Our Centre

Hāpaitia te ara tika, pūmau ai te rangatiratana mō ngā uri whakatipu.

Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence and growth for future generations.

Little Ferns Childcare is a small boutique centre owned and managed by Sharon Lange, who is also a kaiako on the floor. Sharon is extremely passionate about Early Learning and providing a quality homely environment where tamariki and whānau feel a great sense of belonging by becoming a part of the Little Ferns extended whānau.

“I am married to Stu Lange – who you will get to know and hear about from your tamariki! I have 3 beautiful girls aged 22, 19 and 14 and a baby granddaughter. We have 2 dogs and a cat.  It was always a dream of mine to own my own childcare centre, and to make a difference to tamariki and their families. I remember my days as a 3 and 4 year old at childcare and want to create fun memories for all the children at Little Ferns”

At Little Ferns we aim to have a shared vision, of collective and collaborative relationships with kaiako, whanau and the community. We believe that all tamariki are confident and competent learners they are able to explore learning through play, in an environment rich in experiences where nature and natural beauty are respected and valued.

We come together as one every morning at 9.30am for our karakia  where we open the day, and share mihi mihi, pānui and waiata. This is a very important process that we value and love sharing this time with our whānau. We welcome you to join us.

Being a mixed age centre with tamariki aged 0-6 altogether, we have a “quiet room” that allows for your baby to experience a safe environment to learn, grow and develop. A mixed age setting allows tamariki to connect and to have continued interactions with siblings and other family members. It allows tamariki to build relationships with peers of different ages and develop empathy through the caring for others. It allows tamariki of different ages and stages to learn from and assist those of different abilities to them.

There is extensive research behind the mixed-age approach that puts forward mixed-aged settings as best practice. Below is the link to an article in regards to this research if you wish to have a read.

‘Younger and Older Together: Childrens interactions in a mixed-age early childhood centre’ – A thesis by Tara Jan Fagan, Victoria University of Wellington (2009)

http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10063/1057/thesis.pdf?sequence=1