What We Offer

Welcome to Papakura Early Learning Centre

We are a local Early Learning Centre in the heart of our community offering all-day sessions for children aged from two to five years. We are licensed for up to 35 children and have places available now.

30 Hours FREE - Zero Fees

We provide free early childhood education for 30 hours per week for children aged from two-five years. We want all children to be able to attend and have early learning experiences, so we offer Zero Fees, to make it affordable for everyone.

Centre Hours:

8.30am-2.30pm, Monday to Friday

Healthy morning tea provided

We offer a healthy morning tea every day for all our children, with fruit and snacks provided. We are currently a "lunch-box kindy", so children also bring in their own lunch boxes and water bottles. Sandpit play

School Holiday Programme

During school holidays we offer a fun FREE school holiday programme for our children, right here at the Centre.

Plenty of space to run and play

Our outdoor area is well set up for all kinds of play. There is plenty of room to run around and play, with a sandpit, slides, playhouse, climbing frames and space for water play. We are continuing to develop the area and have plans for an edible garden and worm farm to encourage the children's knowledge of sustainability and growing things. There's lots of room to play indoors as well.

Smooth Transition to School

Our hours are very similar to school hours, which helps tremendously with the transition to school, when a child is ready to start.

Conveniently close to Kelvin Road School

We are located right behind Kelvin Road school, so for families with older children who attend there, school drop-offs and pickups are easy to manage because we are so close and our times are coordinated with the school. It also makes the transition to school even easier when the time comes.

Family Support Services

Starsim Simeki and William Chiyesu Our Early Learning Centre is part of Papakura Family Service Centre - also known as the 'Whanau Centre' - which offers free counselling and support services for families, along with the HIPPY programme.

All our ELC families can make use of these free community services.

HIPPY Programme

To help prepare your child even better for success at school Parents can opt into the HIPPY programme, which is offered free through our Family Centre.

HIPPY is a home-based education programme which helps parents learn to teach their children, and offers at-home visits with a tutor along with group meetings to help parents create community together.

Contact Erin, our Papakura HIPPY Coordinator for more info, or talk to one of our teachers.

Email [email protected]

Papakura Early Learning Centre

Address: 14 Maurice Street, Papakura, Auckland

Phone: 09 299 6610

Email: [email protected]

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am–2.30pm

Team Leader: Maria Tuia-Pemerika

Latest

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Across the country our programmes are still supporting our community, just on different levels depending on the area you live in.
How our programmes have been running during Level Four lockdown

We have been working tirelessly to ensure we are doing everything we can to help children, young people, and families towards brighter futures, whilst we stay safe in our bubbles. Our programmes have been able to transition to supporting people in our communities remotely, similarly to how people connect with their family and friends.
MATES and Merchant Shoes – a Perfect Match

Merchant 1948’s Young Hearts Project has been partnering with MATES Junior since it was launched in 2014. This project was established to assist young people in our community, especially those who are struggling in life.
From the archives: NZ’s first Dad Tutor

Back in 1995, John Grubner made the local newspaper for being New Zealand’s very first “HIPPY dad” tutor. The local community paper said at the time, “Mr Grubner is a rare breed as a HIPPY tutor because it is usually mums who are recruited from parents who have been through the programme...”

Garden Vision: ‘Growing for Good’ at ELC

Papakura Early Learning Centre’s Team Leader has a vision for transforming the centre's unused outdoor spaces into an edible garden, with a worm farm, composting and recycling system to teach the children sustainability...
Our Learning Plan

Our Early Learning Centre offers a curriculum based on Te Whariki. Each child is welcomed for who they are. Our staff are skilful at settling and working alongside children, following their play ideas. Whānau experience respectful relationships with kind and caring teachers who value their children.
Our Team

Introducing our passionate team of Registered Teachers
About Us

Great Potentials Early Learning Centre (Papakura), next to Kelvin Road School, offers FREE all-day sessions for children aged from two to five years. Enrolments available now.

HIPPY Programme

HIPPY is a home-based Early Learning programme that helps parents from disadvantaged communities lay the foundation for their children’s success in school and later life...
HIPPY Locations

Locations and contact details for HIPPY sites around New Zealand
Community Funding

We are immensely grateful to all of our supporters who contribute in various ways to Great Potentials Foundation. Your generosity truly impacts the lives of children, young people and families propelling them towards brighter futures.
Become a mentor

If you are a tertiary student in Auckland and are interested in becoming a MATES mentor, please complete the online application form...
MATES Programme

MATES Mentoring and Tutoring programme addresses the underachievement in education of disadvantaged youth in New Zealand, intervening at key transition points to create pathways for success...
Contact Details

Address and contact information for Great Potentials Office and programmes
Our Mission

Working for and with children, young people and families to promote family function, relieve suffering, release potential, reduce disparities in New Zealand society, reduce crime and violence and break the cycle of disadvantage...
Work for us

Situations vacant at Great Potentials Foundation
Family Service Centres

Our Family Service Centres assist the community with housing, food, health care, employment support and wellbeing services as well as offering early learning services, parenting programmes, playgroups, social workers in schools, counselling and more...
Takanini Family Service Centre

Family Service Centre Takanini opened its doors in January 2014. Our warm, colourful new Centre was established in partnership with the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association, whose superb early learning centre provides a beautiful environment for the local children.