Your local early learning centre in Papakura

• Opening hours that meet the needs of your whānau, 7.30am – 5.30pm Mon – Fri 
• YES! We are open during the school holidays. 
• Children from 2 years to school age welcome 
• Up to 30 hours FREE* for children 3 years and over 
• Affordable fees of only $6 per hour 
• Nutritious meals provided through KidsCan 
• Pick-up/drop-off van service available*  
• Experienced and passionate team of fully qualified and registered teachers 
• Attractive and spacious indoor and outdoor learning environment 
• We offer a variety of enrolment options 
• Proud to be an Enviroschool
  *limited spaces, conditions apply 

We are a lovely, newly refurbished early learning centre on the corner of Harper Street and Settlement Road in Papakura. 

What makes us unique? 

We provide opportunities for children to explore, discover, create, and imagine by providing innovative learning experiences in our wonderful indoor and outdoor learning environments. Our amazing playground is large enough to contain many native trees to give us natural shade and fresh air. We love harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables from our several fruit trees and kitchen garden that our children lovingly nurture through regular watering and removal of weeds. We also work together with KidsCan to provide a nutritious morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea for each child. 

We are a play-based, child-led kura and believe that each child is an individual. As educators, we value and develop each child's strengths, interests, skills, abilities, and knowledge to extend their learning. Our passionate and dedicated team work together in nurturing each child's growth and education and upholding manaakitanga with our tamariki, whānau, and community.  

We are a culturally rich and diverse early learning centre. Our respect for individual differences underlies all that we do. We design a local curriculum based on whānau aspirations that reflects the values and extends the richness of the diversity of our children, staff, and families. We support smooth transitions, be it from home to the centre or vice versa. We work hard to ensure that all our tamariki feel a sense of belonging and that our centre is their home away from home. 

Reuse, reduce, and recycle! We are part of the Enviroschools programme.  

Settlement Road Early Learning is part of Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association, a not-for-profit organisation. 

Our Programme

We are a strong believer of 'nurturing comes before learning'. Our centre curriculum is based on a child-initiated play-based environment that fosters self-confidence, trust, creativity, autonomy, and acceptance of individual differences.  

Our curriculum is built upon:  

• Trusting, respectful, nurturing relationships between children and their kaiako  
• Kaiako working as a facilitator  
• A play-based, hands-on, active learning environment 

Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, underpins our curriculum alongside parents and whanau aspirations for their children. We work in partnership to provide the best possible outcomes and experiences for individual children as we prepare them for their lifelong learning journey. It encompasses the cultural heritage of both partners to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

We are an Enviroschool

We are proud to be part of the Enviroschools kaupapa.

The Enviroschools programme supports children and young people to plan, design and implement sustainability actions that are important to them and their communities. 

The programme provides pathways from early childhood through primary, intermediate, and secondary school and beyond. Through our collaborative approach of building strong relationships and sharing information, we are growing a collective puna mātauranga or pool of knowledge.