61 Saint Martins Road, St Martins, Christchurch 8022
Poppies St Martins was established in 2009 in a beautiful character villa. It has three separate inside areas- a spacious Nursery for our under two year olds, our Preschool room for two to three year olds and a Prepschool for our older children. We have separate natural playgrounds for all of our age groups. Come and visit our beautiful Preschool and see the difference!
The Education Review Office ERO visited us in January 2020 and were most impressed with our "thoughtfully planned inviting indoor and outdoor environments" where children can "explore nature and imaginatively create and experience challenges" They said "teachers planning is highly responsive to children's interests and stages of development" and "consistent practices reflect a well considered approach to care" To read the full report click here.
Our Programme
Our programme is based on the curriculum for early childhood centres - Te Whaariki. We provide the children with opportunities to explore the 16 areas of play. We carefully plan our indoor and outdoor environments to meet the children's individual learning goals providing them with stimulating and fun activities. The Nursery, Preschool room and Preproom each have a monthly focus coming from the children's interests. Our focus of learning each month relates to the children's interests or happenings within our environment. Planned experiences include dress up days, excursions out into the community and carefully planned activities to extend children's learning.
Profile Books
Each child at Poppies has their own profile book which is a record of their learning journey. The profile books contain learning notes, photos, milestone achievements and learning goals for each child. Teachers then use teaching strategies to support children's learning and development to meet goals. Progress and outcomes are documented through learning stories.
Your child's learning is also recorded online through an app called Storypark. Through Storypark you can easily see what your child has been up too, you can contribute and share their learning with extended family members.
Transition to School Programme
At Poppies we work to ensure your child's transition to school is as smooth as possible by fostering independence, and encouraging children to take responsibility for themselves and their belongings.
In the mornings the older children take part in "getting ready for school mini group". This group time focuses on ensuring the children are ready for school. We work on the five key concepts of maths, literacy, self help skills, social skills and children's choice. We have good relationships with local primary schools regularly visiting the main schools we feed into. We are also part of the local Community of Learning COL.
Poppies Preschool Philosophy - ST MARTINS
At Poppies Preschool we aim to provide quality preschool education in a homely, safe,caring, happy and stimulating environment that meets the needs of each child and their family/whanau.
We offer an emergent curriculum based on children’s individual interests and spontaneous happenings. Our programme is administered with guidance, support, understanding, consistency and care.
Poppies Preschool believes in using the Curriculum Standards and Criteria to guide and encompass all of the teaching and learning that occurs in our preschool environment. We believe children’s play is their way to explore and discover learning. We use individual and centre planning to meet children’s learning and development needs and also use centre focuses often incorporating an enquiry based approach, to follow children’s interests and trends in play. Our programme allows children to take responsibility for their own learning with the teachers facilitating and supporting the children’s skills and abilities while also allowing them to achieve challenges within their environment. We use a combination of structure, free play and carefully planned inside and outside environments (using people, places and things as well as planned play experiences) to inspire and nurture in children the love of and confidence in learning.
Our curriculum supports and interweaves a meaningful bi-cultural lens. This is through an in-depth and shared understanding of Te Ao Māori perspectives, which in turn support and strengthens learning and values for children and priority learners.
We believe in nurturing and fostering each child’s cultural identity and respect Te Tiriti OWaitangi including Te Reo and tikanga Maori within the bicultural context of Aotearoa NewZealand.We believe in Te Whāriki, its strands, goals and the way they link to learning outcomes and dispositions. Our programme is strengthened by these. As a teaching team we value the input, knowledge and support of parents, whanau and community and recognise that we all take on a supportive and extending role with children’s learning. Most of all we believe early childhood to be a time of great importance where learning and living are one and the same.
* This abbreviated part of the philosophy is included in the prospectus.
"Thank you so much for all the care and support you have given to us as a family. Its hard to believe that we have been coming for nearly nine years and our time is up!! We will look back with fond memories of our time being part of the Poppies family. As early childhood educators you have done a wonderful job with Elliott, Kendal and Davis. We will miss you." Megan and Kerry Manson
"Best Preschool ever!! All four of our boys have thrived at this centre. All staff are attentive to the child's needs and parents are always informed on progress. We will miss the Poppies family after 10 years." Megan Cozzone
"We can't thank you enough for everything you've done for Katya over the last three years. Poppies has been the most fantastic, nurturing, loving, wonderful place and we know that all your input, guidance and support of our girl has helped shape her into the kind, loving, smart and funny little centre of our lives. Thank you doesn't even begin to cover it." Amanda & Ravil Atlas
