by the principles, strands and goals laid out in Te Whariki in our Early Childhood Curriculum. We embrace the Te Tiriti O Waitangi practises and principles-partnership.

Vision

At happy turtle childcare center our vision is to place the children firmly at the heart of everything we do and nurture the unique talents of every child in the partnership with parents /Whanau and community.

Mission

The mission of Happy Turtle Childcare Centre is to provide a place where children can enjoy a happy, safe, and secure environment; enabling them to experience a sense of belonging, along with being confident and independent learners.

Philosophy

We believe that children are capable and competent learners who are eager to explore and discover. Mutual respect, enthusiasm for learning and equity are key values of the ‘Happy Turtle Childcare Centre’.

We are family oriented and welcome whānau to be active partners within the centre through various events, celebrations and our consultation process which is connected to the community and beyond.

We acknowledge a Bi-Cultural perspective to give children the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the heritages of both partners to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We contribute to nature education and sustainable environment that creates and supports children to investigate, challenge and research their working theories of the world around them.

Te Kōhanga Reo o Kiwitoa is a centre-based kōhanga reo located in Papakura and provides for up to 23 tamariki. Book a visit today to connect with our kōhanga reo and to learn more about the options for your whanau.  

Te Kōhanga Reo

The kōhanga reo movement is a unique initiative based on total immersion in Māori language and values with the aim of passing on Māori culture to future generations.

Kōhanga reo emphasise the revitalisation of the culture through te reo Māori and are dependent on the active participation of the whole whānau. The kaupapa of kōhanga reo aims to strengthen whānau capabilities in cultural, social, economic, spiritual and political matters. Education, health and wellbeing are inherent within all aspects of the kaupapa. The prime focus is the whānau – its collective development, growth, accountability and wellbeing set within a Māori cultural context.

Kōhanga reo do not regard tamariki in isolation, but as important members of the whānau. The kōhanga reo philosophy is that tamariki will benefit when whānau successfully operate according to the kaupapa. Tamariki are an integral part of whānau development.

The following key goals are the foundation of te kōhanga reo kaupapa established in 1982:

• total immersion in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga in daily operations
• whānau decision-making, management and responsibility
• accountability
• health and wellbeing of mokopuna and whānau.

The key goals of te kōhanga reo assure that there will be:

• security in te reo Māori
• a supportive, caring environment for mokopuna
• whānau (collective) sharing of responsibilities, knowledge and expertise
• greater respect and appreciation of each other.

Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Puāwai o Wikitoria is a centre-based kōhanga reo located in Papakura and provides for up to 35 tamariki. Book a visit today to connect with our kōhanga reo and to learn more about the options for your whanau.  

Te Kōhanga Reo

The kōhanga reo movement is a unique initiative based on total immersion in Māori language and values with the aim of passing on Māori culture to future generations.

Kōhanga reo emphasise the revitalisation of the culture through te reo Māori and are dependent on the active participation of the whole whānau. The kaupapa of kōhanga reo aims to strengthen whānau capabilities in cultural, social, economic, spiritual and political matters. Education, health and wellbeing are inherent within all aspects of the kaupapa. The prime focus is the whānau – its collective development, growth, accountability and wellbeing set within a Māori cultural context.

Kōhanga reo do not regard tamariki in isolation, but as important members of the whānau. The kōhanga reo philosophy is that tamariki will benefit when whānau successfully operate according to the kaupapa. Tamariki are an integral part of whānau development.

The following key goals are the foundation of te kōhanga reo kaupapa established in 1982:

• total immersion in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga in daily operations
• whānau decision-making, management and responsibility
• accountability
• health and wellbeing of mokopuna and whānau.

The key goals of te kōhanga reo assure that there will be:

• security in te reo Māori
• a supportive, caring environment for mokopuna
• whānau (collective) sharing of responsibilities, knowledge and expertise
• greater respect and appreciation of each other.

Te Kōhanga Reo o Pukeroihi is a centre-based kōhanga reo located in Papakura and provides for up to 25 tamariki. Book a visit today to connect with our kōhanga reo and to learn more about the options for your whanau.  

Te Kōhanga Reo

The kōhanga reo movement is a unique initiative based on total immersion in Māori language and values with the aim of passing on Māori culture to future generations.

Kōhanga reo emphasise the revitalisation of the culture through te reo Māori and are dependent on the active participation of the whole whānau. The kaupapa of kōhanga reo aims to strengthen whānau capabilities in cultural, social, economic, spiritual and political matters. Education, health and wellbeing are inherent within all aspects of the kaupapa. The prime focus is the whānau – its collective development, growth, accountability and wellbeing set within a Māori cultural context.

Kōhanga reo do not regard tamariki in isolation, but as important members of the whānau. The kōhanga reo philosophy is that tamariki will benefit when whānau successfully operate according to the kaupapa. Tamariki are an integral part of whānau development.

The following key goals are the foundation of te kōhanga reo kaupapa established in 1982:

• total immersion in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga in daily operations
• whānau decision-making, management and responsibility
• accountability
• health and wellbeing of mokopuna and whānau.

The key goals of te kōhanga reo assure that there will be:

• security in te reo Māori
• a supportive, caring environment for mokopuna
• whānau (collective) sharing of responsibilities, knowledge and expertise
• greater respect and appreciation of each other.

Early learning centre in Papakura