Our Rooms
We have three rooms within our centre. We follow an enquiry-based, primary teaching approach, and respect the natural development of each individual child. We use play to teach the skills required for educational success. Each room has its own individual outdoor play space to ensure the safety of each child in our care. Children transition between rooms when they are displaying an interest and readiness for further developing their skills.
Infants Room
Infants are invited to participate in individual care moments with their primary and secondary teacher. Care moments, such as bottle feeding, nappy changing and sleep, are guided by your home routine. Your primary teacher gets to know your child and family extremely well, so that they can respond to your child’s needs, while building their trust, abilities and confidence. In our outdoor space, children experience real grass and assist the teachers in caring for the sensory garden. As well as outdoor play, children have the opportunity to explore the indoor environment at their own pace. Children are encouraged to develop their gross motor skills naturally, in line with our RIE/Pikler- inspired philosophy. Excellent teacher to child ratio of 1:4.
Daily Routine
7:30 am: Free play in Toddlers Room
8:00 am: Infants move to Infants Room for free play exploration
9:00 am: Morning tea
9:30 am: Free play exploration inside and outside
11:00 am: Lunch
11:30 am: Free play exploration inside and outside
2:00 pm: Afternoon tea
2:30 pm: Free play exploration inside and outside
4.30 pm: Infants move into the Toddlers Room with the infant teachers
5:00 pm: Late snack offered
6:00 pm: Centre closes
We have a general room routine, but this is guided by your routines at home. We try to mirror your child’s home routine as much as possible in terms of bottles, sleeps, meals and awake time.
Toddlers Room
Our Toddlers Room has an amazing view over Wellington Harbour, the motorway and train line. Transport is an ongoing interest and the passing freight trains are an especially exciting time within our day. Children are invited to explore sand, water, dough, books, art and messy play, and participate in music and movement sessions. These play experiences support children’s expression of emotions and communication of ideas, which are two big concepts that toddlers are exploring. We encourage toddlers to develop their independence through putting away their dishes after kai time, wiping their own face and hands, and helping themselves to drinking water as they require it. There are opportunities for children to help teachers care for the environment and choose their own learning experiences. Excellent teacher to child ratio of 1:5.
Daily Routine
7:30 am: Centre opens
Free play exploration indoors (outdoor environment may be open depending on weather)
9:00 am: Morning tea
9:30 am: Free play exploration inside and outside
11:00 am: Lunch
11:30 am: Quiet time in preparation for sleeps
12:00 pm: Children begin moving into the sleep room for their rest (if needed children can rest earlier or later)
2:00 pm: Afternoon tea
2:30 pm: Free play exploration inside and outside
5:00 pm: Late snack offered
6:00 pm: Centre closes
Juniors Room
Children in the Juniors Room are advancing their skills in preparation for their future learning journey at school. Each day children are invited to work with others, prepare and serve their own kai, and participate in group time. Our ‘letter of the week’ programme supports children’s individual interest in the alphabet and numbers. We believe in guiding children’s learning at their own pace. Children have the opportunity to create their own artwork, build complex structures, tell stories, perform in front of their peers and role play scenarios from their wider world. We support early science learning by encouraging children to pose questions and explore the answers. Excellent teacher to child ratio of 1:10. We have an amazing enrichment programme that children begin when they are 4.5 years old. They have time with a teacher discussing school and are offered activities related to the letters in their name, beginning mathematical and science concepts that they will come across at school. Our children get so excited about this programme that they stay focused on their enrichment tasks over the entire morning, rather than just during the allocated session!
Daily Routine
7:30 am: Centre opens
Free play exploration (outdoor environment may be open during this time depending on weather)
9:45 am: Mat time (stories, songs, dancing)
10:00 am: Morning tea
10:30 am: Free play exploration inside and outside
Enrichment programme for 4.5 year olds begins
11:45 am: Mat time (stories, songs, dancing)
12:00 pm: Lunch time
12:30 pm: Children are offered a rest or sleep. Resting can be laying on their bed, reading stories, or engaging in quiet experiences such as puzzles and drawing
2:00 pm: Free play exploration inside and outside
2:45 pm: Mat time (stories, songs, dancing)
3:00 pm: Afternoon tea
3:30 pm: Free play exploration inside and outside
5:00 pm: Late snack offered
6:00 pm: Centre closes
