About WanaExcel
WanaExcel and its state-of-the-art facilities are the outcome of our family’s dream to create an early educational environment, like no-one had experienced before. After seeing a potential gap in Wanaka's ECE market in mid 2015, we took advantage of the opportunity and moved south from Whangarei, Northland and we are now fortunate to have purposefully built our innovative centres right in the heart of Wanaka.
Our unique environments...
deliver positive early learning experiences and education for children aged 3 months to 6 years with programmes designed to offer extensive wider-community experiences to expose our tamariki to the unique advantages that living in Wanaka provides- Where it’s good to get lost in the right direction!
Our programs
Our days are a combination of child-led, interactive play and structured group activities based around our dynamic learning environments. To best support children’s interests, our teams undergo extensive planning and evaluation to design and implement a robust and inclusive curriculum that caters to the learning and developmental needs of all. Everything in our indoor and outdoor environments has been designed and created with your child’s needs in mind. WanaExcel prides itself on upholding a clean and modern looking centre and consistently maintain our building and replace, upgrade, and restore our equipment and resources throughout the year to ensure that this is the case.
Our teaching team
Adult–child ratios are at a premium at WanaExcel, over and above the Ministry of Education requirements to ensure our tamariki get the added attention, safety, individualised care, and learning opportunities they need. Our Teaching Team has been carefully hand-picked and assembled to provide the loving care and education required to meet the on-going learning needs of each child no matter what their age / stage - with varied expertise, qualifications, and experience in all aspects of education.
Our Philosophy
At WanaExcel, we provide opportunities for children to learn through real life experiences. We believe the best learning happens in a happy, safe, supportive and well-resourced environment.
Children at WanaExcel will:
- Be healthy and safe as they learn to take increasing responsibility for the wellbeing of themselves, others and their immediate and wider environment
- Focus on and develop cognitive and fine motor skills through exposure to stimulating activities
- Express and explore working theories, problem solving endeavours and experimentation
- Develop basic concepts of communication and social interactions
- Discover first experiences of self-expression
- Engage in daily activities that encourage critical thought and creativity to build confidence and self-esteem
- Develop co-operation and compromise as key components of social learning as they engage in different experiences with their peers
- Develop self-discipline, independence and be highly motivated learners
- Develop a love for learning through dramatic play, creative arts, language, sensory exploration and much more
WanaExcel creates and continuously refines a diverse educational culture that provides a flexible, positive environment catering to, and nurturing all individual needs, cultures and learning styles. All tamariki are encouraged to become fully involved in challenging and extending their knowledge through the wide and varied opportunities on offer in preparation for life experiences to come.
Children’s individuality is noticed, assessed and responded to in curriculum development with the goal of building and establishing sense of belonging and learner identity; allowing independent learning to develop and thrive. These assessment for learning practices are shared regularly with
parents and whanau allowing their active involvement, and empowerment as partners in their child's learning journey.
It is WanaExcel's responsibility to advocate for children through meaningful interactions, sound decision making and effective assessment, planning and curriculum development and execution. We strive to understand and uphold the true unique heritage of Te Reo and Tikanga Maori and this is evident in our teaching practice and throughout daily interactions in promoting bicultural development and understanding.
WanaExcel values quality transitions into, within and from our learning community. We strongly believe in the importance of all children developing a true love for learning during their time with us and graduating with the skills, knowledge, confidence and independence that allow them to excel in the next stage of their learning journey.
