Little Engines is a vibrant, homely and welcoming Montessori preschool for children aged 2.5 to 5 years, situated at 56 Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, Auckland. We operate a full-day programme from 8:45am to 3:30pm, and open 50 weeks per year, closing for 2 weeks over the Christmas and New Year period. We are licensed for 50 children that are accommodated in two rooms that consists of 25 children in each room. We provide a high teacher child ratio of 1:8.
Our calm and nurturing environment is managed by a team of highly experienced and long serving teachers, providing children a stable learning environment, which fosters their sense of belonging. We incorporate a diverse range of enriching learning opportunities tailored to each child’s innate interests and abilities.
At Little Engines, we love what we do because we do what we love!
Little Engines adheres to the broad principles of Maria Montessori and Te-Whāriki, New Zealand’s Early childhood curriculum.
Our holistic programme is designed with the aim to help every child reach their full potential and empower them as confident and competent life-long learners.
Our curriculum:
- Is child-focused and encourages self-reliance, develops children’s sense of self-worth and identity
- Aims to create independent learners for the future; by building children’s confidence and self-esteem, equipping them with the necessary skills for all social and educational experiences in life.
- Acknowledges children’s strengths and interests, and enables children to maintain focus and develop their concentration through working with activities of their choice, as well as instilling intrinsic motivation for a love of learning.
- Provides opportunities for children’s skills and knowledge to be extended, according to their individual needs and abilities.
- Recognises the importance of the intimate relationships required between the home and the pre-school environments.
- A harmonious integration of active and exploratory play into the overall curriculum where kinaesthetic learning is truly valued.
- Seeks to further children’s knowledge of their own and other cultures in New Zealand, recognising beauty in diversity.
"We cannot recommend Little Engines highly enough. Our son started there when he was 2.5 and he has grown in so many ways as result of the excellent care, interaction and extension that he experiences there. He was very shy and unsure to begin with but his confidence has soared and he absolutely loves it. Thank you Little Engines for making his first experience of preschool such a positive one!"
"Our family could not recommend Little Engines highly enough. Our daughter has been through the school and our son is in his final year there. The teachers are fantastic. The place becomes a second home for your kids and it’s so nice to see how much they love it."
"Little Engines are truly unique in their approach and they are unwavering in their kindness. It was so clear from the very beginning that the teachers are absolutely dedicated to providing the best possible care. The nurturing way in which they foster learning is incredible. My boy’s imagination and social skills have grown so much since he started. It is with absolute confidence that I recommend Little Engines in the highest possible manner. We just love these guys!"
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we’d love to hear from you!
We understand that your child’s education & care is a priority and that choosing the right centre can be a big decision. We would be delighted to share in your child’s learning journey. Feel welcome to contact us in whichever way is most convenient for you, or visit our centre and meet our Teaching Team!