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Exploring the potential benefits for affordability, access, attendance and the workforce Kia ora e te whānau, Welcome back to The Inside Scoop , where we break down current topics shaping early childhood education in Aotearoa and what they mean for our Horizons Montessori community. This week, we’re looking at a topic gaining strong national attention: the proposal for 20 Hours ECE funding to begin at age 2. Currently, 20 Hours ECE funding begins at age 3, and while this supp

Understanding what it truly takes to provide high-quality early learning environments Kia ora e te whānau, Welcome back to The Inside Scoop , where we aim to unpack what’s happening in the early childhood education sector and help families understand how national decisions shape daily life for tamariki, kaiako and centres like ours. Today, we’re diving into an issue facing many centres across Aotearoa: the growing gap between what it costs to run a high-quality early learning

Building calm, confident, capable children through intentional practice Kia ora e te whānau, Welcome back to The Inside Scoop  — where we unpack what’s happening in early childhood education and what it means for your tamariki. Today we’re exploring something that sits at the heart of our Horizons Montessori philosophy: how Montessori supports children to develop independence and emotional regulation . In the early years, children are forming the foundations of who they are —

How teacher-to-child ratios shape emotional safety, behaviour, learning and belonging When parents select an ECE service, ratios are often viewed as a technical regulation rather than a crucial factor in their child’s wellbeing. But the truth is, ratios are one of the most powerful elements of quality early childhood education . Better ratios allow: More individual time  for each child Greater emotional connection and responsiveness More time for meaningful observation and le

Working together for a better future in early childhood education Kia ora e te whānau, As part of our commitment to transparency and keeping families informed about what’s happening behind the scenes, I want to share an important update from the wider early childhood sector — and Horizons’ role within it. Last week, I had the privilege of travelling to Christchurch  to meet with the Ministerial Advisory Group  that is currently reviewing the way early childhood education (ECE

How Horizons Montessori supports every child to thrive Kia ora e te whānau, and welcome to the first edition of The Inside Scoop  — our new blog series designed to keep families informed about what’s happening in early childhood education and at Horizons Montessori. Today’s topic is one that many families have questions about: Learning Support in the early years . What does it mean? Who is it for? And how does it work? At Horizons, we believe that every child learns and devel

A New Way to Keep Our Horizons Whānau Connected Kia ora e te whānau, and welcome to the first edition of The Inside Scoop! At Horizons Montessori, we believe deeply in strong partnerships between home and centre. When whānau understand what’s happening behind the scenes—both within our centre and across the wider early childhood sector—it builds trust, shared understanding, and a united approach to supporting our tamariki. That’s why we’re launching a new regular blog series