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Children’s best learning and memories take place in relationship with adults who matter and in nature. That’s why, at Kakapo Creek we have taken special care to maintain consistent, long term caregivers so that the child-teacher relationship is optimised. We’ve also designed an environment that is rich in nature including our native farm forest school. Evidence shows that a childhood rich in nature is beneficial for children’s academic and social outcomes.
At Kakapo Creek, children spend time every day in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities, closely connected to teachers who know them and their family. Our teachers encourage a sense of wonder and delight in our children ensuring that their natural curiosity, joy and energy is nurtured.
Kakapo Creek offers a sensible blend of planned, intentional teaching and learning alongside ample periods of free play. Our days have structure with flexibility and our teachers create individual learning plans for each child. These plans are shared with parents and their feedback is invited. We use the New Zealand Te Whaariki framework as our curriculum while also drawing on the international teaching and experience our teachers bring to our centre.
Each and every day children are invited to join in learning opportunities including:
We provide excellent teacher:child ratios above and beyond MOE requirements to ensure our teachers have time to build quality relationships with each child. All our classroom teachers work a 5 day week so that they are there when your child needs them.
At Kakapo Creek:
0-2 years old have an average ratio of 1:3
2-3 year olds have an average ratio of 1:6
3-5 year olds have an average ratio of 1:8
Our School Readiness Group – Tuakana – meets four times a week for our older children to have small group learning to prepare them for school with a deeper focus on literacy, numeracy, soft skills and self help skills needed also.
Come for a visit to see for yourself why Kakapo Creek is not only different, it’s better.
Children’s best learning and memories take place outdoors in nature – nature is our second best teacher (parents of course are our first and best teacher). That’s why, at Kakapo Creek we have taken special care to design and maintain an environment that is rich in nature. Children spend time every day exploring and learning in our mini forest / bush. We have planted our gardens especially to enhance children’s knowledge and experience of NZ flora and fauna. So expect your child to come home explaining to you how to make fire from Mahoe and how you can eat Kawakawa. And yes, we even make huts in the bush and on special occasions, like Matariki, we light fires under close supervision.
Our playground is made from natural eco-sourced up cycled timbers.
At Kakapo Creek children are surrounded by nature both within the classrooms and without. Every room allows children to be connected to nature and is well ventilated. Nature is like a learning medicine that ignites creativity, curiosity, discovery. Bugs, trees, flowers, leaves and our creeks eels, fish and ducks all create an interest in learning for a child. Every classroom has abundant fresh air, sunshine and natural timbers. We are generously resourced with the best learning and play equipment available. Children have access to both indoors and outdoors all day.
Our native grass roof adds to the immersion in nature from every space a child is in while our courtyard (“Nga Hau e wha” – where the four winds gather) provides connection between all our classrooms.
Children have an abundant choice of outdoor play areas – bush, courtyard, sandpit, grassy hill . . .
Our native grass roof adds to the immersion in nature from every space a child is in while our courtyard (“Nga Hau e wha” – where the four winds gather) provides connection between all our classrooms.
Meet Mr Eric. He’s one of our next door neighbours and a retired builder. He’s just one of our specialist itinerant teachers that visit to enhance children’s learning and development.
To provide an enriched learning environment we invite specialist teachers to come each week to extend our children’s experiences. A seasonal selection of specialists include, but are not limited to sport teachers, art teachers, retired builders, and music specialists, STEM specialists. Children look forward to these sessions and engage in amazing, fun learning opportunities.
We use a phonics reading program and an integrated numeracy program in teaching literacy and maths skills.
No child is forced to learn and teachers carefully watch for signs of interest in these concepts and encourage each individual child as they are ready.
Most learning takes place through incidental play and conversations, while our dedicated school readiness program works with children nearing school age.
Once a week Kakapo Creek Children are invited to go on an excursion to our Northern Campus – a day spent at our exclusive 1.2ha Farm School in Silverdale.
Here children explore our one acre bush, care for and learn about our animals – chickens, sheep, fish, and grow vegetables in our glass house and walled vegetable garden and pick organic fruit from our orchard.
Children will be able to roam and explore our native bush and roll down grassy hills. This one day a week farm school is in addition to our frequent exploration walks to the local playground and Mairangi Bay beach.
Note: our Farm School program is only for children over the age of three and is an optional extra with additional charges.
Kakapo Creek has four classrooms. Two classrooms form our nursery and consist of an under two’s room with a 1:3 ratio and a 2-3 year old classroom with a 1:6 ratio. The two other classrooms are mixed age and are for children aged 3-6 with a 1:8 ratio.
We have deliberately chosen mixed age, family styled preschool classrooms for our three to six year olds in order to enhance and promote optimal social, emotional and academic development in children. Numerous scientifically validated studies support mixed age classrooms as preferable over classrooms with a narrow age group. This is more natural and promotes harmonious relationships between children and adults, while reducing the number of transitions thereby allowing children to remain with the same classroom and teachers for their preschool years. We are dedicated to evidence based practice and this is one of many areas where evidence is strong. We have a 1:8 ratio for children aged 3-5 years.
The very best way to see how this model works is to come and visit us. We invite you to book a tour to come and experience Kakapo Creek with your child.
To read more about this we have provided some links to academic papers and articles:
Benefits of Mixed Age Groups in an Early Childhood Setting
Because we understand the importance of a child’s first 1000 days children are placed with a key caregiver who will remain with them for their under three’s journey with us. Attachment relationships are vital to optimal development in children and having consistent nurturing care develops a sense of safety and trust – an emotional state vital for learning can occur.
Because younger children need greater care, protection and ratios we provide separate care for children aged 0-2 and 2-3. Our under twos are placed in a specialist under two year old classroom that is the best fit for their unique personality and maturity levels. We have an average ratio of 1:3 for our children aged under two years of age.
Our under two year olds have a separate outdoor play area that they use throughout their day. In addition, opportunities are given each day to mix with older children for family time such sandpit and outdoor play. This provides our under twos with a perfect blend of specialist infant-toddler care and mixed age play where they can be in touch with their older siblings and learn from older children too. It also gives them confidence when they move to an older classroom – they know their way around and feel at home in the larger spaces.
When children turn two they are gradually transitioned WITH a TEACHER from their infant classroom into our 2-3 year old room. A teacher they know moves classrooms with them to ensure continuity of care and relationships. In 2025 we will have a ratio of 1:6 for our children aged 2-3 years of age.
Two year olds share their outdoor play space with our older preschoolers. This provides our two year olds with a perfect blend of specialist toddler care and mixed age play where they can be in touch with their older siblings and learn from older children too.
Mixed age classrooms are shown to be far superior to the single aged classrooms that are what you will find in typical early childhood centres allowing for children to develop and explore at their own pace.
Don’t be afraid that your child will miss out on attention! Consistent caregivers means that the teachers grow to genuinely know you and your child over several years of relationship building. Being known is a key to feeling safe and loved. At Kakapo Creek our teachers genuinely know and love their children and families because they spend so much time with them. The resources in our classrooms are carefully chosen to be safe for all ages and yet stimulating enough for a wide variety of interests.
We use consistent caregivers so there is no jolting change on a child’s birthday. Research shows that this is best for children’s emotional and social development.
While we do accept children under the age of one, this is in exceptional circumstances. We prefer to enrol only children aged one and over for reasons of parental attachment and child wellbeing.
Children may be enrolled school hours or long day – see our Fees page for further details.
Privately owned and operated by Ian & Kaye McKean, Kakapo Creek is designed using the very best evidence based family research, incorporating attachment theory and neuroscience.
09 410 2181
Monday – Friday
7:30am – 5:30pm
409 – 411 Beach Rd,
Mairangi Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
