Childcare options in Point Chevalier

Kia ora and welcome to Pt Chevalier Kindergarten

Pt Chevalier Kindergarten has a garden that inspires curiosity and challenges for our young learners, as well as providing opportunities for active movement.

Here at Pt Chevalier Kindergarten, we have a strong focus on sustainability and are proud to have achieved Silver Enviroschool status.

Pt Chevalier Kindergarten maintains good links with schools and the local community.  Everyone is welcome!

The experienced teaching team at Pt Chevalier Kindergarten is passionate about working alongside ākonga and their whanau in this strong and supportive community.

We view our kindergarten as a place where children’s curiosity is highly valued and constantly encouraged.

The quality learning programmes we provide are based on the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.

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.

With very experienced staff and a clear philosophy, The Rumpus Room offers an exceptional and proven choice to allow your child to play, learn and grow. To support our philosophies we have developed a play based, project centred programme that allows children to explore their own interests and develop a greater understanding of the way the world around them works.

We understand the importance of creating respectful interactions between the child and teachers, where the child is an active participant. With this in mind we promote an environment for our children which allows them to be curious, investigate, make decisions and problem solve to make sense of their world and their place in it.

Our independent and family-run centre is housed in a beautiful converted villa in the heart of Auckland’s Point Chevalier. We provide warm, welcoming, stimulating and safe spaces where young people can grow at their own pace.

The Point first opened its doors in January 2015. Since then the centre has become an integral part of the Point Chevalier community. Our Kaiako (teachers) believe that wisdom and real learning begin with wonder. Their focus is helping your child to become a creative, resilient learner who is self-motivated and curious – all tools they will need for a happy and purposeful life.

The centre accepts children from 3 months old to school entry. Different age groups are accommodated across the original villa and its modern extension, which was completed in 2017. Spaces are airy and calm but full of activity, designed to feel like an extension of your child’s home environment. Children love to run and explore in our large outdoor spaces, which boast mature trees that provide plenty of shade from the sun.

Interested in learning more? Read about our centre philosophy here. We’d also love to meet you in person, so feel free to schedule a visit during our opening hours.

Our Philosophy

The Point’s education approach is child-led and play-based. As educators, our role is not to teach – children are capable and wonderful little people – but to help them learn. By tuning into a child’s unique curiosities, we are in a position to create deep learning opportunities for them.

We see ourselves as co-researchers and co-constructors in the learning process. This then allows children to explore, question, reflect and problem solve, as we are not teaching, but are facilitating learning in a way that’s authentic to them.