Kia ora!

Kia ora!

I’m Cath, Centre Manager for Te Puna Oraka Early Learning Centre. I can't wait to welcome your family into our community, and the Barnardos whānau.

About this centre

Te Puna Oraka Early Learning Centre is a safe, nurturing and welcoming environment with spacious areas to stimulate and develop your child’s natural curiosities.

  • Our spacious outdoor area has a deck area, swings, slides, climbing rope, a new bike track and our very own playhouse!
  • Indoors, your child will be inspired and stimulated by our rich array of play-based experiences and resources.
  • We embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of every child that walks through our doors.
  • Te Korowai Mokopuna - This is a wonderful program that offers proactive wraparound support for families, aiming to prevent challenging situations and connect them with additional services as needed.

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Terms and conditions:

  • Up to 6 hours per day, for new enrolments only

  • Must be booked for a minimum of 30 hours

  • Must complete a WINZ Childcare Assistance Application Form as part of enrolment forms.

     

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Flexible hours

Open 8:00am-4:30pm with part or full day options

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0–6 years

Individualised support, guidance and resources

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Affordable fees

30 hours no charge, up to 6 hours per day. T&Cs apply.

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BYO lunch box

Fresh fruit provided at morning and afternoon kai time

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Large outdoors

Safe, spacious and fun outdoor environments that cater to learning needs of children aged 0-2 years and 3-5 years

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Expertise and knowledge

Registered ECE Teachers. Social Services available for whānau. Experienced in early learning for 50 years

More about us

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Staff who nurture and inspire

Our qualified and experienced teachers are committed to caring for and nurturing your child. They build a strong connection with each child throughout their early learning journey and go out of their way to ensure every child feels supported and their unique needs are met. 

Our teachers create positive opportunities for your child to develop physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. They help guide your child as they navigate new friendships, master new skills and build independence and resilience to get ready for school and lay the foundations for lifelong learning.

Engaging environment

Our happy and nurturing environment will inspire, stimulate and empower your child to learn in their own unique way. The outdoor spaces challenge and excite the imagination, while our spacious and light filled indoor areas offer room for reading, rest, and engaging indoor learning experiences. Our children love painting, waiata and the many natural play areas they have to discover.

Connecting with the outdoors

We only know who we are, by knowing where we come from. That's why building a strong connection with nature and our local community is so important. We believe it helps your child develop a sense of belonging and identity and positively influences their learning experiences.

We're so lucky to have so many wonderful options on our doorstep here in Christchurch. We grow our own vegetable and herbs in our garden and go on local community walks and outings.

Nutrition and wellbeing

We encourage healthy eating habits. This centre is BYO lunchbox. The children love being involved and we use the vegetables and herbs we grow, in our baking.

We also provide:

  • Fruit 
  • water all day

Our centre is nut free and we're happy to cater for any allergy or other dietary requirements as required.

Fees and subsidies

We want to make your child's early learning and care experience as affordable as possible. We are a not for profit organisation, so everything we do goes back into supporting your child, the centre and our community. 

Our fees include:

  • Quality education, care and activities provided by our team of teachers 
  • Fruit snacks

 

Did you know you may eligible for fee and ECE subsidies? Talk to our Centre Manager for further information.

 

What's happening

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Learning through play

Our team of teachers are guided by Te Whariki – NZ’s Early Childhood Curriculum. They work closely with your child and respond to their unique curiosities by creating an environment that is reflective of each child's needs.

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Connecting with whānau

Our whole community benefits from families and whanau being involved in our centre and their children's learning. Connecting with you via Storypark and celebrating festivals are just some of the ways we include families and whānau.

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Community Connection

From growing their own veggies and herbs in our veggie patch to local excursions in the community, we constantly look for ways for your child to explore the connection between their community, their environment and themselves.

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Stay in touch with Storypark

We use Storypark to record and communicate learning as it happens via photos, video, audio and observations within a secure online environment. Parents and whānau can receive instant feedback and plan new ways to extend their child’s unique interests and abilities. 

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Testimonials

“James loves it there. He’s bonded with the teachers really well. It makes him happy, which makes me happy.”

Fiona Te Puna Oraka

“They're so friendly, community orientated. Always treat the tamariki with care and respect as they also do with parents. Kind of feels like another family.”

Karina Te Puna Oraka

“Such a caring environment with lots of different learning experiences staff always keep us well informed of everything going on with our child and about the centre.”

Renee Te Puna Oraka
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