Kaitiakitanga in practice
From the sustainable garden where children tend plants and share the harvest, to daily rituals that foster respect for the environment, Henderson is raising young guardians of the natural world.
Welcome to Bear Park Henderson
A warm, generous centre on Summerland Drive.
Bear Park Henderson · West Auckland
A purpose-built centre in the heart of West Auckland. Richly resourced classrooms, secret garden spaces and a multilingual team who see each child as a confident, capable learner.
Co-learners, all of us
Children, teachers and whānau learn alongside each other in a tuakana-teina relationship. Tamariki are encouraged to test working theories in a safe, unhurried environment where the journey of learning matters as much as the outcome.
Diversity as a strength
Henderson's multilingual team celebrates the rich cultural identities of the families it serves. Every child's unique language and background is valued and affirmed in the centre's daily life.
Our centre director
A warm welcome from the centre director.
A short welcome from the person who leads the Henderson team, who would love to meet you and your child in person.
Our teachers are inspired by Reggio Emilia, the RIE approach and Te Whāriki, with genuine relationships between children, parents and teachers at the centre of everything we do.
From our families
Every pick-up comes with a story
★ 4.5 average · 29 Google reviews
An amazing centre all round
"My daughter is absolutely thriving at Bear Park. She is always so happy to be there and the teachers are amazing with really great ratios. An amazing centre all round"
Hannah D.Parent · Henderson
Approachable, helpful teachers
"Both our kids go to Bear Park Henderson. We love the teachers - warm, friendly, approachable and helpful. It’s a clean place with shaded area for kids to enjoy outdoors and explore. Will recommend this place 😀"
Kritika S.Parent · Henderson
Three grandchildren, ready for school
"I would like to give my thanks to all the teachers and staff of Bear Park Henderson. For the care and teaching they have given over the years to 3 of my grandchildren that have attended and now moved onto school. Your assistance and caring prepared them extremely well."
Janet W.Parent · Henderson
Questions parents ask
Good to ask, before you visit.
Bear Park Henderson is at 64-68 Summerland Drive, Henderson, Auckland 0612, next door to Summerland Primary School and close to Waitakere Hospital and WestCity Waitakere. Well placed for families across West Auckland. Open Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6.00pm. Nearby suburbs: Te Atatu South, Te Atatu Peninsula, Sunnyvale, Massey, West Harbour, Ranui.
Bear Park Henderson keeps more kaiako in every room by design. It creates calmer, more focused environments where tamariki can genuinely explore and connect. Our infant and toddler rooms maintain excellent teacher-to-child ratios, with experienced kaiako dedicated to each room, so no child ever gets lost in the mix.
Our Curriculum and Operations team, made up of experienced qualified teachers now working in leadership roles, mentors every kaiako at Bear Park Henderson. At least 80% of our teaching team hold an ECE or Primary teaching qualification at NZQA Level 7 or above, with Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand registration. Teachers in training study while they work, and more experienced unqualified teachers take part in our ongoing professional development programmes.
Bear Park Henderson welcomes tamariki from 3 months through to school age (5 years). We offer continuity of care so children don't need to move settings as they grow.
Current fee schedules can be requested from the Centre Director.
Bear Park early learning centres offer the New Zealand Government's 20 Hours ECE subsidy. The scheme allows Bear Park to subsidise fees for up to 20 hours of early childhood education per week for children aged three to five.
Book a tour at Bear Park Henderson through our website by clicking the Book a Tour button and selecting your centre. Our Parents Guide is available to download too, giving you a full picture of our programme and philosophy.
Book a tourCome and see a Henderson morning.
Free, about 45 minutes, and it asks nothing of you. This is your time to see Bear Park's philosophy in practice.
