Our curriculum is structured to your child's development stage
Our purpose built centre caters to all preschool age groups.
Our centre has three areas for children starting with:
Koru for tamariki up to 2 years old, Kowhai for 2 - 4 years old and Kauri for those 4- 6 years old.
Our Curriculum
Koru - up to 2 years old
We view pēpi as competent and confident learners and communicators, recognising their ability to contribute to and influence their surroundings. Manaakitanga underpins our learning environment, where relationships are nurtured and older pēpi are supported to show care and responsibility for younger tamariki.
Grace is our garden expert, and gardening is an integral part of our programme. Throughout the year, our pēpi engage in meaningful, hands-on experiences in the garden, fostering a sense of connection with the natural environment and supporting their understanding of the living world.
We encourage exploration, curiosity, and play as key ways pēpi learn about their world. Through these experiences, they are supported to develop working theories about how things work.
We acknowledge and respect that each child learns in their own way and develops at their own pace, within a responsive and inclusive environment.
Strong, respectful partnerships with whānau are central to our practice. We are committed to building trusting relationships that support the wellbeing, learning, and development of each pēpi.
“Infants and toddlers experience calm, nurturing and meaningful interactions with teachers who know them well.” ERO Report 2023
Kowhai - 2 to 4 Years old
Our programme encourages joy, independence, and self-help skills. We aim to support tamariki to become confident, capable, and self-assured learners who are developing a strong sense of responsibility and contribution within their learning community.
Music and movement are supported through our use of the Kids Music Company ECE resources. These experiences strengthen foundational skills, including coordination, rhythm, language development, and self-expression, while supporting tamariki wellbeing and enjoyment.
We work intentionally with tamariki to support the development of self-regulation and resilience. Through consistent routines, responsive relationships, and purposeful teaching practices, tamariki are supported to manage emotions, build confidence, and develop positive learning dispositions.
We view learning as a reciprocal and collaborative process. Kaiako, tamariki, and whānau are recognised as learners who learn alongside one another through shared experiences, partnerships, and meaningful interactions.
Our worm farm is an important part of our sustainability practices. Tamariki actively care for worms by feeding them daily, developing an understanding of kaitiakitanga and building respect for the natural world through hands-on experience.
Kauri - 4 - 6 Years old
Starting school is a significant milestone for tamariki and their whānau.
We work in partnership with parents and local schools, including Willow Park School, to support a smooth and confident transition to school when tamariki turn five.
Through strong relationships, shared communication, and thoughtful transition practices, we aim to ensure each child feels secure, capable, and ready for this next step.
Each day, tamariki experience a balance of small and large group learning opportunities, supporting collaboration, communication, and individual strengths within a supportive learning community.
Kapa Haka and physical activity are valued parts of our programme. Kapa Haka supports tamariki to develop a sense of identity, belonging, and cultural pride. We also engage Sports4Tots, who leads weekly football skills sessions in our gym, promoting physical wellbeing, coordination, and teamwork.
Regular visits to the ngahere/bush provides rich opportunities for exploration and inquiry. These experiences support tamariki/children to develop working theories about the natural world, including native birds and trees, and foster respect and care for the environment through hands-on learning.
Shared reading with kaiako is a valued part of our daily routine. We provide a wide range of high-quality picture books, including fiction, poetry, reference, and instructional texts, in a variety of languages. These experiences support language development, creativity, imagination, and a love of literacy.
Literacy, mathematics, science, and the arts are intentionally and skillfully woven into open-ended, uninterrupted play. Kaiako/Teachers create responsive learning environments that recognise tamariki as capable learners and support learning that is meaningful and child-led. An example of this is our weekly baking, which enables tamariki to have hands-on engagement in real-life mathematics, literacy, and science as they measure ingredients, follow recipes, and observe changes during the baking process.
To further develop gross motor skills and play in our curriculum, we provide our preschoolers with a weekly Sport for Tots lesson. These are designed for children to have a go, have fun and learn new skills. Please go to www.sports4tots.co.nz for more information.
Food, Nutrition and Allergies
Our Centre uses Nurture Kids Catering for all of our delicious, fresh, nutritional meals. Please let us know if your child has any allergies, intolerances or cultural preferences for individually tailored meals and snacks. https://www.nurturekids.co.nz
Educational Review Office Report 2023
Children at the centre are curious, eager learners. They experience a peaceful, unhurried curriculum in a well-resourced and accessible learning environment. Children direct their own learning and sustain their play for long periods of time. Teachers’ inclusive practices support children to respect and value each other.
Infants and toddlers experience calm, nurturing and meaningful interactions with teachers who know them well. Teachers working with these younger children intentionally prompt and foster their confidence and independence. Infants’ and toddlers’ oral language development is skilfully supported by teachers.
Teachers skilfully include te reo Māori and aspects of tikanga Māori into the daily curriculum. Their culturally responsive practices contribute to children’s growing understanding of respect for other cultures.
Trusting and respectful learning-focused partnerships between children, parents/whānau and teachers are evident. The teaching team provides many opportunities for parents to share information about children’s learning and progress. Strong links between children’s homes and their experiences at the service are highly evident and contribute to children’s continuity of learning.
High quality assessment practices show teachers have a deep understanding of children and their learning outcomes. Teachers skilfully plan to extend children’s interests and capabilities. The progression of children’s learning over time is aligned with parent-identified and child-focused learning outcomes, as well as with children’s interests. These effective practices contribute to meaningful learning partnerships with families.
Children are well prepared to transition to school. Successful transitions are supported by effective partnerships between whānau, the service and local schools. The service’s active engagement as part of the Northcote Kāhui Ako | Community of Learning has strengthened their links with the wider education community. This networking has had a significant impact on teachers’ continuing focus on providing high quality and equitable learning outcomes for children.
The centre manager provides well-considered and effective leadership. A high level of relational trust is evident. Effective systems and processes guide the service’s operation. Ongoing high quality internal evaluation ensures that there is a strong focus on continuous improvement. An external mentor, the use of innovative digital technologies and purposeful professional learning for teachers have contributed to significant and positive shifts in teaching practice.
Read the full report here: ERO REPORT
Storypark Online Learning Portfolio
& Profile books
We use Storypark to help involve you in your child’s learning. With Storypark you can:
Share and communicate privately with your child’s teachers and centre staff
View and share photos, videos and observations of your child’s learning
Begin a record of your child’s life that you can access anytime.
As well as documenting learning on Storypark, your child will leave with their very own profile book which will be used to document moments of your child’s time at NBCP, and even snippets of their artwork. The children love reading and sharing these special books, and they are a wonderful keepsake for whānau.
