Play. Learn. Grow.
Play. Learn. Grow.
With very experienced staff and a clear philosophy, The Rumpus Room offers an exceptional and proven choice to allow your child to play, learn and grow. To support our philosophies we have developed a play based, project centred programme that allows children to explore their own interests and develop a greater understanding of the way the world around them works.
We understand the importance of creating respectful interactions between the child and teachers, where the child is an active participant. With this in mind we promote an environment for our children which allows them to be curious, investigate, make decisions and problem solve to make sense of their world and their place in it.
For enrolments, please complete the form in the Enquiry tab above so we can fully understand your needs and then we will get back to you with options. Or for general enrolment enquiries, please email our Administration Manager Judith at enrol@therumpusroom.co.nz.
At The Rumpus Room we believe in fostering strong and trusting relationships, building links to our community and ensuring constant communication between teachers and families. The development of trusting relationships is essential to effective learning and our children benefit from having a close relationship with a key caregiver. We work with parents to understand each child’s individual routines in order to ensure consistency between the centre and home.
Having strong ties to their environment gives children a sense of well-being and belonging so we ensure that we get into our local community as much as possible. We also work with the new entrant teachers at our local Primary Schools to help our children transition seamlessly to school. We know that the education of children is a partnership between the centre and home and so we keep families informed with an online parent portal and weekly newsletters.
The Rumpus Room was established by Point Chev residents Cameron Greig and Beth McKay who had struggled to find local childcare for their own children. Cam and Beth were inspired to create the centre they wanted their children to attend, and in 2012 the Point Chevalier centre opened. It was immediately very popular and has maintained that solid reputation ever since. Encouraged by the need for quality centres, the Waterview Centre was then built and opened in 2016. Cam and Beth are passionate central Westies and have a strong commitment to ensuring both centres are an integral part of the community.
Centre manager Carolyn Laban runs the day-to-day operations of both centres, with planning and direction managed jointly. Carolyn has been a key part of the team since the beginning and is assisted by Centre Mentor Heidi Panchartek who also started in 2012. Many of our staff have been with us for many years and we actively foster a strong team community and culture. Carolyn and Heidi are very particular about who joins the teaching team, which is shown very clearly in the glowing feedback we receive each year in our annual Whanau Survey.
The Rumpus Room really pay attention to our daughters personality and interests to try and nurture them by providing activities, items or books. One morning we arrived to a teacher having set up a play tea party as Vera had just developed an interest in them as her favourite activity. The look on her face was priceless.
Lana
We continue to be extremely impressed and grateful for the excellent way in which his centre is run and how well they care for and grow our girl. It is hard to put into words what a fabulous centre this is but perhaps the fact that our recent house purchase decision was driven by the proximity to the centre is indicative.Joanna
The challenge to find a new centre was largely focused around finding a centre that would encourage our son’s independence and help establish some self confidence. When we started at The Rumpus Room we noticed a few things pretty quickly. The first was that Marsh never cried when he was dropped off in the morning. The changes to his personality quickly followed. He seemed more confident, happier in any environment, self assured, the list goes on and on.
Sarah
The staff are extremely caring and professional. They all seem very well educated and really take the time and effort to get down to the children’s’ level. Equally the support for parents has been huge. I was purely breast feeding when Laney started but within 3 days the under twos team had developed such a rapport with her that she was drinking out of a bottle and totally comfortable with them.Alyssa
Thanks so much Fale, Kaplana and Elena for the wonderful 14mths Harry has had with you all in the Nest. You have been like a second family to us and it has meant so much to me to know that he has been so happy and so cared for and so tenderly looked after. He has picked up many good habits and is a very tidy boy at home. I really appreciate all the time and energy you have all put into looking him.Lara
I love the communication, I love knowing how her day was and any new things she is up to and what she loves doing each day. This is really good as a working mum you miss so much of their day to day activities so it’s nice to be able to know what they are up too and I love that the teachers take the time to listen to us in the morning at drop off to talk about how her night was and anything new she is in to or up too.
Jelena
Eva loves the rumpus room, she feels very comfortable in the space and has a sense of ownership as her centre. She has a special relationship with Caroline and Shelley, but is fond and very attached to all the teachers and the “head” teacher Carolyn.
Michelle and Simon
