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Gems Educational Childcare A Great Place to Work

Monday 30 September 2019, 7:18PM

By Beckie Wright

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Gems Educational Childcare centres have some unique ideas on how to secure the happiness and loyalty of their teachers, and fostering their team’s own personal and professional development is vital to the growth and development of the Gems’ environment, making it a great place to work. Providing meaningful PD which reflects their philosophies and enhances their teaching practices is overseen by Tash Doyle, their multi-talented Curriculum Coordinator. Working with recognised New Zealand educators the team consistently develop and refine their practice to ensure the standard of care they provide their tamariki is consistent, meaningful and heartfelt.

New Zealand's teacher shortage has recently hit preschools, with a workforce survey indicating a third of centres struggle to fill vacancies. A survey of the Early Childhood Council's (ECC) 1200 members showed a significant shortage of qualified staff has developed in the past 18 months. One in three centres has at least one vacancy, and the average time needed to fill a role has increased to 97 days from 72 days last October.

Gems’ caregivers are committed to the guidelines and principles of Te Whariki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum document, valuing and respecting each child’s individuality and interests, which is evident throughout their environment. The teachers at Gems believe children will develop as independent thinkers and learners through a play based programme, where children are free to explore, socialise, communicate and investigate, and they strive to create a rich learning environment, which encourages imagination and keeps a child’s natural curiosity alive. 

Gems’ centres are situated in multicultural communities and they welcome children and families from many different ethnic backgrounds, and their teaching acknowledges and respects all cultures and beliefs. Everyone at Gems is dedicated to providing a warm and inviting atmosphere where children and whanau develop a strong sense of belonging and collaborative partnership, and they encourage and value parent participation at any level.

Through careful planning and review, supported by passionate qualified teachers, they aim to enhance and extend every child’s learning, so to find out more about daycare jobs, Forest school and early childhood teachers Queenstown please go to http://www.gems.net.nz .