Inspiring Lifelong Learners
Our philosophy is proven.
Our vision is inspired.
Our children are changing the world.
Our Philosophy
Te Whāriki, our New Zealand early childhood curriculum, and the principles and values of the internationally acclaimed Reggio Emilia Approach weave together beautifully to strongly underpin our Bear Park educational programme, giving us an invaluable foundation for lifelong learning.
Beautiful and Unique Environments
We believe in the importance of providing the highest quality early childhood education and care – a belief that is evident throughout our eleven vibrant centres.
Giving back to the community
Bear Park stands for kindness, empathy and generosity. Each year, as a whole group, we fundraise for a specific charitable organisation, involving all of our children, parents, whānau and teachers in the process. As a group we’ve raised money, increased awareness and supported a diverse group of incredible charities doing incredible things … and that’s just the beginning. Read more about the great work our families, children and teachers have been part of.
Words From our Parents
We take great pride in the loyalty of our Bear Park families.
Visit a centre near you!
Come along with your little one to see our centres
News and Insights
Want to know more about what’s happening at Bear Park, in our communities and around the world? Stay up to date with our latest news and insights.
Respect as a Right
Understanding the Rights of a Child to a Respectful, Unhurried and Supportive Learning Environment. Respect is the basis of the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) philosophy, which was proposed by...
Weaving in a Bicultural Pedagogy
How the educational approach from Reggio Emilia compliments our Bi-Cultural Heritage and Curriculum. Here in Aotearoa (New Zealand) we all have a special obligation of honouring the Treaty of Waitangi....
An Ethos of Collaboration
What does it mean to collaborate? The idea of collaboration holds a lot of value here at Bear Park, and the way it is implemented throughout the centre is something...
Valuing Children’s Hundred Languages
The Multiple ways of Connecting. “Our task is to help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths and languages and to overcome any obstacle presented by our...
Creating a Sense of Identity in the Atelier
Fostering Imagination and Creativity The Atelier has been evolving at Bear Park Herne Bay as we have been considering how we can enhance the ways in which we can collectively...
A group project needs a plan!
When the time came to carry out repairs on our bridge that we had constructed as part of our Sculptural Exhibition, we firstly needed to identify what was requiring repair,...
Pedagogical Documentation
More than Just Words. Pedagogical documentation is an important part of what we do as educators here at Bear Park, it is a conduit that gives structure to our thinking,...
Tubes, Toddlers and Motion
Young children are always intrigued by the mystical and exciting idea of movement, whether it is with their own bodies or with objects within their environment. It is a wonderful...
Adding Another Dimension to Clay
Clay is an essential part of our educational learning spaces as we view this as another expressive language for our children to engage with no matter their age. It is...