Henwood Kindy - Bell Block

Henwood Kindy opened in May 2010. Due to the high demand for our service we now have two kindy whare - Te Roopu Kereru and Te Roopu Kauri. Each whare have a roll of up to 25 tamariki/children per day. Our indoor and outdoor areas exceed regulatory requirements as do our teacher:child ratios. We strongly believe in the social, emotional and educational benefits of a smaller group size. Smaller group sizes enhances quality learning and well-being for all tamariki, whānau/families and kaiako/teachers.

Te Roopu Kereru and Te Roopu Kauri operate independently from each other, with a permanent teaching team in each. With 11 kaiako/teachers in total we have created a team that will provide a diverse network in which to construct professional dialogue and ideas; thus building a stronger foundation for tamariki learning. All of our permanently employed kaiako are fully qualified Early Childhood Educators with current teacher registration.

Our outdoor areas and gardens are large with spaces that encourage curiosity, creativity, innovation, and tamariki to be enthusiastic about their natural environment and their learning within it. The indoor areas are inviting and aesthetically pleasing with a wonderful selection of natural, recycled, sustainable and creative resources for tamariki to explore. We value uninterrupted, engaged, imaginative play as the catalyst for optimal learning for young tamariki.

Our animals and communal paddock are a big part of our kindy culture - tamariki recycle their food scraps to feed our rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens and worms. The tamariki, whānau and kaiako have developed the paddock into a very unique environment, it is wonderful space that is a communal area between the two kindys and for hosting whānau events. We are also very lucky to have occasional use of our neighbouring farm for outings.

Our Kindy van allows us to be involved in our community. Excursions are planned to incorporate the interests of tamariki, whānau, kaiako and what is happening in our wider community. Just the ride in the van creates enthusiasm and a real sense of belonging as we participate as a community. Whānau involvement is an integral part of our philosophy; we host several whānau evenings and fun events during the year and invite whānau to be involved in kindy in ways that are meaningful to them.