The magic word
"The magic word for Childspace is L O V E !" It’s not only our anthem, it perfectly reflects our approach – where a seemingly musical experience of singing a song is taken as an opportunity to weave in elements of literacy and promote a sense of well-being and belonging.
Tuakana-Teina
We are passionate about the learning opportunities we provide in a mixed aged group environment. Younger children are organically extended by more knowledgeable peers who role model and scaffold their learning. The reciprocal benefit for our older children being the perception of themselves as leaders capable of teaching and looking out for others.
Confident communicators
It is said that “reading and writing float on a sea of talk”. It’s through the words children know and use that they are able to think, have ideas, and make sense of their world and their lives. Central to the success of our literacy programme is the oral sharing of stories, where children learn that their ideas and thoughts are valued and of interest to others. The 'learning dispositions' fostered by this structured experience go on to enrich children in a wide range of areas.
Learning-focused culture
Children learn through their own interests and play. However, we firmly believe our role as educators is to open a child’s world to new experiences and discover new ideas and new interest too. A day at Childspace is the perfect balance! Teacher planned experiences are playful and engaging but always underpinned by learning goals for individuals, and curriculum goals for the wider group. Children’s daily interests form our emergent curriculum, where teachers skilfully recognise and respond to the teachable moments in child-led play, exploration and enquiry.