Pohutukawa Room

Preschool

Children are inventive, creative explorers who test theories and practice their developing social skills.

Pohutukawa children like to be cooperative and collaborate in order to solve problems, take risks and understand their place in the world. With a focus on building self-confidence and supporting children to become intrinsically motivated, we see our oldest children really begin to thrive by using their growing independence, creativity and imagination to support their own learning.

The Pohutukawa Room has dedicated spaces to cater for the differing ages and diverse aspects of the programme. This includes our Pukeko room where we run our specialised Transition to School Programme.

Our learning programme is a balance of structured group time and self-initiated play.

Your child will encounter many different concepts which increase their physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social development.

They will spend time in smaller groups with their teachers, to harness the richness of targeted learning outcomes.

The Pukeko group is a specialised programme aligned with the new entrant classroom. We know how important it is for children to have solid foundations and to feel comfortable and safe in their environment.

Our programme has been designed to support your child’s smooth transition to school.
During Pukeko group time, your child will participate in a variety of experiences based on the Early Childhood curriculum including language, maths, art, social, science and physical activities.

We are exceptionally proud of our Pukeko programme. Feedback from families and schools tell us that our children experience a positive and smooth transition to school and stand out as being Summerfield graduates.

Summerfield was part of our family for more than 7 years and although we’re sad that our journey has come to an end, we are so lucky to have had our children grow up in a centre surrounded by an amazing village of women that have nurtured, encouraged and helped our girls flourish into confident school starters – we couldn’t have done it without them, and we thank all of them for their time and all the laughs over the years.

Jason and Steph

We encourage your child to investigate, explore and make discoveries on their own.

Child: teacher ratios are well above the Ministry of Education requirements. This ensures a high level of care, interaction and education.

The 1:8 teaching ratio allows our experienced and qualified teachers to support and extend your child ’s learning. Our Pohutukawa teachers hold primary and early childhood teaching qualifications. They are rich in experience both individually and collectively.