Home About Us What we believe
What we believe
Our vision, our philosophy, and why the room itself does so much of the teaching.
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
Our vision
Our aspiration
Magic Garden is shaped by a clear view of children, learning and the kind of environment in which people flourish. These beliefs guide how we invest, teach, design our spaces and build relationships across our growing family of centres.
Our aspiration is to be a centre of amazing: amazing teachers, using the amazing spaces and resources we have to inspire curiosity in children to explore, learn and grow.
Our vision
Our vision is to create amazing places where children and teachers flourish. As Magic Garden grows, we are building on the values and depth of thinking that have shaped us over nearly three decades, while respecting the individual character and community of every centre.
We want each space to feel like Magic Garden, in its own setting. That means investing in excellent teachers, ongoing professional learning and beautiful, well-resourced environments where children have the time, space and encouragement to explore.
Integrity, doing the right thing, guides the decisions we make. We also believe quality must be sustainable, so the people, environments and experiences we invest in today can keep benefiting children, families and teachers for many years to come.
Why are we inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach?
Why are we inspired by
the Reggio Emilia approach?
The principles and pedagogy that underpin life in a Reggio school are very much aligned with the intentions held in Te Whāriki, New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum. Since the late 1990s the Ministry of Education identified that the schools of Reggio Emilia are a beacon of what bringing Te Whāriki to life could be.
Reggio Emilia schools are an impressively comprehensive and cohesive system of joyously living and learning alongside young children. It’s grounded in collaborative research, documentation and professional development. While we seek inspiration from Reggio practice, we know it cannot be replicated. It is a product of its own times and context. We must journey through the research of what we believe and value about education just as Reggio teachers have, and interpret what fits our culture and context.
Our philosophy
Our philosophy
Relationships sit at the heart of this approach: between children, teachers, families, materials and the wider community. We value collaboration, creative expression and the many different ways children communicate their understanding.
This philosophy is not a programme we deliver at particular times. It shapes how we see children, how our kaiako teach, how we design our environments and how we make decisions every day.
The role of the environment as a teacher
The role of the environment
as a teacher
Children, teachers and families deserve environments that are beautiful, welcoming and full of possibility. Reggio Emilia calls the environment the third teacher, and we arrange ours to encourage independence, sustained attention, collaboration and discovery.
Open-ended natural and cultural materials invite children to experiment, create stories and express ideas in ever more complex ways. Familiar resources reassure; new experiences, introduced with care, add intrigue and challenge.
Our environments are also places where people should feel at home: peaceful, comfortable and respected. We watch how children use each space and refine it in response.
The environment is never a backdrop to learning. It reflects our values, supports relationships and helps children become confident participants in their own learning.
Our cultural narrative
Who we are and
where we come from
-
All three centres
Our journey
Magic Garden began in 1998, when founders Jenni and Allen built their first centre from the ground up at 3 Ponderosa Drive in Oteha. In 2001 they built our larger Northcross & Browns Bay centre on Carlisle Road, a traditional pathway and significant commuter route, and moved Magic Garden to its new home; our families connect to work through East Coast Bays Road to the Bays area and Oteha Valley Road to the Northern Motorway. There are three centres now, all on the North Shore and all one family’s. Ponderosa is back under the Magic Garden name where it all began, and Anzac Street, Takapuna sits next door to Takapuna Primary School, across the road from Shore City.
- 3 Ponderosa Drive, Otehawhere it began, in 1998
- 170-174 Carlisle Road, Northcrossbuilt in 2001, on a traditional pathway
- 31 Anzac Street, Takapunanext door to Takapuna Primary School
-
Northcross, in the East Coast Bays
Our roots
Our Northcross home, nestled in the northern East Coast Bays, has been cherished for generations, initially welcoming settlers from the Tainui waka. This land has a rich history, contested by many iwi over the centuries, including Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua, Waiohua-Tāmaki, and Marutūāhu groups. Ngā Herenga Waka o Orewa, a non-tribal marae, is the closest marae. Ponderosa and Anzac Street each stand on ground with a history of its own.
- First here
- Settlers from the Tainui waka
- Iwi of this land
- Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua, Waiohua-Tāmaki, Marutūāhu
- The closest marae
- Ngā Herenga Waka o Orewa
-
Northcross, in the East Coast Bays
Historical significance
The cliffs of the East Coast Bays once supported many pā sites and villages, thriving with easy access to the Waitematā Harbour and inland waterways like Okura, Deep Creek, and Lucas Creek. Traditional industries included fishing, timber harvesting, weaving, boat building, and orchards.
-
All three centres
Diverse community
While our local area has a lower population of Māori and Pasifika compared to national averages, it boasts a rich diversity of migrants. At Magic Garden, 18% of our children have English as a second language, and another 18% use a second or third language at home. Our staff also reflects this diversity, with two-thirds speaking a second language. Each centre reflects its own community, its building and the strengths of its teaching team.
- 18%of our children have English as a second language
- 18%more use a second or third language at home
- 2 in 3of our staff speak a second language
-
All three centres
Inclusivity and expression
A core concept of our practice is inclusivity. We embrace the idea that a child has ‘100 languages’, a metaphor for expressing oneself through various forms such as painting, dance, music, gesture, dramatic play, clay, and more. This approach ensures that children can express themselves beyond the constraints of language skills.
100 languages a child has -
All three centres
Community connection
Magic Garden is a proud member of Oneroa Kāhui Ako, our local community of learning, which networks early childhood centres with primary, intermediate, and secondary schools. We maintain close links with local primary schools such as Sherwood, Torbay, Glamorgan, Oteha Valley, and Long Bay, ensuring our children transition smoothly into their next educational stage, and Anzac Street, Takapuna sits next door to Takapuna Primary School.
- Sherwood
- Torbay
- Glamorgan
- Oteha Valley
- Long Bay
- Takapuna Primary
Together in Oneroa Kāhui Ako, our local community of learning.