Footsteps is a Christian preschool for 45 two to five year-old children. 

It accepts any family in the community who would like their child to participate in a semi-structured programme within a Christian environment.  The centre is run by a church education trust.

Open:  Monday to Friday 8.00am - 3.45pm. Open during the school term breaks.

Minimum and Maximum Hours of Enrolment:  The minimum hours a child may attend per week are 6 and the maximum are  38 3/4 hours.

Address:  5 Grants Road, Papanui, Christchurch 8053

Online:  -

Children with Disabilities:   Physical access for wheel chairs is available to all areas of the centre, including basins, hand towels and self help choice of activities. Staff provide children with curriculum support when needed. Staff actively find ways to involve and encourage all children within the centre and no child is left out.

Children with Medical Conditions:  The centre checks with all parents at the time of enrolment time about allergies or any medical condition their child may have and these are noted for all staff to be aware of. If needed a staff member is assigned to one child at meal times or to be with a child personally at any part of the programme. Staff training to manage any extra special needs is sought by centre management when this is necessary.

Gifted and Talented Children and Children with Special Learning Needs:  The centre staff  identify quickly any child who is above or below average ability.  The centre has a higher than usual number of trained teachers to children. The teachers meet daily at the end of the day to review the day’s happenings and plan activities for further development of children’s interests and abilities. When a special need is identified that can’t be met within the centre, appropriate external services are contacted for advice or referral. Teachers discuss appropriate strategies, curriculum adjustments or creative ideas for individual children within the programme planning meetings.

Staff Gender:  All staff are women.  The centre also has a male youth worker who regularly visits for about an hour once a week.  The children love this and the staff do too, they say "It is good to have a good male role model, especially for our 4 year old boys!  He is a young guy and we find that it helps put some balance in the all female staff that we (and many centres) have".

Languages Spoken by Staff Fluently: English, Filipino,  Swahili, and Matabele

 Range of Different Qualifications held by Staff:

• Batchelor of Teaching and Learning (Early Childhood Education)
• Batchelor of Teaching (Early Childhood)
• Batchelor of Teaching (Secondary Education – Philippines qualification)
• Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood Education
• Certificate in Special Needs
• Certificate in Language and Culture
• Certificate in Bible foundation

Parent Say:  The centre is community based and have parent representatives as part of the management team.      

Grouping Practices:  Children are grouped according to age for group times.  Younger and older siblings mix freely throughout the rest of the day

Features Footsteps Christian Community Preschool Say They Are Proud Of: 

1. Our Children

• Children are happy, engaged and respectful of their environment and each other. Children at our preschool know they belong; this is their place, they are secure.
• Children at Footsteps are nurtured to grow in the love of God to help them become all that God would have them be.
• Our children have many opportunities to express themselves in their own individual way and they soon learn that whatever they have to share is always important to God and to their teachers.
• We have a great reputation with local schools because of our children’s high achievement level with their early literacy skills.

2. The Indoor Environment

• The warmth and Christian philosophy of our preschool is very obvious to all who walk into Footsteps.
• Although sometimes messy with busy children playing, our inside environment is bright, inspiring, inviting and child focused.

 3.  The Outdoor Environment

• Although on a main road and close to the centre of a busy city, we have a very expansive well-designed playground, which we have just upgraded.
• Because of the lovely space we have, we are able to set up challenging activities to develop children’s physical skills and self-confidence.