This service is jointly owned and worked in by 3 highly experienced teachers:  Sue Ballantyne, Robyn Houliston, and Russell Ballantyne.  Along with a dedicated staff they care for 48 children from 0 – 5 years of age in one of Dunedin’s fabulously large restored old buildings with an extensive outdoor playground area.

Open:  Monday to Friday 7.30am-5.30pm. Open during the school term breaks.

Minimum and Maximum Hours of Enrolment:  The minimum hours a child may attend per week are 30 and the maximum are 50 hours.

Address:  89 Stafford Streeet,  Dunedin

Online:  http://www.earlychildhoodonstafford.co.nz/

Children with Disabilities:  The teaching team supports families in setting their child into the centre.  Support from social agencies is utilised when required.  The centre is inclusive of all children.  Staff believe that all children have challenges and can aspire to great achievement with sensitive support and importantly encouragement.

Children with Medical Conditions:  As above for children with disabilities.  Children with medical conditions are welcomed and supported.  Attention towards the child is focussed on the child and the child’s growth and learning, and not on their condition.

Gifted and Talented Children:  Early Childhood on Stafford plan for all children and use the skills and experiences of staff to cater for a very wide variety of interests and abilities.  Excursions with their van, tuition with staff who are skilled in music, art, science, maths , literacy,  drama and physical challenge all enhance learning for children at this centre.  The centre has an interactive white board which is used regularly for promotion of numeracy, literacy and music.  Two staff are employed who are qualified to teach children at the primary school level and they are available to provide for children’s further learning.

Children with Special Learning Needs:  The staff act sensitively to children’s personal learning needs whilst encouraging an array of experiences that will provide base skills and knowledge to build from.  They communicate frequently with parents to ensure children have play experiences that will develop the important fundamental learning patterns critical for later development

Staff Gender:  This is a unique centre as most early childhood centres employ only women or perhaps just one male teacher.   Early Childhood on Stafford has 3 men on a staff of 14.

Languages Spoken by Staff Fluently:  English, Samoan, Maori (and the language of sports – staff are keen on a variety of sports)

Range of Different Qualifications held by Staff:

• Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood Education
• Batchelor of Arts
• NZFKU Kindergarten Diploma
• Batchelor of Education (Teaching )  0 – 8 years
• Batchelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood
• Diploma of Fine Arts

Parent Say:  The centre is honest about the extent that parents can be involved in decisions on its management and the importance of parental support in making any changes. It is a private business and the financial and legal risks remain solely in the hands of the three directors. They are responsive to parents as without them the directors recognise that a service can not exist. When any change looks necessary the directors first meet face-to-face with parents and explain the reasons why (usually financial) a change is needed. They talk with parents to identify the challenges that the centre faces and have found that by sharing such information and enabling parents to be fully informed that they support change and support management to make any necessary change.

Grouping Practices:  Early Childhood on Stafford have under two’s and over twos in separate rooms, but outside children of all ages mix and play together. An inside room for under-two’s is especially designed to provide safe crawling and toddling space.  There is a separate space outside for crawlers and infants who are not mobile to ensure their safety. The centre believes that at times children also need a bit of personal space and therefore provide a large property with lots of room for children to both work together and separately if they wish. Outside the older children are often seen playing and working with younger children, learning empathy, responsibility and leadership. The younger children learn by observing the older children and very quickly want to involve themselves in more challenging and exciting experiences.  

Features Early Childhood on Stafford Say They Are Proud Of: 

1. Our Children

• Our centre has been described to us as a place that is very much like a large family where adults and children freely relate to one another with confidence and humour.
• Our children are very confident and skilled learners who will be leaders in later life.

2. The Indoor Environment

• We have a large indoor area that is split into two rooms for the different age groups.
• We are very well resourced and the interactive white board opens up a whole range of technological opportunities for our children to master. 

3.  The Outdoor Environment

• We have a large play space on three levels encased with very large trees that provides a natural environment for children to learn in. 
• We have a man-made stream that meanders across our playground that encourages children to work with water at their very own level and pace.
• Our children have a range of physical challenges to meet through the use of ropes, swings and undulating services that develop the vestibular system.