EARLY LEARNING
FOR LIFE’S LITTLE
ADVENTURERS

Welcome to Little Discoverers, we are a privately family owned and operated centre who wishes to support and teach our children/tamariki within our community.

Preschooler looking through cardboard binoculars

Our Centre

We are licenced for 44 children, 34 over 2’s & 10 under 2’s, we have a health and wellbeing educator on site that caters for all the children’s dietary requirements each day. This includes morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea.

We have a level of high relational trust between leaders and teachers and prioritising teacher wellbeing, contributes to a positive work environment. This fosters staff retention and supports positive outcomes for children.

Our opening ours are:
Monday to Friday 7.30am – 5.30pm with 100% qualified teachers.

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About Us

We are situated in Hillcrest, Hamilton East, and we aspire to have our children/tamariki out into the community every fortnight for excursions within our community to extend on their learning journey.

We also extend our contact with the local primary schools to help ensure when your child/tamariki reaches the age of 4 years of age they are preparing to school ready.

Governance is important focused for us as owners, with a clear vision and strategic goals that foster ongoing improvement and growth. Those in governance enact a range of equity initiaatives to ensure children and their whānau are well supported and that contribute to positive educational and social outcomes.

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Our Philosophy

The philosophy is underpinned by whanaungatanga, reflecting Te tirit o Waitangi, promoting curiosity and encouragaing learning for children at their own level and pace. Our Philosophy at Little Discoverers is based on the holistic way in which the tamariki learn, our approach to education for our young tamariki is founded on the principals, strands and goals laid out in Te whariki in our early Childhood Curriculum. We foster an emergent curriculum which tamariki develop play and social skills to help them become competent and confident learners. We also recognize that family and community are essential to learning and development, with every child situated within the ECE setting but also the home, whanau, community, and beyond. LEARN, At Little Discoverers we provide an environment that is a safe and secure place where each child is treated with respect and diversity is valued. All children need to know that they are accepted for who they are and that they can make a difference. EMBRACE, We embrace the values and all that is embedded with Tiriti o Waitangi within our teaching and learning program. We believe that biculturalism must be integrated within our teaching and learning program, by supporting and encouraging Māori learners. We believe through recognizing this unique identity, language and culture, they can achieve education success as Māori learners. CREATE At Little Discoverers we have created an environment that brings consistency and continuity. This is because we believe that children need consistency and continuity, especially at times of transition. A foundation of remembered and anticipated people, place, things and experiences will give them the confidence to engage successfully in new settings. DISCOVER To treat all children/tamariki with respect and to take them on a journey that will develop these little adventures, to discover, explore, play & conquer in their own world. WHANAU We strongly believe that parent-teacher collaboration is key in successful education experience. We provide an open-door policy where parents/caregivers/whanau are encouraged and welcome to discuss issues regarding their child and Centre in a respectful and honest manner.