Surrey Park Early Learning Centre Inc has been operating for over 35 years and is situated on the grounds of what was originally Surrey Park School at 55 Isabella Street, Invercargill.
The Centre was established by the Southland Education Board in 1986 for relieving teachers, but these days it is available to anyone in the community requiring childcare. As part of our constitution, two spaces are kept aside for relieving teachers who get that early morning call to relieve.
In 2001, in response to the zero-fee scheme at the Southern Institute of Technology, a new licence was opened utilising the main block of the empty Surrey Park School.
In 2009, the Ministry of Education confirmed our long-term occupancy of the school buildings by increasing our roll to incorporate children attending the soon to be established Murihiku Young Parents Centre (MYPLC). Its construction began in 2010. MYPLC is administered through a joint agreement with James Hargest College. Children of the parents attending MYPLC have places saved for them to attend our centre. A Health and Safety building upgrade was carried out by the Ministry of Education to bring the building up to current compliance standards.
To empower lifelong enthusiasm for learning.
To provide excellent care and education in a safe, well-resourced, family-friendly environment.
Integrity – doing the right thing in ways that are fair, ethical, honest, and just.
We wish our communications to be as open, regular, and informative as possible. Let us know your children’s needs and share the aspirations you have for them with us, so together we can consider these when we are making decisions for their care and education.
We recognise parents are often restricted by time and to assist this we have instigated a variety of communication means:
Whiteboards & notice boards in the entrance foyers, learning displays on the walls in the rooms; Parent Information evenings; regular newsletters & room reports, Facebook, and Storypark posts.
Parent file boxes or pockets for each family located in the entrance areas – in which we post book club forms, fund raising requests, survey questionnaires & consultation forms. Please clear these weekly.
Suggestions Box: We invite you to post any queries, suggestions or issues into the red box in the office hallway or email Avril at director@childcareInvercargill.co.nz
We are an Incorporated Society run by the members for the members. We operate as a not-for-profit organisation, with all income being used for the operating costs of the centre.
All users of the Centre are to be members of the Society by paying the annual subscription. This is set at the Annual General Meeting which is usually in March.
The Governance Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting – from parents such as yourselves.
The Committee is responsible for the governance of the centre including tasks such as building development, setting policies, and preparing the centre for the future. This is no small task and Committee members work hard so we have a well-run centre.
Parents are welcome to let us know if they wish to be a member of the Committee. Parental input is a requirement to ensure that the decisions reflect the interests and concerns of the users.
Committee meetings are held monthly on the fourth Monday at 7pm. Following the meeting, the minutes are displayed in the foyer hall way. Copies can be emailed on request. For the latest information go to Governance News
Use the form or contact the Director if you are interested:
Kia Ora, ko Avril toku ingoa. I started working at Surrey Park in 1992. My association with the centre started in 1989 when I enrolled my daughter Bridget here. Happily for me Bridget has now enrolled her daughter here so I get to see my granddaughter learn and develop as I did with her mother and with some of the same Kaiako. I am very privileged to work with a dedicated team who have survived the ups and downs of life at Surrey Park since starting in a prefab with a roll of 35 to now 150.
Kia ora, ko Karen toku ingoa. I am the Head Kaiako and teaching has been my career since 1996. I have a Bachelor of Education (Teaching ECE). My role is the Pedagogical leader, mentoring and supporting team leaders and kaiako throughout Surrey Park Early Learning Centre and supporting the Director in her role.
Outside of work I enjoy spending time driving our classic cars on holiday, baking for Sunday afternoon tea visitors, growing and harvesting fruit and vegetables and relaxing with friends and family. I am married to Nathan and we have a young adult son and daughter who both attended Surrey Park as preschoolers.
Kia Ora, I am a builder and take pride in creating aesthetically pleasing learning environments for the tamariki. I have been working at Surrey Park each Monday since 2009. My wife Christine is the team leader in the Koru room and we have 3 older children.
Kia ora, my name is Helen. I am the office administrator at Surrey Park. I have been working at Surrey Park since 2009. Outside of work I enjoy going for walks, gardening, reading and relaxing with friends and family. I have two adult children who both attended Surrey Park as preschoolers.
Kia ora. I’m Tatsuya and I am the caretaker here at Surrey Park and have worked here for over 15 years. I love doing outside work. I came to New Zealand from Japan in 2002 and also teach Japanese and Kendo.
Kia Ora, I’m Rachael. My whaanau have been a part of the Surrey Park community since 2017. My youngest son Eddie is now in the Totara whare, and between both my sons we’ve been very lucky to experience in all five learning rooms at the centre. I have a background in governance in not-for-profit organisation’s, and I’m very passionate about what makes Surrey Park such a special part of the community.
