Our Approach
Our Approach to Early Education
“My husband and I created our first Centre over 25 years ago...
we wanted to provide our own children with something above and beyond what was on offer elsewhere,
where children would be provided with opportunities to thrive in inspiring, educational environments. We wanted children to tumble out of their parent’s cars every morning in expectation of what each new day would bring.”
Our Mission
To create and constantly refine an educational culture that; values and promotes diversity in learning, recognises and adapts to individual learning needs, maximises natural enthusiasm to learn, allows individual capacity to be exercised, provides challenges that allow talents to be show-cased, and constantly asks... not how intelligent are our tamariki, but how are each of our tamariki intelligent?
Our Vision
- To create a supportive, synergistic community of learners that hosts a culture focusing on diverse attributes of intelligence.
- To broaden our Whanau insight into their children’s ability to thrive as an individual learner.
- To restore the disjunction that exists between how education works in the world and how the world works around us.
- To approach education innovatively and open the possibilities for new ways of learning to best cater to the ever-diversifying needs and capacities of our Tamariki.
(Note: Our educational mission and vision is inspired by Sir Ken Robinson's forward-thinking approach to Education)
Our Core Values
- Creativity — through freedom of choice
- Acceptance - supporting diversity
- Respect - through co-operation and compromise
- Empowerment - creating independence
- Success - resulting from a diverse and flexible educational culture
Our Philosophy
At WanaExcel, we provide opportunities for children to learn through real life experiences. We believe the best learning happens in a happy, safe, supportive and well-resourced environment.
Children at WanaExcel will:
- Be healthy and safe as they learn to take increasing responsibility for the wellbeing of themselves, others and their immediate and wider environment
- Focus on and develop cognitive and fine motor skills through exposure to stimulating activities
- Express and explore working theories, problem solving endeavours and experimentation
- Develop basic concepts of communication and social interactions
- Discover first experiences of self-expression
- Engage in daily activities that encourage critical thought and creativity to build confidence and self-esteem
- Develop co-operation and compromise as key components of social learning as they engage in different experiences with their peers
- Develop self-discipline, independence and be highly motivated learners
- Develop a love for learning through dramatic play, creative arts, language, sensory exploration and much more
WanaExcel creates and continuously refines a diverse educational culture that provides a flexible, positive environment catering to, and nurturing all individual needs, cultures and learning styles. All tamariki are encouraged to become fully involved in challenging and extending their knowledge through the wide and varied opportunities on offer in preparation for life experiences to come.
Children’s individuality is noticed, assessed and responded to in curriculum development with the goal of building and establishing sense of belonging and learner identity; allowing independent learning to develop and thrive. These assessment for learning practices are shared regularly with
parents and whanau allowing their active involvement, and empowerment as partners in their child's learning journey.
It is WanaExcel's responsibility to advocate for children through meaningful interactions, sound decision making and effective assessment, planning and curriculum development and execution. We strive to understand and uphold the true unique heritage of Te Reo and Tikanga Maori and this is evident in our teaching practice and throughout daily interactions in promoting bicultural development and understanding.
WanaExcel values quality transitions into, within and from our learning community. We strongly believe in the importance of all children developing a true love for learning during their time with us and graduating with the skills, knowledge, confidence and independence that allow them to excel in the next stage of their learning journey.
