347 Papanui Road, Papanui, Christchurch
In the bright, modern learning environment at St Andrew’s College Pre-school, children can freely explore their individual interests with lots of support and encouragement. Our Pre-school’s biggest asset is our warm, friendly, fully registered teachers. They have a genuine love for the children, and are dedicated to providing a nurturing, safe environment in which the children can thrive.
A brand new Pre-school with bespoke playgrounds opened at the start of 2018. A vibrant classroom area provides a colourful backdrop for inquiry based learning, imaginative play and creative pursuits. A love of the natural world is encouraged, with the philosophy that supporting the children to care for plants and animals (such as a vegetable garden, life cycles of butterflies and frogs, and tropical fish) helps them to discover things about themselves and to develop their sense of Wairua, or spirit.
The Pre-school collaborates closely with the Preparatory School to develop the curriculum, share resources, and implement exciting transition to school initiatives to ensure the children are well prepared for school. Numeracy and literacy skills are enhanced in the Pre-school’s extension room, which is equipped with Montessori resources.
The St Andrew’s College Pre-school accepts children aged from two years and offers 20 hours of ECE funding.
10 Reasons Current Parents Choose St Andrew’s College Pre-school
1. It is the only Pre-school Aligned with a Co-ed College
We are the only Pre-school which is aligned with a co-ed College. There is the unique opportunity for your child to be part of the St Andrew’s family from Pre-School to leaving the Senior College in Year 13. It is also comforting for Pre-school children to attend the same campus as their older siblings.
2. Personalised, Calm Care
The St Andrew’s College Pre-school is a safe, warm and dynamic environment in which young children can enjoy interacting with each other and making sense of their world in their own time and in meaningful contexts.
3. Flexibility
For maximum flexibility we offer full day (8.00am–4.30pm) and session-based places for children aged from two and a half years. This means you can tailor your child’s Pre-school experience around your existing commitments.
4. Family Based Environment
Interaction with peers goes far beyond the Pre-school classroom. St Andrew’s is a family based school where opportunities for interaction with older children are plentiful.
5. Robust Programme
Our programme is rich and dynamic with changes regularly implemented as long as they meet best practice and are right for the children, environment and curriculum.
6. High Level of Documentation
Our Pre-school teachers conduct a comprehensive level of documentation, so that every child’s learning is clearly visible and always available for parents to see.
7. Access to Wider College Facilities
To achieve optimum outcomes for our Pre-school children, we work collaboratively with other departments. Children benefit from visiting our science labs, the television studio, the Preparatory School Library and the drama centre.
8. Strong Transition to School Programme
To prepare children for their primary school and Preparatory School experience we have a strong transition to school programme to ensure a seamless change.
9. Active Parent Participation
We value the role of parents as first teachers. We encourage parental participation in many aspects of Pre-school life. Parents are warmly welcomed at any time during the Pre-school day.
10. Highly Trained and Creative Teachers
At all times children are with a fully qualified teacher, as all Pre-school staff are trained in early childhood education. To maintain a fresh approach, St Andrew’s College Pre-school staff are continuously inspired to bring new ideas to wholly facilitate every child’s development.
Our Core Values
COMPASSION
Love, Respect and Honesty
CONNECTION
Relationships, Trust and Community
INSPIRATION
Creativity, Fun and Enjoyment
INQUIRY
Reflection, Exploration and Learning
Our philosophy embodies the principles of the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum Te Whāriki.
To complement this, we value immensely the relationship between the Pre-school and the wider St Andrew’s College community. This resource enriches our curriculum and gives us the opportunity to work in partnership together to support the children’s ongoing learning journey.
We believe that children are full of inherent potential and we aspire to unlock this potential as we create a strong foundation built on our Six Priorities for Learning.
At the heart of all learning is the need for all children to have a sense of Wairua and connection to self. Children will have the opportunity to engage in a range of experiences that support them to be mindful, at peace, and to find joy living in the present moment.
Acknowledging children’s feelings allows them to build trust with their teachers and to develop social competence skills as they work alongside each other. In an aesthetically beautiful environment they learn to share ideas, work collaboratively, and problem-solve. In an ever-changing world the importance of adaptability is modelled in all aspects of the curriculum.
Adaptability encourages curiosity that enables children to take responsibility, and drive their own learning. Our professional teachers are reflective and committed to ongoing learning. They see themselves as a resource that empowers children to think and learn through promoting literacy, numeracy, creativity, science, and technology.
In preparing children to live as global citizens in a 21st century world, we provide a wide range of learning experiences that integrate sustainability and healthy ways of being, which respect and nurture all living things.
We celebrate the bicultural partnership inherent within Te Tiriti o Waitangi and weave this into our daily practice. Relationships are at the heart of our programme; we embrace all differing cultures and beliefs that our families encompass, which creates the rich tapestry of our programme.
Our teachers carefully plan each day in the Pre-school to integrate a broad range of curriculum areas and to extend each child’s experiences and learning. The younger children tend to make discoveries through art, construction and storytelling, while the older children learn through collaboration, research, creative writing, measurement, plan making, drama and dance.
Each child is able to choose freely from the following curriculum areas:
Pre-school children spend part of each morning with a key teacher. This is a valuable time for them to work in small groups and engage in inquiry-based learning.
One of the advantages of being part of the wider St Andrew’s College campus is that our children participate in whole school events, and have access to facilities used by students in the Preparatory and Secondary Schools, such as science labs, the television studio, Preparatory School library and drama centre.
None to share just yet...
