Schools
Nursery
Our nursery is a place for both child and family to call their own. We encourage you to stay and play as long as you like while you get to know us.
Our calm, inviting space and low numbers (1 teacher: 3.5 children) ensures children have ample time to build meaningful relationships with their key teacher.
The day-to-day nursery programme changes depending on the individual child. Our experienced teachers get to know each child and understand when caregiving routines such as kai, bottle, sleep and nappy changes are necessary. These times encompass respectful practice where one-to-one responsive interactions in un-hurried time enable children to feel engaged and be part of the decision making.
Freedom of movement is an integral part of our practice. Children experience an environment where they are free to explore their bodies and practice moving without restraints such as high chairs and bouncers. We believe this is a key aspect of growing competent and confident explorers.
Each day our environment is prepared with new and exciting experiences for children to tinker with, challenge themselves, discover new concepts and build on their own special interests and strengths.
Preschool
Amberley Community Preschool caters for children aged 2 – 6 years. We have a spacious, purpose-built environment that inspires creativity and inquiry.
Our space welcomes up to 30 children per day and our teacher to child ratio is 1:6.5. These low ratios enable teachers to build meaningful relationships with children and their whanau and ensure each child’s individual routine is carried out in a respectful an unhurried way. This may include transitioning from their caregiver in the morning, kai, nappy changes and toilet training and sleep time.
We are passionate about providing a learning environment that reflects children’s current interests and abilities while challenging them to grow their ideas, skills and attitudes. Our free-play programme allows children unhurried time to explore the environment, negotiate relationships and build social and emotional competence. We love loose parts and open-ended play materials that promote imagination, curiosity and problem solving. Our skilled teachers use intentional teaching techniques to scaffold learning where necessary and provide extensions for children as they see fit.
Prep School
Amberley Community Prep School welcomes children aged 3 – 6 years and caters for a small group size of up to 20 children and 3 teachers. The Prep School programme builds on children’s independence and allows time and space for self-directed learning.
Our project-based environment challenges children to tinker, negotiate, problem solve, test their bodies, make mistakes and persevere. The Prep School teachers are passionate about providing one-on-one or small group times to work at projects that pertain to current interests and abilities.
The environment is prepared each day with experiences that support and nurture children's relationships. Resources are widely available for children to access as needed to build independence in their mahi.
We are passionate about ‘transition to school’ and work closely with our 8 feed-in schools in the district to create personalised pathways for children. Activities that assist children to prepare for school are threaded throughout free play and teacher led experiences.
Parent Handbook
Our parent handbook has been created with all the information you need to know about our centres:
- An in depth run down of each service- How to arrange a visit, enrolling your child and our transition process- Important policies- What to bring- Whether Preschool or Prep is the right fit for your child
Download Parent Handbook (3.9MB)
