Our Childspace Karori centre provides high quality care and education for infants and toddlers in a nurturing, respectful environment.
We are located at 81 Old Karori Road and cater for both part and full time spaces.
The centre is licensed for 22 infants and toddlers per day, and has a team of 7 teachers.
We also have a centre kai creator (cook) who spends her days preparing nutritious and tasty meals for all of the children.
The teachers at Childspace Karori have been inspired by the work of Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber. They strongly believe in providing a peaceful child-centered approach, cherishing and respecting children’s individual interests and routine. Complimenting this, each child has a key teacher.
The key teaching system provides children with the comfort of knowing a familiar adult is close by and fully present, sensitively observing their cues and gestures for both care and play needs.
Our different spaces are designed to empower infants and toddlers through free movement and floor time for infants and to meet the specific developmental needs of toddlers.
Our outdoor area provides a safe but challenging environment for infants and toddlers to explore.
We offer an innovative programme which celebrates individual children’s interests and strengths in their journey of learning and development. Each child has a ‘discovery book’ with stories about their interests and development.
We also use an online system, Educa, which is a great way to share stories and photos between teachers and whanau.
Our families are guaranteed a place at Childspace Wilton around their second birthday. The Wilton centre is a very short drive from Karori.
The key teachers at Karori and Wilton ensure there is a smooth, thoughtful and gradual process in place for the children and their families when they transition.
Our centre has ‘parent conversations’ twice each year.
These are special times when parents are invited to come and meet with their child’s key teacher for an uninterrupted chat.
They share stories about their child and the teachers respond with a written summary of each child’s individual learning and development in the centre over the previous six months.
Parents are also welcome to attend workshops provided by the teaching team at Karori, our early childhood institute or by outside speakers.
These workshops provide new knowledge for families and support parents in areas that are of current interest.
So far we have had workshops such as, food & nutrition, self-regulation, child behaviour, fathering, ukulele and much more!
You are welcome to come and visit us at an arranged time. Please contact our centre manager, Sarah to do so. Looking forward to meeting you.
Meet our dedicated team of caring and professional specialists, who strive to provide the best possible service for you and your children.
Kia ora, my name is Sarah and I am the Kaiwhakahaere/Centre Manager at Childspace Karori.
I studied at Victoria University of Wellington and graduated in 2015 with a conjoint degree of a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education. I’ve recently started postgraduate study through Te Rito Maioha New Zealand, working towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Infant and Toddler Learning and Development. I believe that respectful care and education for our infants and toddlers should be at the centre of everything that we do and I’m passionate about building trusting, reciprocal relationships with our tamariki and their whānau.
I grew up living throughout New Zealand and also spent time living overseas as a child; but I’m a Wellington girl at heart. I love to travel, and am always on the lookout for new places to jet off to. In my spare time I enjoy catching up with friends and family, exploring coffee spots around Wellington and walking the many hills.
Kia ora, I am Jaya Sapna. I joined the ranks of fully registered teachers after finishing my degree in Early Childhood Education from Victoria University of Wellington in 2018. I firmly believe in the pedagogy of Ako - a Maori concept which means reciprocal learning and acknowledging the way that new knowledge and understanding can grow out of shared learning experiences. Therefore, I quite enjoy working alongside kaiako (teachers) and tamariki (children) to facilitate a shared learning environment.
My strengths come from whanaugatanga (a sense of family connections and kinship) - learning from children and adults alike, and from teachings on the lines of the Theorist Vygotsky, who believed in learning from a more knowledgeable other.
I have been working in the ECE teaching space for over six years now and bring with myself a wealth of exposure from over two dozen day care centres across the Wellington region. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking, doing mantra meditation and going on spiritual retreats with my husband, Mukesh and our two boys, Hrshikesh and DeepKrsna.
Kia ora, ko Shay toku igoa. I am excited to start my teaching journey here at Childspace Karori after completing my Bachelor of Education (teaching) Early Childhood Education in 2021 at Victoria University of Wellington. I was born in Auckland where I spent the first few years of my life before my whānau moved to Wellington, and I have not left since! In my spare time I enjoy reading, skateboarding, and going to the gym. My passion for teaching children began after volunteering for various school holiday programs for children while I was in high school. My love for learning led me to try different pathways of education at university before finding my passion in Early Childhood Education. The core of my teaching focuses on building warm and trusting relationships with tamariki and their whānau. What I love most about working with infants and toddlers is being able to observe and celebrating all their small achievements that lead to their bigger milestones.
Kia ora e te whānau, ko Erin Shanley tōku ingoa. I’m so excited to be joining the Childspace whānau after relocating from Hamilton. I’ve been working alongside tamariki for 12 years, starting off as a nanny both in Hamilton and London before coming home to do my Bachelor in teaching, ECE, through WINTEC. Whanaungatanga (fostering relationships) and manaakitanga (nurture and care) are values I hold close to my heart both as a kaiako and in my personal life, with relationships, respect and care holding the foundation to support whānau and community to thrive. It’s such a privilege to be welcomed into the lives of tamariki as they unfold who they are and step into the potential with which they were born. I am Hamilton born and bred, and was lucky enough to spend a lot of my childhood on my aunt and uncle’s farm in Wharepuhunga. I love to be outdoors, hiking and getting out to see our beautiful country. I’m also a self-proclaimed nerd with never ending curiosity, another passion I love to spark in the lives of the tamariki I learn alongside, embracing the beautiful chaos of being human in an ever changing world.
Kia ora, I am in my third and final year of study at Te Rito Maioha studying a Bachelor of Teaching (ECE). I have loved working with tamariki for most of my life. I decided I wanted to teach as a career during intermediate school. I love supporting tamariki to learn new things and encouraging them through their interests. I am interested in arts and crafts and exploring the outdoors.
Tēnā koutou katoa, Ki te taha o tōku pāpā, nō Ingarangi ōku tūpuna, Ki te taha o tōku māmā, nō Kānata ōku tūpuna, I tupu ōko mātua ki Rotorua, I whānau ahau ki Heretaunga, Ko Ōhāriu tōku kainga, Ko Adam tōku hoa rangatira, Ko Caitlin tōku tamāhine, Ko Lauren Ryan tōku ingoa, Ko ahau te Tumuaki o Childspace.
Kia ora! I am Lauren, previously the centre manager of our Karori centre I took on the role of Principal at Childspace Early Learning Centres in 2019 as I returned from maternity leave with my little girl who attends Childspace Ngaio.
I was first captured by early childhood education in 2006, when I was a volunteer at a Nursery in England, and it has been my passion ever since. I returned to New Zealand to gain my qualification and completed my Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood in 2009, and my Master of Education in 2015, both through Victoria University of Wellington. I have always had a love for learning, and joy that can found through learning no matter what age you are. Since becoming a parent myself I also have a strong dedication to ensuring our communities can enhance the mana of whānau surrounding children. I have always had a particular enthusiasm for teaching infants and toddlers due to the important and fascinating learning that takes place for this age group. I am inspired by Emmi Pikler's approach and Magda Gerber's parent philosophy which include (as many of you know) principles of respect, trusting relationships, free movement and unhurried care and play moments. Reggio Emilia is another key inspiration for my teaching. Along with strong relationships, the features of this educational approach include promoting a positive image of the child, investigating 'big ideas', listening to a child's hundred languages and creating pleasing environments for children to learn in.
I am originally from Hawke's Bay but have lived in Wellington since 2007. My husband and I live in Johnsonville with our daughter, cat and dog.
My role as Tumuaki (Principal) is to oversee our four Childspace centres supporting the kaiwhakahaere and all kaiako in their curriculum implementation, professional development and management of the centres. I am based at our home office but am often found at one of our centres and I thoroughly enjoy getting to know each kaiako and tamaiti in our Childspace whānau. I also facilitate a variety of educational workshops and mentor teachers and leaders throughout New Zealand. I have a strong interest in the concept of ako - teachers and children learning from each other, inquiry based teaching and learning, and pedagogical leadership.
You’re welcome to contact me on [email protected]
+64 (04) 461 7076
45 Helston Road,
Johnsonville
Wellington 6037
New Zealand
Copyright Childspace ©
Be part of an awesome ECE Conference in 2023, at the Museum Of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, on August 24th to 27th.
Toni and Robin Christie are keynote speakers at this exciting event.
