At Somerville Kindergarten we are passionate about providing tamariki (children) with a bicultural curriculum that recognises and celebrates that each person is unique and comes to us with a kete of knowledge, culture and experience.

Our values – Tamariki and whānau (family) are at the heart of what we do and our whanaungatanga (relationships) anchors their sense of belonging. With a culture of manaakitanga (kindness) and aroha (love), we fill our tamariki emotional and social kete which fosters meaningful play and enriches authentic learning.

Immersive environment – We provide a beautiful homely environment that is welcoming, safe, secure, and purposely prepared for tamariki to have a home away from home. We believe that the environment is the third teacher, and we are passionate about fostering a warm and inviting environment that facilitates authentic play.

Learning through play – Our play-based kindergarten is underpinned by Te Whāriki (2017), an emergent curriculum with open-ended resources that empowers tamariki and allows them to immerse themselves in rich play experiences. When tamariki have autonomy over their play they become the creators and contributors of their learning journeys.

Sustainable futures – We support tamariki to engage and become kaitiaki (leaders) of papatuānuku (earth) and develop sustainable practices. We strive to embed Tikanga values throughout the programme to uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We work alongside tamariki to increase our proficiency in the use of te reo throughout the programme. Our kaiako are skilled in implementing the Incredible Years Teacher Programme which supports young children with self-regulation and their social and emotional competence.