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Our Philosophy
At Busy Bees Grandview Road in Nawton, Hamilton,we embrace the beauty of diversity and proudly celebrate the richness of our multicultural community. Our inclusive environment honours every child’s unique background, helping them feel seen, heard, and deeply valued.
We are guided by the principles of tuakana-teina—a traditional Māori concept of reciprocal learning between older and younger peers—and whanaungatanga, which emphasises building meaningful relationships through shared experiences and connection. These values shape a warm, supportive space where tamariki (children) thrive in a sense of belonging.
In our early learning spaces you’ll discover thoughtfully designed environments filled with rich materials and engaging experiences. Here, learning is child-led and inspired by the natural curiosity of tamariki. Our passionate kaiako (teachers) skillfully support each child’s journey, encouraging exploration, discovery, and a love of lifelong learning.
Strong connections with whānau and our wider community are at the heart of what we do. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and we are honoured to be part of yours.
Come and experience a place where culture is celebrated, relationships matter, and every child is empowered to shine.
Passionate Teachers
Our high-quality staff are dedicated professionals who consistently prioritise the needs of the children above all else. When you walk through our doors, you can feel the energy, passion, and enthusiasm of the teaching team, who continuously engages in dialogue aimed at moving our early education centre forward and striving for best practices. Our passionate teachers embrace ongoing professional development, staying up to date with the latest research and educational strategies to provide the best learning experiences possible.
Strong Relationships
Strong relationships are at the heart of everything we do here at Busy Bees Grandview Road. Our friendly team create a warm and inviting atmosphere, ensuring that everyone who walks through our doors feels welcomed and valued. We believe in open communication, aroha (love), kindness, and empathy, and we foster a collaborative environment where parents, caregivers, and kaiako (teachers) work together to support each child's unique development. You’ll often hear teachers and children sharing laughs, and creating moments of joy. It’s these strong relationships that lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and success.
Our Environment
Welcome to Busy Bees Grandview Road. We love to have quiet, peaceful, beautiful environments, a space where children feel calm and nurtured. Children are surrounded with beautiful things. We take great pride in providing a safe and empowering environment for tamariki to learn and grow. Our centre features three classrooms specifically designed for different age groups, fostering tuakana-teina relationships and engaged tamariki. Our focus is empowering tamariki to direct their learning while ensuring they feel supported and safe. We offer diverse open-ended and natural resources to encourage teachable moments and create happy, learning-focused experiences.
PEPI 0-2 YEARS
We believe that the freedom to explore, and loving, respectful relationships are vital for infants and toddlers, so we are inspired by the Pikler and RIE philosophies.
Within these philosophies we believe in providing a high quality of early care for our children. Each child is connected with a primary caregiver who is responsible for all care routines while your child is with us. Care routines are part of the daily dance with our children.
TEINA 2-3 YEARS
Tuakana-Teina refers to the relationship between an older person and a younger person. This is a mentoring approach where experiences and knowledge are shared. We encourage our tuakana to be a support person for the teina and the teina gives the tuakana a chance to learn new things. As they continue in our care, toddlers develop strong relationships with all the adults in our space.
TUAKANA 3-6 YEARS
As children progress in their learning, we encourage our tuakana to be a support person for the teina and the teina gives the tuakana a chance to learn new things. Tuakana-Teina relationships are learner-centred in nature, by fostering and encouraging these relationships among our tamariki and adults we shift the balance of power in the learning environment away from the adults and towards learners.
In our tuakana room we believe in fostering strong, respectful relationships with the adults in our small team. As our children develop their sense of belonging in the world we support them as they work towards getting ready for school and the world beyond.
We believe that through nourishing food, children are fuelled to thrive physically and mentally, whilst enjoying the benefits of coming together and connecting as a group at mealtimes.
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea is lovingly prepared daily by our onsite cook. Our menus and recipes are dietitian-approved and have been thoughtfully designed using The Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award for Early Childhood Centres. Our fabulous centre cook provides food that is minimally processed, avoiding recipes that are high in added sugar, instead using fresh, real, and wholesome ingredients.
Plus our MOVE programme encourages children to build resilience, perseverance, and teamwork while they practice and master physical skills, making learning fun and fulfilling.
Our Curriculum
Our programme reflects the principles, goals and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki the New Zealand bi-cultural Early Childhood Curriculum. This curriculum covers the education and care of children from birth to school age and clearly reflects the concept of learning as a lifelong process that begins at the very start of life. Our teachers follow this to work alongside your child to plan and extend on their learning. This celebrates the uniqueness of each child and the value we hold in the contribution of family/whānau in their child’s learning.
Intentional Teaching
At Busy Bees Grandview Road, intentional teaching lies at the core of our educational approach. Our teachers carefully design well-thought-out provocations that actively engage children, ignite their curiosity and spark their desire to learn. Through a balance of child-led and teacher-led experiences, we provide opportunities for children to explore new ideas, engage in meaningful activities, and develop important skills. Our passionate teachers are skilled at questioning, encouraging, and praising children to extend their learning and deepen their understanding.
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