Ōwairaka · Puketāpapa
Every child is precious like a pearl.
Not-for-profit, community established childcare centres — a warm, nurturing, safe and affordable home-like environment for children 6 months to 5 years in Ōwairaka / Mt Albert and Puketāpapa / Mt Roskill.
Why pearls
No two are alike, and none of it is hurried. It is the closest thing we know to how a child grows here — a little at a time, in the care of people who know them well.
Every child comes to us already themselves — their whānau, their language, their way of seeing the day. We start there, not with a programme.
Days of play, kai shared, a kaiako who notices. Nothing dramatic on its own; everything, gathered over years, is what learning turns out to be.
A child who leaves us settled, curious and sure of themselves. That is the whole of the work, and it belongs to the family first.
Learning through play
We recognise the importance of play, using spontaneous and planned moments to build on a child’s existing knowledge and skills. Our programmes are guided by Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, and in our infant room by the Pikler and RIE approaches and the schema concept.
Food made on site
A full-time on-site chef cooks for the children — hot meals at lunchtime, fresh baking in the mornings and afternoons, and fresh and dried fruit through the day. We take part in the Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Award and our menu follows their guidelines; ask to see the menu when you visit.
Education is a partnership between whānau and the centre. We celebrate that through parent-teacher meetings, family whānau days, dinners and seminars — and ngā hononga, relationships, are the key to quality education.
Where we are
Weekdays, 7.30am to 5.30pm. Children 6 months to 5 years. Come and see us — get in touch to arrange a visit.
