TLC The Learning Centre™

Because Every Child Flourishes With TLC

The Learning Centre in Ponsonby, also known as TLC, is a full day childcare centre, which provides the highest quality of care, with small group sizes, the best teacher to child ratios, and caring, dedicated and qualified teachers. In a villa in Ponsonby, the emphasis is on providing a homely, natural environment with healthy food, and genuinely caring caregiving. 

About

TLC The Learning Centre™ is a early childhood centre catering for children from three months until they go to school. 

TLC The Learning Centre™ is a centre dedicated to the very highest quality of care, achieving this by having small group sizes, the best teacher to child ratios, and we have 100% qualified teachers for government ratios.  

TLC The Learning Centre™ has a strong philosophy which focuses upon respectful and responsive relationships between teachers and children.  

Upstairs

Upstairs is our infant and toddler rooms, and has its own entrance and outdoor play space. While the whole centre is inspired by Magda Gerber's Educaring Approach, upstairs is particularly, and passionately so. 

Kākano

Our Kākano room is for infants from three months to around 18 months. We aim for a group size of 7 infants with two key teachers. 

Weka

Our Weka room is for toddlers from 18 months to around 30 months. We aim for a group size of 8 toddlers with two key teachers. 

Downstairs

Downstairs is a mixed age environment and has two whānau groupings. 

Kea

Our Kea children are from two years and three months to around three years old. We aim for a group size of 8 to 10 children, with a 1 to 5 ratio. 

Tui in a Kowhai Tree

Our Tui in a Kowhai Tree children are from three years until they go to school. We aim for a group size of around 21-25 children, with three to four key teachers. 

A Natural Environment

TLC The Learning Centre™'s location was chosen to provide a homely and natural environment with a big, natural outdoor area, surrounded by Vermont Street reserve. This value extends to the types of resources we choose (mostly wooden, heuristic and natural resources) to our food which is home cooked, healthy, and sometimes even grown at TLC!

For example the menu for week commencing 17th June 2024 is

Monday: Pumpkin & bacon soup with garlic bread & veggies
Afternoon tea: Blueberry muffins & seasonal fruit
Tuesday: Mushroom pesto pasta & veggies
Afternoon tea: Cranberry coconut bars & seasonal fruit
Wednesday: Mexican beef & beans with rice and veggies
Afternoon tea: Italian & Marmite and seasonal veggies
Thursday: Ham & cheese sandwiches
Afternoon tea: Corn & cheese scones & seasonal fruit
Friday: Pork & vegetable pastries & veggies
Afternoon tea: Homemade strawberry ice cream & seasonal fruit

Community Involvement

We are blessed with a wonderful community at TLC The Learning Centre™. We have a parent voice committee which meets every month, to advise us with our communications, and who also plan our fun social events. 

We use an on-line portfolio system called Educa which can be accessed by the whole whānau here and abroad, which also has a great notice board where we let the community know what is happening at TLC The Learning Centre™. 

96 Vermont St, Ponsonby, Auckland.                                                              Phone: 09 376 6857