About

Kia Ora, we are a community owned early learning centre, based in Timaru, New Zealand

Creative Corner Early Learning Centre is a long-established community-based service. Our Centre was initially established to meet the needs of people working in the State Sector in South Canterbury and is now open to everyone in the community. We provide full-day early childhood education and care for up to 50 tamariki from birth to six years of age. Our tamariki are cared for in two rooms, nga ruma Kākā for infants and toddlers (Under 2 years) and nga ruma Pūkeko for young children (2 to 6 years) Our kaiako are all passionate educators.  Most of our team are qualified and registered teachers, with our two other kaiako currently completing their study to become kaiako.

In February 2014 the Centre moved into a new purpose-built facility on the grounds of the Timaru Girls' High School. Here, children play and learn in spacious well-resourced areas. The outdoor area is constantly under development and there was a deliberate decision to include children’s ideas in how it will be designed.

We are a registered charity, governed by our Board of Trustees

Our Centre is governed by a Board of Trustees made up of  whānau of tamariki attending the Centre. The daily operation of the Centre is the responsibility of the  Centre Manager, Head Teachers and all the kaiako in the teaching team. The Board of Trustees meets monthly to develop and approve policy, set the strategic direction for the Centre, provides support and guidance to the Management team and ensures that the Centre is meeting the needs of the children attending and their families/whānau.

We are a registered charity, all donations received are Tax Deductible.

Charity name: Creative Corner Early Learning Centre
Number registration: CC22099
Status: Registered
Date registered 25/03/2008

At Creative Corner, we strive to create a warm and welcoming environment for tamariki and whanau. We strongly believe in the power of relationships and understand turangawaewae/a sense of belonging and connection is crucial to support a child’s well-being and learning journey.

We also place a great emphasis on caring for the environment, as we recognise the importance of sustainability and the impact our actions have on the world around us. We teach our tamariki to appreciate and respect nature, and to take responsibility for their actions and choices.

Finally, we believe that learning is a lifelong journey and that a passion for learning should be fostered from a young age. We provide a play-based learning environment that encourages exploration, creativity, and problem-solving, allowing our tamariki to develop a love for learning that will stay with them throughout their lives

Our learning priorities were developed in collaboration with our tamariki, whānau and kaiako and identify the key concepts that are prioritised in our learning environment.

 Our learning priorities embody the principles of the curriculum Te Whariki - He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa and honoour Te tiriti o Waitangi.

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Here at Creative Corner, we strive to provide quality care and education for your tamariki.  We know that lower teacher-child ratios in early childhood education (ECE) have several important benefits.

• Firstly, a lower ratio allows Kaiako to provide more individualised care and attention to each tamaiti.  This means we know your tamaiti extremely well, their special characteristics, their strengths, their learning goals, how to recognise and respond to their cues etc.
• Secondly, it means we can create a more nurturing and supportive environment, as our kaiako are better able to respond to the needs of each tamaiti.
• Additionally, lower ratios can enhance safety and supervision, reducing the risk of accidents or conflicts going unnoticed.

Overall, we know lover teacher-child ration in ECE contributes to a higher quality learning experience for young children.

 "Infants and toddlers are well supported by highly responsive teachers. They respectfully cater for individual needs, with a strong focus on wellbeing and belonging. The learning environment is thoughtfully designed to support their developing physical capabilities and curiosity. Transitions between rooms are well organised in consultation with parents" 

ERO Report 2023