“The child is at the heart of the matter”

The foundation of Little Buddies Learning Centre is centered around the child and their learning. We will provide all children with a calm and peaceful environment where they can have fun, play and learn. Our approach to education for our young Tamariki is based on the foundation of the principles, strands and goals laid out in the Te Whariki.

Filled with wonder and joy each child should have an environment where they can explore uninterrupted both in the indoor and outdoor areas. Free access to stimulating resources for children is extremely important as this is the way for them to be the owner of their own learning journey.

We believe that when children are provided with unstructured, child-driven and unexpected opportunities of play settings, they have a chance to discover more about themselves and others. This also allows them to grow their skills and learn to interact in a constructive way as well as build relationships and resilience. This resilience will allow the child to have the capacity to rebound from adversity stronger and be more resourceful.

The role of an educator is not to instruct a child on what to do, instead is to observe the child and allow them to experiment in their own way, making mistakes and finding new solutions. The teacher will encourage the child to pursue interests by focusing on what the child enjoys and create an environment of learning while the teacher observes. While focusing on their holistic development the teacher will help them build their empathy, tolerance and trust towards others in the face of adversity.

It is important to create awareness and educate the children about their impact on the environment. We will incorporate environmental education into daily routines and encourage practices where the children have an appreciation for their natural environment providing a platform for ongoing new learning.

A child’s whanau is extremely important in their development and we will build a partnership with the parents and whanau, working together to achieve their aspiration for their children, whilst encouraging them to participate actively. Each whanau also brings in their own cultural perspective adding to the diverse culture of our centre where we respect everyone. In order to protect and encourage participation we will celebrate their first language, cultural values and traditions within the centre. This is also our commitment to the principle embedded into the Treaty Waitangi to protect our bi-cultural and multi-cultural community.

Transition is always about change. Adjusting to change is a major experience in a child’s life and so we aim to make every single transition as smooth as possible for children and parents. This will also have a special emphasis on transition to school for our young learners so that they continue to be positive lifelong learners who are positive and confident towards change.