Testimonials
I love Sand Dunes. I cannot talk for my daughter but I am confident she would agree we both have fun.
It delights me to see the confidence and pride the children have while they show and tell something discovered that day.
My favorite time is when I can sneak inside undetected, to spend a few moments watching my daughter play in and investigate a wonderful stimulating and supportive environment. This time can sometimes be brief, broken by a happy chorus of "Sophie your mum is here". I always leave with a smile.
My partner Andi originally chose Sand Dunes after visiting over ten other childcare centres and was immediately impressed with the aura and happiness of the teachers and children. No one looked tired or bothered and there was a great positive energy to the place which made Andi feel immediately that Sand Dunes would be right for us.
I am happy to say that we have found Sand Dunes to be a very professional and safe environment for Sophie, she has learnt and is consistently learning more and more everyday which excites us as a family. She is genuinely happy at Sand Dunes and has made very strong bonds with her teachers and the other children. We are confident that Sophie will have the head start to her education that we really wanted to give her as parents.
Ross Whanau
Our family has been part the Sand Dunes community for almost five years now, and although the youngest in our family will finish Sand dunes early next year we have all (both the Girls and my husband and I) made friends for life.
The love that is shown to the children in the centre and when they spot a teacher in the local supermarket is amazing, During the time that the girls have been at Sand Dunes I have never felt anxious about their care, and the staff take the time to listen to parents requests and help with ensuring that the same messages are being used at home and at Sand Dunes.
In all honestly I feel that our family has not been involved in Sand Dunes Early Learning Centre, but have been adopted by a large and wonderfully loving extended family.
St Just Whanau
Lila doesn’t want to leave Sand Dunes at the end of the day. Testimony to the fact that she enjoys her time there. We love breakfasts in the morning, the family-focussed approach, and the sense of kindness and respect that is instilled in the children by their teachers.Thank you Sand Dunes, We think you’re great.
Bowling Whanau
Our little boy started in the infants and has now progressed through to the toddlers’ area. It is clear that every day we take him he really wants to be there, enjoys going there, loves his teachers, loves his friends…which for us is testament to what a great place Sand Dunes is.
The staff are always eager to tell us stories about what they have been up to during the day, what they are learning and are happy to discuss and implement next development steps for individual children. All the staff are able to interact in a relaxed manner with both children and parents whilst maintaining that familiar home away from home environment.
As our boy moves through the centre we are looking forward to seeing him continue to grow, explore, develop and engage with all staff and children at Sand Dunes.
Seavor-Cross Whanau
Our family has had the pleasure of being associated with Sand Dunes Early Learning Centre for the past 4 and a half years. As parent's, and primary school teachers, we are aware that we wanted our children to be in a safe, nurturing environment that provided lots of opportunities for exploration and learning.
Sand Dunes does this in an amazing way. The teachers are outstanding. They are warm, welcoming and friendly to not just the children, but their whole whanau. The family atmosphere makes it feel like you are coming home. The physical environment is inviting and engaging. It provides a sense of comfort, but also challenge for when children are ready to give things a go.
Children are motivated through programmes that follow their individual interests but also gives them new opportunities to explore their world. Our children love being part of the Sand Dunes family. Our daughter still loves coming back to Sand Dunes to see her old teachers. Our youngest child is thriving and loving his time with his teachers and little friends.
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Sand Dunes as an outstanding early childhood centre.
Dullabh Whanau
My son has loved his years at Sand Dunes, and the fantastic service provided by the centre has allowed me to go to work feeling completely at ease. I don’t have a lot of local family support, and without the flexbility offered by Sand Dunes there’s no way I could have run my business successfully.
I know my son is safe and I know he gets a superb level of care; the contact with parents and the feedback provided is outstanding. Sand Dunes supports my son’s interests, using his love of emergency services to expand his knowledge and foster his enthusiasm.
Although the teachers sometimes change and the children come and go, the quality of support from Sand Dunes and its core values have never wavered. The teachers have been excellent and he has formed strong bonds with many of them, as well as with lot of of the other lovely children who attend the centre.
The team at Sand Dunes also puts a lot of thought into its programming – when they did a module on space, I had to google some of the things my son was telling me about Mars. But he was right; he knew more about Mars than I did. That level of engagement and encouragement is indicative of the overall dedication that Sand Dunes shows to looking after my son – and I really appreciate it.
Mills Whanau