Our Learning Programme
Our Curriculum
Our learning programme is based on Te Whāriki , New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum.
To make your child's introduction to learning and formal education fun and enjoyable we use a mixture of structured and play based learning incorporating as much nature guided learning as possible. Each child’s learning journey will be guided by their child's natural abilities and interests.
As caregivers you will be kept up to date and be able to contribute to your child's progress and learning through Storypark - a learning application. This is also how we will share information, newsletters and updates.
Our Child Ratios
Our Operating Hours
We are open from 7.30am - 5.30pm weekdays and closed on public holidays. Enrolment is offered on a weekly basis for a minimum booking of 6.5 hours and require two days per week. If you haven't already the best way to enrol is through our website, if you have any questions please email or phone us.
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Settling in
We want our tamariki to settle in and feel welcomed at Little Ferns as quickly as possible so we work closely with caregivers and offer settling in visits prior to attending. It doesn't take long before they feel confident and excited about coming to the Little Ferns.
For settling, we encourage 3-6 visits prior to their first day usually over 1-2 weeks. The first few visits will be one hour long, with you staying with your child as they explore their new surroundings as well as taking the opportunity to discuss your child's routines, development and personality.
From the third visit onwards, we recommend these to be about two to three hours long, and we encourage you to leave your child with us for that time.
For our oldest children, we have implemented a transition to school programme: He Ara ki te Kura - A Pathway to School. This programme aims to support our oldest tamariki as they prepare for the important transition to kura/school.
Through He Ara ki te Kura, we focus on developing key foundational skills - social, emotional, cognitive, and physical, that help set children up for success as they take their next big step into the school environment.
This initiative is a consistent part of our daily rhythm for our older Ponga tamariki and includes a range of age-appropriate learning experiences that foster independence, confidence, early literacy and numeracy, and self-help skills. The programme has been thoughtfully crafted to be both engaging and meaningful, honouring the individual strengths and interests of each child.
FAQ
What to bring
We take care of as much as we can for families that attend the centre but please bring along a few changes of clothes and a wet bag, a water bottle, sunhat, any milk and bottles required, and a cuddly if needed for sleep. We take care of food, nappies, wipes and sunblock. We also ask if you could please apply sunblock before or as you drop your child off, in case they scoot outside as soon as they arrive.
Absences
Please phone or email the centre as soon as possible if your child is going to be absent for the day.
Sickness
Please phone to advise the centre if your child is unwell and has constant or coloured discharge from the eyes, ears, or nose, fever, rash, persistent cough or strep throat, vomiting or diarrhoea within the last 48 hours. Any other diseases as outlined by the Ministry of Health guidelines.
If your child develops any of these symptoms while at Little Ferns, they will be considered infectious and will be isolated and you will be contacted to come and collect your child. They can return as per our Centre Health Policy with guidance from Ministry of Health Infectious Illness Guidelines and/or after a Doctor has given them a Medical Certificate stating they are fine to return to the centre.
We strive to empower our tamariki to be resilient life-long learners by nurturing ourselves, each other and the environment through kindness