Reports
stimulating and secure
environment
high ratio of qualified staff to children
excellent resources & environment
27A Garden Road, Fendalton
Christchurch 8001
Phone: 03 355 4502
Fairleigh operates a free play or self-choice programme, in which the adults set out the type of equipment and materials which they think best stimulate the all-round development of children, but where the children choose where they would like to play. It is generally agreed that young children are learning largely through their senses, their activities, their explorations and their interactions. This involves testing, discovering, exploring, experimenting and skill, repetition, effort and persistence.
Not only have staff selected appropriate equipment and materials, they also have set the limits, such as not permitting a child to deliberately hurt another or damage equipment. They also provide within these limits the warmth of their caring, the understanding of what the child requires to reach the next stage of development and the reinforcement to develop the child's learning. Within this, staff also foster children's social development by giving children strategies and skills to play co-operatively with other children.
Children who are given plenty of time to play, learn to ask their own questions and work out their own answers. They are responsible for their own learning. They see themselves as explorers, discoverers, problem solvers and inventors.
Staff base the programme at Fairleigh around children's interests and needs, within Te Whaariki (Early Childhood Curriculum) guidelines.
During each session, children will be in a free-play situation for the first hour. This enables children to choose and fully explore their environment and range of play areas, as well as developing their social skills in play with other children. Following this, for approximately 20 - 30 minutes (age appropriate) children all come together for a waiata, followed by a group session where children are divided into small groups of a similar age for music and movement, rhymes, puppets, finger plays and stories. Group time fosters listening, turn taking and language development.
You are welcome to join your child for the greeting and waiata and are requested to have a coffee break with a staff member while your child attends the remainder of group time.
We also have a transition to school group, who have the opportunity to focus on numeracy, literacy, concepts and fine motor skills.
We finish each session with a final mat time, for the purpose of settling children before going home.
Craft will be placed in child's locker prior to the session ending, and paintings are collected from the labelled painting box in the locker area.
In order to encourage turntaking and language opportunities, each week several morning children will be advised that it will be their turn for Show and Tell on the following Friday. This occurs at the usual 10 am group time. As a reminder we will place a note in the communication pockets or locker's for your convenience. Any item of interest to the child eg. Nature, photos, books etc are welcome. Toys are discouraged.
Each child will have an allocated staff member responsible for consulting
with you regarding your child's development. You will be given informal feedback
following a session, should there be anything you need to know regarding your
child's day. Feel free to approach a staff member at any time if you have
any questions or concerns.