Henderson Kindergarten is situated right next to the Opanuku Reserve, offering an enriching and stimulating learning experience for children. Our goal is to create an environment where children can learn and thrive, happily. We have a large outdoor natural setting that encourages children’s curiosity and independence and provides them with an opportunity to explore a range of interests. Our approach to learning is based on the idea of play, where children can explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in imaginative and playful ways.

A Place to Belong – At our centre, we take pride in providing a safe and nurturing environment where every child can learn confidently and at their own pace. Children here feel a true sense of belonging, settling in quickly and building positive relationships with both their peers and teachers. Our caring and capable staff work to support each child’s interests and help them pursue and develop their passions. We welcome children ages 2-5, who play and learn together, fostering cooperation and implementing Māori concepts such as Ako and Tuakana-Teina.

Home and Kindy Connections – Our team highly values the contributions of families and whānau and encourages their active involvement regularly. We make sure to document and incorporate family aspirations for their child in their learning journey and encourage them at every step. Furthermore, we seek family and whānau input in various kindergarten events, including fundraising. We love to collaborate with the families of our little ones to provide them with the support they need, tailored to their unique requirements.

Ready for School – We help children with a smooth transition to school by ensuring they have developed essential skills for life. We feed into a range of local schools in our area and many of our children have gone on to attend these schools with confidence.

Our kaiako – We are a multicultural community and our staff languages include English, Chinese and Tagalog. In addition, the teaching team all have a sound knowledge of Te Reo Maori to ensure we deliver bicultural learning programmes based on the Te Whāriki curriculum. Our kaiako are skilled in implementing the Incredible Years Teacher Programme which supports young children with self-regulation and their social, emotional and academic competence.