About us

The Early Learning Centre is situated alongside the Prep School at King’s School (Years 1 – 2). It is here that the foundation for all future learning, self confidence and independence is developing.  Boys start with us from the age of 4 years (or late 3 years).

In the King's School environment the Early Learning Centre boys are offered many 'outside of the classroom' opportunities including music, swimming, games, Chapel and visiting local amenities such as the Remuera library.  Boys also use the King's extensive grounds for exploration and discovery - allowing boys to be boys!

Our aim is for the boys in the Early Learning Centre to develop confidence to effectively communicate their needs; to have strategies to seek help; to be able to manage their own lunch box and belongings; to have an understanding of keeping themselves safe.

The King's Early Learning Centre provides an environment where children:

• Feel safe and secure
• Have positive experiences to develop a healthy self-esteem
• Have connecting links with family and the wider world
• Be affirmed as individuals
• Know the limits and boundaries of acceptable behaviour
• Have play that is valued as meaningful learning and learn the importance of spontaneous play
• Develop non-verbal and verbal communication skills for a range of purposes
• Learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning
• Develop different ways to be creative and expressive
• Have consistent, but flexible routines
• Have programmes that are exciting and promote optimal learning
• Be in an environment where literacy and numeracy are important

Our philosophy

The Early Learning Centre's planned programmes are based on Te Whariki (the national childhood curriculum) and the belief that children learn best through play - the natural activity of early childhood.  Learning and development is fostered through children's experiences so that optimal learning can take place.

Our practices and programmes recognise that all children are capable and competent learners who need space and opportunity to explore, experiment and take risks.  At the King's School Early Learning Centre this is most evident in the ways that teachers follow the boy's interests, support them to 'do' for themselves, challenge thinking and aim to creat aesthetic, inspiring and wondrous learning spaces that encourage the boys to express themselves and explore in a variety of ways.

We believe that the boys and families attending the Early Learning Centre need to feel a strong sense of belonging, not only to the centre, but also to the greater school environment.  In particular, the boys having a strong sense of belonging will enable them to feel confident to take risks and to know they can achieve in an emotionally and physically safe environment.

We see communication, authentic conversations and having a language-rich setting as being a key part to the ongoing development and education of the boys. These aspects we believe will help provide them with the tools to be able to express themselves clearly and to share their ideas.  To be creative, innovative and enterprising thinkers and to be curious, inquiring and open-minded. These are the tools they will need for tomorrow's world.