Centre Overview

Hillmorton NEST Early Learning Centre is located in an older style house which has been designed to offer warm, comfortable, home-like setting with a large well established garden. The centre is located in Tankerville Road. Hillmorton NEST Early Learning Centre is owned and operated by the licensee Sarah Forward with the support of the NESTS NZ group.Hillmorton NEST was set up with family values in mind. The Director Sarah Forward has had input in every aspect from the initial design, to setting the progamme and purchasing resources. This has meant the centre has been set up to meet the philosophy:

Nurturing children is vital if they are to grow to be healthy, happy individuals. Hillmorton NEST is a small centre with one licence which means babies, toddlers and young children are able to interact with each other which is particularly important for families with more than one child at the centre and for children without siblings.

Environmental factors are of utmost importance at Hillmorton NEST. We have a large backyard with a vegetable garden and fruit trees for children to harvest food and then prepare it into snacks. Although we have a large play area with fun climbing equipment, a sandpit and a small native bush area, we have regular excursions to Hoon Hay Park which is at the end of the road. Our indoor environment has been decorated to be homelike and restful for children while offering a variety of spaces and equipment to play. We have a separate enclosed sleep area for the babies.

Sustainable schools are about looking after our future by ensuring economic, social and environmental dimensions are in balance. The sustainability factor is considered with everything we do from recycling to sourcing equipment. We believe children learn by example and by modelling good practices they will be inspired to think about how to use our resources.

Teaching by well qualified practitioners is based on the Early childhood curriculum; Te Whāriki. Children are assigned a primary caregiver for the entire time they attend Hillmorton NEST. This teacher will liaise with parents to ensure integration between home and the centre. They also have a major input into the centre’s E-News and the child’s E-Portfolio.