10 Carrs Road, Halswell, Christchurch 8025
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".Educare Early Learning centres are located in Whangarei, Auckland Region, Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch.
Te Whāriki
Is indicated in the following aspiration statement for children:
“To grow up as 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” (Te Whāriki, Early Childhood Curriculum, Ministry of Education, 1996, pg 9).
Educare teachers use the Principles of Te Whāriki to frame their practice:
To cope with an ever-changing world in communications, technology, and work, children need to cope with change and be capable of acquiring new knowledge and skills. Te Whāriki provides an educational foundation that supports the full range of skills that children will need as life-long learners. Each Educare Early Learning Centre has developed its own programme to implement the curriculum. Their programme reflects the interests of its children, their whānau, its environment and the surrounding community. Planning for the programme begins from observations of the children’s interests, strengths, needs and behaviours. Planning helps the teachers to understand what young children are learning, how the learning happens, and the role they and other children play in such learning.
Our desired outcomes for Educare children are:
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.
Educare Early Learning Centres
Empower children to feel welcomed, accepted and able to learn and grow in environments that are warm, trusting, stimulating and offer opportunities for children to experience success.
Enrolment forms and ‘me-sheets’ are completed and handed in prior your child’s first day. Any access restrictions, medical conditions/allergies will be discussed at this point. You will be asked to provide as much information as possible about your child as this information may assist the teachers during the transition process.
Your child’s start date will be confirmed along with opportunities for your whānau and child to visit. Each child and their whānau are treated individually around scheduling the amount of visits needed.
One teacher will be available to settle your child when you or your whānau member says goodbye. The expectation is that your child will be told goodbye by the whānau member so the reassurance is given that they will return.
If you have any concerns about leaving your child you are more than welcome to have a discussion with the teacher or manager. You will be contacted and asked to return to the centre if your child is overly distressed. You are also encouraged to phone the centre at any time convenient to you to check on your child’s progress with us.
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.
Click to view our child protection policy.
In order for children
To retain positive feelings over a time of transition there needs to be clear communication between the management, teachers, parents, whānau and individual children to provide a seamless transition.
All of our centres have a contact person who takes overall responsibility for your childs transition to school. We also have open communication with all primary schools that we feed into in order to build relationships to exchange information and keep up to date with current events.
All parents will be approached when your child turns four to discuss your decision regarding the choice of school for your child. All parents and whānau will have good support and information in order to transition their child seamlessly into primary school. There will be information available for you regarding how to contact the schools and information will be displayed in the centre and access to the Education Review Office (ERO) reports for schools are available.
From the age of four and a half years a Transition to School Folder will be developed for your child. This will include Learning Stories, examples of your childs work and photos. The folder can be shared with the primary school teacher on school visits.
One Transition to School parent/whānau evening will take place each year. Teachers from local schools will be invited to speak at these.
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