Our local curriculum
At City Heights our local curriculum responds to our childrens current needs, strengths, and interests by respecting their choices and by encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves and their learning (Te Whāriki, 2017).
Our curriculum emphasizes building independence, confidence and concentration, foundational in Montessori education and our own priorities for children’s learning based on our experience in early childhood education, beliefs and parents’ aspirations.
Our service’s curriculum priorities and emphases guide curriculum planning and implementation, inform assessment practices
and teaching and guidance strategies. For tamariki to become competent and independent learners City Heights
emphasis the following learning:
Tamariki will learn to interact with others with care, empathy and respect. They will learn skills like social problem-solving, self-managing and responsible decision-making.
MANAWA ORA & MANAWA MAI (approx 4 to 18 months)
At City Heights Montessori we trust that supporting and respecting infants’ natural development process lead to best outcomes. In our Pēpi rooms, infants are presented with opportunities to actively explore, participate and learn within the context of strong secure relationships.
In both rooms, the environment and the curriculum are created to stimulate and meet the developmental evolving needs of our infants, from safety and nurturing calm to risk-taking opportunities and movement.
Our beliefs and practices align to the Pikler approach. Educators will always respond to our babies’ needs with extreme care and respect, expressing unconditional love and acceptance.
Creating a secure attachment becomes the most crucial and significant step when an infant starts at our centre. The figure of primary care giver during the settling period helps not only babies but also parents to gain the confidence and trust in us they need and deserve.
Among the factors that contribute to the success in our infant’s programme we prioritise the quality of care giving moments, always unhurried and respectful, the individual routines and the understanding of the importance of self-initiated movement and play.
MANAWA TITI (approx 18 months to 3 years)
Manawa Tītī is designed for tamariki who are walking securely through to approximately three years of age. The pace is simple and calm and the routines robust and consistent.
The environment is prepared to meet children’s needs and to foster independence, motor development and language acquisition.
Our practical life activities give tamariki the chance to develop valuable skills to care for themselves and their environment.
Group activities, such music, dance and story time, among others, offer our children the possibility to practice grace and courtesy and the experience of belonging to a community, practising social and gross motor skills.
Activities are simple and offer a repetitive cycle, establishing patterns of order and sequencing. Everything in the environment is proportionate to the child’s size and is designed to be safe and aesthetically pleasing.
OUR SENIORS (approx 3 to 6 years)
Our seniors learning environment is designed to encourage children to move, touch, and manipulate. The child has freedom to work independently, based on their own interests with the guidance of their teachers.
At our centre, children are provided with real implements and given real responsibilities for the care of the environment, themselves, and others. Our Montessori activities and materials will instill independence, a love of learning and “can do” attitude that will accompany them for life.
The children learn with and from others. The classroom becomes a thriving community where everyone treats everyone with the uttermost respect, where everyone listens actively, negotiate and share ideas.
Space and routines of the classroom are designed to maximise learning and exploration. The day is structured in different routines that children know and follow with ease.
Our children are encouraged to make purposeful independent choices from a rich curriculum spanning from practical life, cultural, censorial, language and math both indoors and outdoors.
