Top Kids New Lynn opened by MP Tim Groser
22 July 2011
Local MP Tim Groser, opened Top Kids New Lynn with Wayne and Chloe Wright the owners of Kidicorp. Tim joined Wayne and children at the centre and they all put their handprint in concrete to remember the day!
This new centre will fill a need. According to the Ministry of Education there are significant numbers of children in Waitakere who don’t participate in ECE before school. As many as 1 in 4 Maori and Pascifika children are not getting the ‘free’ start they are entitled to before school.
Says Wayne Wright, CEO of Kidicorp at the opening of the New Lynn childcare Top Kids, “Too many parents don’t know that it is free for their child to get this learning start before school and sadly too many don’t realise what a head start it gives their children, how much children love learning and the difference it makes to their behaviour when they get the stimulation learning offers.”
It’s very sad that too many parents don't know that the Government will pay for children to get 20 hours or 5 days of 4 hours sessional education and the losers are the children who end up at school bewildered by the new environment they experience.” Says Chief Operations Officer, Fiona Hughes, “New Entrant teachers tell us without pre-school too many children often have no skills to face the huge adjustment of starting school and are at risk of starting to fall behind.”
“A child familiar with the basics taught at pre-school often finds the routines at school similar and this pre-learning helps them on the path of life long learning. They are familiar with quiet time, mat times, reading, even know how to hold a pencil, that words have meaning” ended Mrs Hughes.
The four roomed centre is built on the historic site of the New Lynn hotel and owned by Auckland Council in a development begun by Waitakere City when it identified a need for ECE in the area.
Until a few weeks ago the Auckland Kindergarten Association’s Waterview kindy were sharing the space while their kindergarten was being rebuilt during construction of State Highway 20. The centre has five qualified and registered teachers who work with each child to prepare them for a love of learning.
The centre operates sessional care from 8am till 12pm or 1pm till 4pm so parents can make the most of the 20 free hours that over three year olds can get for free education before school.
The site is also home to a historic well which under the Resource consent was required to be covered with a glass cover. This is in the carpark area and an object of interest to children!