Childcare options in St Heliers

St Heliers has a few daycare, childcare and early childhood education options. Book a visit or enquire at any one of them with Kindello. We're here to help you find the perfect fit for you and your child.

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A picture of Little Wonders Glendowie

5.00 (1)

St Heliers - Auckland

Little Wonders Glendowie

At Little Wonders Glendowie, we know that the first five years lay a strong foundation for learning and development - and we are here to ensure your child gets the best possible start.

Our professional, passionate teachers provide children with rich and fulfilling educational experiences that build skills and encourage a love of learning. Well-resourced and guided by a carefully considered curriculum, we provide an environment that’s inspiring, challenging and fun.

Set your little one up with the building blocks for success. 

Our philosophy

We are underpinned by both our

Brand Essence “Giving the freedom to learn”

And

Brand Character “Emulates a fresh and open mindedness to learning”

We make this unique to Little Wonders Glendowie by seeing our role as teachers as one that wears many hats. We are the listener, the supporter, the observer, the safe keeper, the facilitator, the mentor and the learner. Although we may wear different hats, they are all embedded with threads of kindness, respect, flexibility and humour. Our collection of hats is all unique and has many valuable stories to tell. As teachers we see the importance of sharing our hats and the knowledge embedded within them.

At Little Wonders Glendowie we see every child wearing a unique hat of their own. As teachers it is important that we seek to understand every thread of this hat as the thread used to create this hat has been passed through generations of culture, identity and language. We understand that family holds the most valuable information about this hat and we spend time listening to the many stories about each thread.  We also understand that some threads still need to be sown to ensure the hat has a strong underpinning for the many adventures ahead.

Once the child’s hat is strong and ready, we encourage and support the child to start gathering a variety of new hats. We give the child courage that they can choose any hat they wish even if the hat may seem a bit risky! The child may create their hat in a moment or spend time going back and forward until they achieve the most creative and splendid hat! Each hat has no time limit and we wait patiently until we can celebrate the creation of this hat not only with the child but also with their family.

At Little Wonders Glendowie we also understand that a hat cannot be created without the essential elements needed therefore our environment is carefully organised with a variety of threads and materials.  Thought is taken into the colours that interest each child and the materials are handpicked to ensure that texture and length gives the child the opportunity to create any hat they wish.  We have areas for literacy, so children can freely express their ideas and research any hat of interest, numeracy for understanding measurements and size and of course plenty of obstacle courses for the child to put each hat to the test!  We also understand that some hats may not go to plan and we are waiting and ready with our own knowledge of hat making to pick those pieces up and encourage the child to start again.

Our Rooms

Little Wonders Glendowie has two separate rooms, enabling us to deliver safe, nurturing and age appropriate learning experiences for all our children.  

Tui Room

The Tui room caters for children from 3 months to 2.5 years of age and is staffed by a team of approachable and caring teachers. Inside we have a family corner, nature corner, block corner, book corner and a babies’ area for the younger ones. Our outdoor area is fully covered by turf and includes two sandpits.  We have a large covered space that enables children to get outside even when it is raining. Tui Room children enjoy a variety of messy play, which encourages their sensory development.

Kiwi Room

Designed for our 2 to 6 year olds, the Kiwi Room features a large family corner, book corner, nature corner, a manipulative play area, and a huge atelier area where children get creative and messy. We also have a covered deck where children build with bigger construction blocks and resources. A spacious and inspiring outdoor area includes swings, climbing ladders, ropes and climbing frames to help children develop confidence and gross motor skills. Kiwi Room children are enthusiastic participants in the care of our vegetable garden, involving themselves in the planting, watering, and harvesting process. A large covered sandpit area is a haven for messy play and experiments,  while during summertime we make the most of our slip and slide, sprinklers and troughs for water play.

The curriculum in the Kiwi Room is shaped by children’s current interests, and teachers work hard to tap into these interests to extend learning. Our transition to school programme sees our 4 year olds spend an hour every morning developing skills that will set them up for success at primary. 

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why families choose Little Wonders Glendowie. Here are just a few of them:

  • Ideally located to feed into six local primary schools
  • Flexible timetables to cater for families and their needs
  • Delicious and healthy cooked meals provided including morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and late snack
  • Spacious outdoor areas including sheltered outdoor areas for rainy days.
  • Outdoor areas include a wide range of play equipment that support children to build a range of motor skills.
  • Our Preschool outdoor area includes the children’s very own vegetable garden
  • Enthusiastic and caring staff
  • Excellent transition to school programme
  • Two separate classrooms including a separate under 2 area
  • Culturally Inclusive environments
  • Strong community focus
  • Regular centre events with our children and families
  • Centre excursions
  • Online portfolio system allowing parents and extended family to access and contribute to learning and assessment practices


Licensed for

80 children

A picture of St Heliers Little School & Nursery

St Heliers - Auckland

St Heliers Little School & Nursery

Our Approach to Quality

Why choose us:

At Little School we believe in empowering children to explore their curiosities and innate abilities, in a nurturing educational environment, that fosters independence, creativity and critical thinking.

Our approach to quality at Little School is anchored in our commitment to excellence, integrating evidence-based practices with innovative teaching methodologies, to provide an enriching, holistic educational experience that meets the diverse needs of every child.

Little School was founded by Maria Johnson in 2002. Maria is a trained Early Childhood and Primary School Teacher. As a teacher she has a passion for an educational focus within children’s first six years of life, leading for many years with a structured, fun and educational learning programme.

Little School involves parents, family/whānau, teachers/kaiako and our extended community in our conversations and decisions to continue our journey together.

Our philosophy

We are passionate about laying foundations for life – to develop a love of learning in each child. Our philosophy is founded on nurturing well-rounded, compassionate, and intellectually creative and curious individuals.

We seek to support families in fostering the following core values that will empower our children to develop:

  • A love/aroha of learning
  • A love/aroha for the world around us
  • A love/aroha for ourselves
  • A love/aroha for each other

We are committed to providing a fun learning experience for children through:

  • Nurturing loving, reciprocal relationships
  • Co-constructing a learning environment that fosters wonder and engagement
  • Encouraging curiosity and creative learning
  • Empowers children to drive their own learning
  • Following children’s interests and strengths
  • Supporting children’s cultural and learner identity

Our goal is to nurture each child’s potential, helping them to grow into confident, caring and curious members of the global community.

We believe that our approach to education will empower children not only to excel in their personal and academic lives, but also to contribute positively to the world around them.

Licensed for

30 children

A picture of Home Grown Kids St Heliers

St Heliers - Auckland

Home Grown Kids St Heliers

Thinking about Home Based childcare with Home Grown Kids?

All of our Educators are carefully selected and screened including Police Vetting, identity checks, an interview that assess their attitudes and values toward children and an overall assessment of risk.

Enquire today and we’ll be in touch with you soon to provide the perfect option for your family.

Choosing the Best Educator for Your Child

We stand strong alongside our Educators. We care about them and we’re committed to the work they do, supporting and communicating with them every step of the way. We understand that engaged, fulfilled Educators make for happy families and even happier tamariki who thrive in these small group settings.

Small Group Setting

Our Home Based childcare groups are capped at a maximum of four children under the age of six, including Educators’ own children. This means we can offer each child the individual attention they need to flourish.

The best fit for your whānau values

Our Educators offer a range of different programmes based around their beliefs, values, culture, background and philosophies. Over 90% of our Educators hold a recognised ECE qualification. Some of our Educators are mothers and grandmothers with fantastic life skills, experience and knowledge. We’ll listen to your needs and then offer, where possible, a range of Educators. You will get to choose an Educator that you and your whānau connect with and trust.

Exceeding educational standards

An education programme that reflects New Zealand ECE curriculum - Te Whāriki. We are a Ministry of Education approved and licensed Early Childhood Education provider. Regularly reviewed by the

Education Review Office to ensure all our Home Based environments not only meet, but exceed the Ministry of Education’s Licensing Criteria for Home-based Services (2008).

Subsidies available

We’re an approved Work and Income provider and can support you to access a childcare subsidy if you are eligible.

20 hours ECE scheme

The Government subsidises all children aged 3-5 years (or 6 if not enrolled in school) who attend an ECE facility, making access more affordable for all.

Leaders in development practices for each child

All our Educators are supported and guided by our Visiting Teachers who are Qualified certificated ECE teachers with many years’ experience and expertise in early childhood education. Our Visiting Teachers regularly attend professional development to keep up-to-date with current research and theory for best practice for Education and care for under fives.

Our philosophy, vision and mission

  • Our Vision– The why – The reason we exist:

To provide a family friendly wrap around support service that enables all tamariki/whanau to learn, grow and thrive in a home-based setting. Investing in cultivating kindness, strong and professional relationships, in all our people to continue growing as lifelong learners

  • Mission Statement – The How -How are we going to achieve the Vision?

We will achieve our Vision through ensuring that every team member is emotionally invested in the well-being of our people including tamariki, whanau, Educators, communities and our Edubase family. We value successes and that these are not ours alone, the greatest success comes from the strengths of many. Our passion, knowledge and commitment will be the catalyst that enables everyone to learn, thrive and achieve.

  • Philosophy Statement

Edubase is a Home Based Early Childhood Education service that is committed to providing nurturing learning environments where tamariki thrive as individuals through an authentic play-based, natural learning education and care programme, in a home setting.

To enrich the learning of each tamariki we form strong community connections, developing links within the home and the learning environments of our Kaiako. Tamariki learn respect for people, places and things, shaping Aotearoa and developing an appreciation of New Zealand’s dual heritage. We continually strive to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both partners to Te Tiriti o Waitangi – supporting a holistic approach to learning which is guided by our NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.

Educators and Nannies offer comfortable, small group sizes, fostering respectful and reciprocal relationships, promoting tikanga Māori within their practice.

As an Organisation, we pride ourselves on cultivating strong, professional relationships, strengthening capability in all our people to continue growing as lifelong learners.

Edubase celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of each tamaiti, whanau and Kaiako and the gifts they bring. They are taonga, a treasure or gift. All things cultural are affirmed and celebrated, aiming to support children in gaining a positive awareness of their own and other cultures.

Tiaki nga tamariki – take care of the children

Licensed for

4 children

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A picture of St Heliers Kindergarten

St Heliers - Auckland

St Heliers Kindergarten

Kia ora and welcome to St Heliers Kindergarten

St Heliers Kindergarten is a fun loving, safe and challenging environment. Our beautiful outdoor environment allows for both space and quiet areas that promote better learning outcomes for children. The indoor environment is clean, spacious and inspiring, reflecting the cultures of our community. We have a strong focus on the child’s emerging curriculum and this is supported through Te Whåriki, NZ ECE Curriculum. Please pop in and visit, have a look around and meet the staff and teachers.

Our teachers are early childhood qualified and registered, dedicated to, and passionate about, early childhood education.  The head teacher plus teachers are supported by an Administrator and Teaching Assistant and a Teacher Aid. We are dedicated to ongoing learning and improvement.

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.

Licensed for

40 children

A picture of Small Miracles Pre-School

St Heliers - Auckland

Small Miracles Pre-School

Small Miracles endeavours to create a nurturing, safe and inclusive learning environment where tamariki are treated with dignity and respect. Tamariki will be given opportunities to empower themselves to develop physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

We believe in learning through play: Our teaching philosophy follows the New Zealand Early Childhood Education Curriculum, Te Whariki. We believe that tamariki learn through play.  We see play is empowering, builds resilience and provides tamariki with opportunities to discover, question, theorise and co-operate.  Play also builds social and emotional development which are necessary for growth and their own view of self-worth.

Kaiako foster warm and respectful relationships with tamariki and whanau: Kaiako will build and maintain warm and respectful relationships with tamariki and their whanau and continually provide opportunities for them to contribute to the life of the centre. Parents and whanau are recognised as key stakeholders in the early education of their tamariki and their aspirations for their tamariki will be valued and evident within the curriculum.

Kaiako are facilitators for both teacher led and child led learning experiences: As kaiako and educators our approach including planning and assessment will be a balanced mix of free play, rhythms and routines which will be both teacher and child led learning experiences. We believe learning is a reciprocal process – we all learn from each other in both spontaneous and planned experiences.  Kaiako will act as facilitators, to provide tamariki with opportunities and experiences to encourage and empower tamariki to make decisions and challenge themselves to problem solve therefore setting the crucial foundations for lifelong learning.

We celebrate cultural diversity: We are committed to the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa and we will endeavour to incorporate Te Tiriti o Waitangi through te reo and tikanga Māori practices. We celebrate cultural diversity fully at Small Miracles through music, language and cultural events.  We believe, to know the culture of tamariki and whanau is to fully understand the whanau/families aspirations, needs and beliefs for their child.

We foster and apply Christian values: Our Christian Philosophy is woven through our daily routines of the centre and our integral relationship with St Heliers Presbyterian Church. It is also evident when we interact with our families and whanau. We endeavour to foster and apply Christian values and qualities of peace, love, sharing and tolerance.

Licensed for

33 children