96 Gayhurst Road, Dallington, Christchurch 8061
The Educational Child Care Centre was established in 1978 by a group of high school teachers who had a vision of quality childcare and education for their children. So the hard work began in setting up a not for profit community based centre run by a committee and a dedicated teaching team. In 35 years the families and teachers have changed but the principles remain the same.
At the ECCC we are all about relationships. We believe that the fundamental step prior to being able to do anything else is forming warm relationships. When a child feels a sense of belonging they grow into a strong capable person ready to take on any challenge the world may throw at them! Equally important is the relationship between the centre and home. We love to hear family stories and aspirations and we eagerly share what has taken place in the child’s day. We strive to find new and exciting ways of sharing information through profile books, web page, txt pictures and Facebook. Communication is the cornerstone of a great centre family relationship. You will always be welcome to spend as much time as you like in our centre.
We have many long serving teachers and some fresh faces too… the perfect combination of experience, maturity, vitality and warmth, there will always be someone to gel with and meet your individual family’s needs. Our under two environment is well resourced for young explorers. We nurture key teacher relationships to encourage strong attachments and to develop a unique understanding of each individual child’s needs. We provide much higher ratios than the Ministry of Educations 1 to 5 requirements, we prefer to have 1 adult to 3 three under two children and 1 adult to 7 children in the over twos.
What about the learning? Well where do I begin? whether it be in our fantastic outdoor environment or in our spacious, warm indoor environment there is always something exciting and stimulating to do. We provide many opportunities for baking, creating art masterpieces, music, dancing, playdough, waterplay, reading, puzzles, sandpit play, riding bikes or climbing the huge weeping willow.
We have a strong interest in the environment and sustainability, we spend many hours exploring and foraging in the huge red zone lands surrounding our centre. Our tamariki are learning how to be active caretakers of this amazing resource on our back doorstep. While most of the day is child directed free play supported by teachers, we do also have two structured group times. During group times children will separate into their own peer group and do age appropriate activities promoting language and literacy and numeracy. These structured times are fun and an inclusive way to introduce all the concepts for a foundation of lifelong learning.
So if this sounds like a place you would like to visit then come on down and have a look around… spend 2 minutes or 2 hours and see what you think.
The Educational Child Care Centre is a non-profit making, Incorporated Society.
The members of the society are the parents. Qualified, registered, experienced teachers are employed to provide full time education and care for children 0–6 years of age.
We believe that our teaching ratios should be higher quality than the Ministry of Education minimum standards. We pride ourselves in providing an environment as an extension of home, which is open and caring so that warm, respectful and reciprocal relationships develop between children, teachers, parents and whānau.
Our teaching practices respect and acknowledge the principles set out in “Te Tiriti o Waitangi” through Te Reo and Tikānga Māori, as well as meeting the diverse needs of the multi-cultural community of our centre. We respect the children’s individual needs and differences.
We aim to promote their enquiring minds and high self esteem with quality programmes. These will stimulate and encourage the children to learn and develop to their full potential, becoming life-long learners.
The Educational Child Care Centre follows “Te Whāriki”, the Early Childhood Curriculum of Aotearoa. The Principles and strands of Te Whāriki are woven through out our assessment and planning and reflected in the children’s profiles.
We believe children learn through play. The majority of the time the children have free choice to play wherever they wish, in our extensive and natural outdoor environment, or in our well-resourced indoor setting. We also believe children need limits and boundaries and time to rest and relax as part of their day.
Most importantly the needs of the children are our first and major considerations.
“Poipoia te kakano. Kia puawai”
Nurture the seed and it will blossom
ECCC was managed by a parent committee, long before “Tomorrow’s Schools”. This investment of time and personal commitment, did more than ensure the successful running of the centre. Because of the supportive and inclusive family atmosphere established right from the beginning, long term friendships and relationships have been established between parents, children and teachers. Long-term staff members still ask about my 31 year old daughter. My adult children still hug their former teachers when they see them. Friendships, established as toddlers, are still maintained today.
Our children and now our grandchildren, have been loved and nurtured at the ECCC. The consistent employment of fully trained staff and the low teacher child ratios, allowed individual needs, including emotional, educational and even medical, to be supported. Staff not only know their students well, they know the whole family.
The fact that the ECCC remains successful in this changing era of childcare, is testament to the strong values established in the beginning and to the staff, who maintain the development of the many aspects of child-centred learning.
We transferred to Educational Child Care Centre in February 2014 from another centre. The teachers were very warm and welcoming and made us feel like part of the centre family. Our son Makaii settled in well and made friends very quickly. It has been great to see the developmental growth that Makaii has undergone since being here. Nerissa
ECCC has a great atmosphere and I knew it was the best fit for my daughter as soon as I had my first visit. The teachers are friendly and attentive and each child has a special bond with them. There is a lot of room for creativity and each child’s unique interests are catered for and developed. My daughter has thrived in the few weeks she has been attending ECCC and has settled well. She is currently toilet training and the teachers have been a big help with making sure she makes it to the toilet, and that any accidents are dealt with kindly. I would recommend ECCC to any parent and encourage you to check it out and see what I mean! Amy Chiles
