ABC Mayfield  

ABC Mayfield in Blenheim provides a fun and safe environment that offers quality early childhood education and care. We believe that children learn best through positive relationships, play and fun, so we provide a large interactive playground with lots of excellent resources and support and guidance from our dedicated teachers. Your child will have great experiences while they are learning and growing with us.

Active learning - As teachers, our role is to nurture children as active learners by building on their strengths, interests, dispositions and skills. We do this by providing experiences and an environment that supports and connects their learning and play. This in turn nurtures their developing confidence, independence and social skills as they develop skills for smooth transition to school.

Individual support - We’re big on whanau and actively encourage you to join us in your child’s learning.  We understand that all children are unique and learn and develop at their own pace.  Children are encouraged to set the pace for their learning and we support them with their own goals and challenges. We respect their choices and encourage them to respect the environment and each other. Children develop good social skills to support the building of friendships and an understanding of how people work together in a community.  We have Key Teachers for each child who is your key point of contact. Your child’s Key Teacher is responsible for planning for a small group of children to ensure your child’s learning is supported and extended.

Sense of belonging - As well as our strong relationships with families, we also encourage tuakana/teina relationships within our tamariki. This is where a mixed age range of children support each other to learn and develop (tukana-teina relationships)– fantastic for siblings! We believe in the rich learning and sense of belonging that comes from offering an environment that reflects the diverse cultures of the community we are a part of. Our community is represented by many cultures and we welcome the diversity, sharing and learning about others. We go on  regular excursions in community with children. As well as having fun and learning they are also able to reflect on what is around them and get a sense of belonging within their wider community.

Ready for school - Children are encouraged to develop self-help skills enabling them to become confident in all areas of the curriculum. Literacy and numeracy are part of our everyday programme. This supports children to become independent learners as they explore technology, books, games, speaking and listening activities and the natural world around them. We have an extension room where the four year old children can participate in a planned learning session to extend their current knowledge and interests.  This gives the children an introduction to the structure they will face when they move to primary school (the other children also use this room to extend their play). The children have an edible garden where they grow food, not just kai for themselves but kai for their community as well. Find out more about BestStart’s unique Be School Ready initiative.

Learning spaces - We have a calm, home-like atmosphere with resources specific for children as they learn and grow. Our family corner is large and has lots of real resources for the children to extend their imagination and make sense of their world through dramatic play. We have a large playground which supports physical play and active exploration. We offer nutritious morning and afternoon teas and the children bring their own lunch boxes – a useful skill for school.