BestStart Fendalton

In the Nursery we are inspired by the RIE Pickler philosophy. We strongly believe in freedom of movement, where no babies are put into positions they can’t get into themselves. Our practice is guided by respectful relationships where interactions and care routines are slow and unhurried, inviting our babies and toddlers to participate in these.

We have a primary care system and new tamariki are allocated a primary care kaiako before their first visit. That kaiako will be right there with whanau and tamariki, working on developing a strong relationship with them, supporting them as they transition into the centre, planning for their learning, carrying out care routines, nurturing their roots.

Experiences and the environment are intentionally set up to encourage our toddlers to actively explore, challenge themselves physically, and develop independence.

Once tamariki roots are firmly established and intertwined their trunk begins to strengthen they grow into leaders of their own learning and branch out, exploring the remaining areas of the curriculum.

We nurture this by building a love of learning amongst our tamariki, observing each individual’s dispositions and interests and providing resources and experiences that extend on learning through them. We know we have achieved this when tamariki leave our centre with curiosity, independence, and a strong sense of themselves as a valued member of a group.

The star of the show in our preschool space is by far our large outdoor environment with beautiful well established trees that provide lots of shade in the summer. We also have a giant sandpit with space for plenty of tamariki to dig, build, and create in. Tamariki have plenty of space to actively explore and refine their gross motor skills. We have a range of outdoor equipment for all ages to be able to challenge themselves physically and take safe risks. Loose parts are provided in our outdoor space so tamariki have the opportunity to use their imagination and express their own thoughts and ideas through their play.

Set for School Programme

At BestStart Fendalton our kaiako Cherill leads our Set for School programme each day for our tamariki aged 4 and over.

During this time tamariki engage in a range of activities and experiences that support them in developing the following skills and knowledge in order to prepare them for their transition to school:

• Early literacy skills - foundation skills for reading & writing
• Early numeracy & mathematics skills
• Curiosity & creativity through art, science & technology
• Motor skills
• Social emotional skills
• Learner confidence