Did you find what you were looking for?
If not, please let us know so we can improve our information for other parents
Early Discoveries Manurewa is a well-established centre for 3 to 6 year olds, that feels like a home away from home. We provide breakfast for children, and have a fully equipped kitchen. We aim to help all of our tamariki be school ready, and will help parents and whānau participate in this journey.
| Monday | 9:00am - 3:00pm |
| Tuesday | 9:00am - 3:00pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00am - 3:00pm |
| Thursday | 9:00am - 3:00pm |
| Friday | 9:00am - 3:00pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Te Whāriki
Yes
80%
50
4
50
1:6
We like to get to know you and your child well. We love to discover exactly what you and your child hope to get out of preschool, then work together with you to achieve your goals. We find out what your child is interested in and we teach around these interests. If you want, there are lots of different ways you can get involved with your child's learning, like coming on trips. We offer parent and whānau hui on topics that help and support your whole whānau.
We create a fun learning place for children to grow and thrive in. Making learning fun is so important for young children. We know they learn best through play with others. We offer all sorts of different learning opportunities each day to build their skills for school and life long learning. We have great places for making friends.
Our trained staff are all first aid certified and give every child the time and attention they need. Teachers encourage children to share, to take turns and work through things together. Our buildings and playgrounds are designed for safety first. We have teachers’ assistants that work throughout the day keeping our spaces safe and clean. Each evening we have commercial cleaners visit to ensure we start the next day fresh and clean.
Not well placed
Requires further development
Well placed
Very well placed
Early Discoveries is a well-established early childhood centre catering for fifty children. Located in a residential area of Manurewa, the centre offers full day education and care from 9am to 3pm for children from three to six years of age. The centre caters for a diverse community. Many children speak more than one language and several staff are also bilingual, sharing the children’s cultures and languages.
Several staff members are new to the service, which continues to be led by very experienced early childhood teachers. This centre has a sister centre located nearby in Weymouth. The centre managers and teachers across the services work closely together sharing management systems, knowledge and expertise.
Early Discoveries now offers 30 free hours of education to children as part of its strong commitment to supporting families and their children’s education. Parents are welcome to join the management committee, contributing to the centre’s decision making. They are also warmly encouraged to stay in the centre and participate in the programme with their tamariki.
The centre’s philosophy includes a strong emphasis on Christian values and inclusion. This centre has a silver Enviroschools award reflecting their significant commitment over eight years in promoting environmental education and sustainability. They are now working towards a gold award.
Children are happy and confidently engage in the programme. They have established genuine friendships with teachers and their peers. Children’s wellbeing and sense of belonging are nurtured through positive interactions, respectful relationships and good care routines.
There is a purposeful, active atmosphere in the centre. Relationships between teachers, children and families are welcoming, warm and contribute to the centre’s inclusive culture. Teachers are actively involved with children, working alongside them and supporting their play.
Teachers know children well, respond to parents’ aspirations and use this knowledge to promote opportunities for authentic learning activities. Children develop early literacy and mathematics concepts through their play. Transitions into the centre and on to school are well supported.
The programme includes opportunities for children to sustain their learning and use open-ended resources. The well-resourced outdoor areas provide good opportunities for physical and imaginative play. Children have good access to a range of equipment that supports their play choices and decisions about their learning. Continuing to review the impact of routines, including meal and mat times, could offer further opportunities for children to revisit their learning.
Teachers’ awareness and use of te reo and tikanga Māori is evident through use of mihi, karakia and waiata through the programme. They have a strategic plan in place to continue to strengthen the bicultural curriculum. Teachers have goals to continue to implement te reo Māori. They also promote te ao Māori through their environmental kaupapa.
A new curriculum planning approach is being thoughtfully implemented to respond to children's group and individual interests. The aim to extend children’s learning is worthwhile. As the new teaching team work together to evaluate the success and the positive outcomes for children, leaders are well placed to further support teachers to enhance children’s exploration and communication.
Individual children’s assessment is also strengthening through a new ‘kaitiaki’ approach where a teacher takes responsibility for a child, noticing their progress and successes. Children’s learning portfolios are attractive records of their engagement in the programme.
Centre management make very good use of additional Ministry of Education funding to enable families and children to participate together in centre learning experiences. Teachers value and welcome whānau contributions alongside opportunities to learn together in a wide variety of cultural celebrations.
The centre management has recently joined with the Ministry of Education in an initiative to help improve children's oral language. They are taking a very proactive approach and providing leadership in responding to children's learning requirements in their service.
Centre managers have maintained and enhanced the centre’s leadership and management strengths from the 2012 ERO review. Effective management systems are very evident. The centre manager's flexible and responsive approach helps create a positive working environment.
Relevant and well-chosen professional development effectively supports staff development. Performance management has been reviewed and improved to provide teachers with a clear structure with expectations to meet practising teacher requirements.
A thoughtful and well documented strategic plan guides centre improvement. Centre managers are well placed to continue to refine strategic plans using indicators to evaluate how well the service improves outcomes for children. Plans are clearly focussed on improving children’s learning.
| Latest | https://www.ero.govt.nz/review-reports/early-discoveries-centre-inc-17-05-2016/ |
|---|---|
| Past |
Coming soon
If not, please let us know so we can improve our information for other parents