Our curriculum is based on Te Whāriki – the New Zealand Early Childhood Education Curriculum.
Curriculum Areas
Our curriculum is split into three rooms and includes stimulating and well planned activities to support each child’s learning at each stage. There is a good balance between education and play. Our activities include play (creative, manipulative, physical, dramatic, theatrical, water, social, and extended), science, maths, reading books, storytelling, construction, cultural activities, life skills, character development, music, dance, performing arts, information technology, and lots more. Activities are managed according to each stage of development through lots of supervision from well qualified and experience staff. A holistic approach allows for learning opportunities to occur naturally for each child in every activity and development is focused around individual interests.
Assessment
Each child’s development is monitored closely and collected in a variety of ways thorough assessment strategies. Learning portfolios are put together by teachers which document how each child learns over the year. Opportunities are provided for parents and whānau to meet with teachers to view and discuss their portfolios – we welcome any feedback from parents concerning their child’s learning.
Portfolios may also be available on-line with each parent’s permission through Story Park. They are a great way to keep up to date with what your child has been up to at Bumblebees. You can log into the secure platform from wherever you are in the world and see what’s been happening in their day, view photos, videos and comment on their activities.
(under 2’s)
Our Mānuka Room for under two-year olds is a safe haven for our youngest tamariki/children who deserve responsive and trusting relationships with warm, sensitive and emotionally nurturing teachers/kaiako. We practice with a gently and respectful approach and promote free movement to allow children to explore at their own pace.
Our room is a calm, safe and predictable environment where our youngest tamariki can thrive. We aim to support a sense of their own identity, a sense of mana whenua (belonging) and tūrangawaewae (a place to stand).
At Bumblebees, we believe that our youngest tamariki deserve a space that caters to the needs of each unique personality, therefore we provide a holistic, fun and inviting learning environment. We are child let and aim to evoke curiosity and build resilience with kaiako that adjust to the rhythm of each child.
Given the right environment a child will flourish. We are guided by the kaupapa of AKO where we are on the learning journey together, grounded in whanaungatanga whereby family and relationships are at the heart of our practise. We value manaakitanga where we respect each other and our rich learning environment.
(2 – 3 year old’s)
In the Harakeke Room, our toddlers get to spend their time exploring their environment and their bodies to make sense of the world around them in our home away from home environment. Toddlers need a learning environment that caters to the needs of their energetic and on-the-move characteristics, therefore our teachers are committed to ensuring that the learning environment encourages active exploration and opportunities to develop their own ideas and working theories. Teachers in the Harakeke Room are dedicated to supporting children with social interaction and developing resilience – helping children to cope with change and challenges, and also supporting the transitional phases between each learning environment.
The Harakeke Room offers children a secure environment and programme that provides both challenges and predictable learning opportunities. Our teachers are responsive and attuned to the spontaneity and pace of toddlers, and understand that they learn with their whole body, therefore they are dedicated in providing learning opportunities that allow toddlers to try to do things for themselves and encouraging them to take safe risks.
At this age, toddlers may still need time to rest, so we offer a nap time after the lunch routine to ensure our children can recharge their batteries.
(Pre-schoolers)
In the Kōwhai Room, we view each child as an individual who is unique and special in their own way. We believe that each child learns, grows and develops at their own pace and the teachers support and recognise children’s specific needs.
The Kowhai Room teachers are passionate about providing a stimulating, age appropriate environment that is rich in literacy. As teachers, we want to support and prepare our pre-schoolers as best as we possibly can to make a smooth transition to school, which is why we really encourage children’s self-help skills and independence.
We feel that it is important that children feel confident, can take risks, share their ideas and feelings and ask questions. We want our children to know that making mistakes or not always having the correct answer is a part of the learning journey. By building on children’s social skills and resilience, they will then learn to be better equipped to deal with disappointments, change, challenges and transitions.
We provide a happy, fun and safe learning environment where each child feels valued. Children learn through play and our programme planning is based on children’s interests. Our aim is for children to view themselves as confident, competent learners who explore and make their own discoveries.
