At Oratia Kindergarten children engage with the natural world, exploring the wonders, respecting it’s rythms and developing a love for learning and community, through a play based, emmergent curriculum.

Whanaungatanga | Belonging – Our tamariki and whānau have a strong sense of belonging to our kindergarten. Every child is valued as an individual, supported and encouraged to grow alongside each other. We acknowledge and celebrate our diversity, learning together and from each other, grounded in the principles of connection, unity, care and exploration. Our open door policy, and strong partnership with Orātia Area School support our strong sense of community.

Local Focus – We are building a strong localised curriculum by partnering with parents, whānau and community members.This helps us to tailor learning experiences to the context of our community, incorporating local knowledge, culture, and resources. Learning with a local lens increases relevance for children and helps build a stronger sense of identity and belonging.

Learning through Play – Through child-led play, children discover, explore and make sense of the world around them. It’s at the heart of our teaching and learning approach, fostering creativity, problem-solving and positive feelings towards learning. Kaiako plan and teach intentionally to extend and scaffold children’s intrinsic learning urges.

A Proud Enviroschool – Through kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and rangatiratanga (leadership, autonomy in decision making) we teach the importance of caring for our environment and the world around us. We encourage children to be mindful stewards of nature, undertanding that their actions can positively impact the planet. Enviroschools, Garden to Table and Sustainable Schools programmes are key stakeholders and supporters in our kaupapa.

Our Values – We have 8 core values that guide our kindy kaupapa, which our tamariki, whānau and kaiako developed in partnership. To be: Kind; Respectful; Responsible; Helpful; Safe; Resourceful; Curious; and have fun.

We welcome children from 2 to 6 years old and offer 20hrs free Early Childhood Education for all ages. Come and visit us we’d love to show you our amazing kindergarten and all we have to offer.