"It Takes a Village to Raise a Child”

From Margaret Mead, as translated from an African proverb

The Village is an independent, long established early childhood education centre providing quality care and education for children from birth to five years.

Located in Bethlehem, Tauranga, The Village celebrates diversity and individuality while helping to prepare children to become contributing members within the global community. Relationships between children, carers, parents/whanau and the local community are a key focus of our programme, and we welcome family participation in all the children’s activities.

The Centre is divided into three areas to enhance our ability to cater to the needs of each age group and provide appropriate educational experiences for each child. Please click on Tots, Explorers and Preschool for a more detailed description of the programme for each area.

John Key Visit

Our qualified, experienced staff members provide a nurturing environment where children can explore their own interests and learn to become independent in preparation for school. Each area has an outdoor playground with activities designed to be both challenging and safe, and there is a large nature area that can be enjoyed by all. We encourage children to respect and care for their environment, and help to make them aware of ways to increase our sustainability through activities such as recycling and building a natural playground.

As reflected in our recent ERO report, The Village has a strong focus on all aspects of literacy, numeracy, science and the natural environment. Our Cool for School programme is run by primary trained teachers to ensure that children nearing school age are provided with the skills and confidence needed for a successful transition to school. These small group sessions focus on literacy, numeracy, social skills and a love of learning through fun and exploration. Younger Preschool children and the older children in Explorers participate in
programmes designed specifically for their developmental needs. Both programmes take a project style approach where children work alongside each other in areas that interest them, learning many of the skills involved in literacy, numeracy and science along the way. IT is used liberally throughout all these programmes to enhance learning. See our Videos for an example.

We often take our children for offsite excursions to the library, to see children’s shows in Tauranga, to nearby parks, or even to our local garden centre. The Bus Stop is right next door! There are also many special activities held at the Centre, including triathlons, Easter Egg Hunts, Disco parties, reptile exhibits and much more. Visit our Facebook Page or the Events section to see what we’ve been up to lately. Parents/whanau are always welcome to come by and join in the fun!

The Village offers flexible hours from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM to suit the needs of busy families. All three, four and five year-olds receive 20 hours free ECE with no requirement to attend additional paid hours. WINZ subsidies are available, and we are happy to help you apply for funding. We also offer a free, one week trial period with absolutely no further obligation.

We would love to introduce you and your family to The Village, so please feel free to contact us for more information or stop by anytime!

Regards
Claire Topping and the Team at The Village.