ABOUT US
Farm Friends operates under an "All day" licence from 8 am until 5.30 pm (5 pm on Fridays). Although we have an all-day licence, we also provide a variety of sessions to suit all of our children (ages 2-5) and their families. We provide six-hourly sessions (e.g. 8 am- 2 pm, 9 am- 3 pm etc) and a full-day session.
Nutrition
Farm Friends provides nutritious meals for the tamariki. This includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. These are healthy, well-planned and balanced meals cooked by our in-centre cook.
Our team
Farm Friends maintains a small, stable staffing team who are committed to ongoing professional development and building long-lasting relationships with our whānau based on trust, respect, open communication, and collaboration.
OUR ENVIROMENT
Farm Friends is located on a 10-acre lifestyle block in Swanson, only 5 minutes from Henderson. We have been open since 1997 and cater for a mixed-age group of thirty-six children, 2-5 years old.
Our setting is unique; allowing for the appreciation and care of our natural forest environment, hand-rearing and hands-on care of our pet animals – with the opportunity to learn about life cycles, active outdoor play and to experience the spacious country grounds.
We strive to support our families and build a sense of community. We provide a rich, social, family-like setting with a range of flexible sessions, aiming to cater for the varied needs and aspirations of all our whānau. We are a provider of 20 hours ECE for all tamariki over three.
Children are well supported in self-initiated, planned and spontaneous activities by providing a high teacher/child ratio of 1:6. Teachers work alongside children as positive role models and facilitators of learning; actively extending and scaffolding their play experiences. Children's language is enhanced through quality, interactive and responsive communication in a relaxed and nurturing atmosphere.
At Farm Friends, reconnecting children to nature is a core part of our philosophy and centre aspiration. We are lucky enough to be located on a 10-acre lifestyle block where we are fully immersed in nature all day long.
Our environment is a natural playscape and an affordance of nature where children are free to explore, examine and reconnect to the wonders and experiences papatūānuku offers.
