Inner city preschool to support parents working in Christchurch CBD

The first purpose-built preschool in the CBD since the Christchurch earthquakes will open its doors at The Crossing in September next year.

The brand new preschool will be on the top floor of The Crossing’s carpark building, where it will cater for up to 100 children between three months and five years of age.

“With strong growth in the revived CBD, there’s demand for new services from those living and working here,” says The Crossing developer Philip Carter.

“As more people make their home in the East Frame and with four major banks now having large offices close to The Crossing, a preschool will be very welcome in the central city.

“We are thrilled to attract the Ireland Group (IGL), one of New Zealand’s leading providers of private early childhood centres, to The Crossing. IGL has completed more than 50 early childhood centres and is a specialist in the operation of quality childcare facilities. Their presence here is a vote of confidence in our central city,” says Philip Carter.

Hamish Ireland, CEO of the Ireland Group and a director of Kingsland Developments (KDL) who will be operating the centre, says KDL is delighted to be providing such a needed service to people working in central Christchurch. “The new pre-school already has many pre enrolments that have come in to our website simply by word of mouth, which in our view demonstrates the social importance of infrastructure such as this in the CBD. It’s fantastic to be given the opportunity by the Carter Group to be part of such a comprehensive precinct.

“A huge benefit we’ll be offering is ease of access for parents and caregivers, who can literally drive up to the 7th floor of The Crossing, make use of the ample parking, and bring their child into the centre safely,” says Hamish. “Because of its central locality, parents and caregivers can also come and spend time with their children at lunchtime if they wish.

“Our location also means small groups of children can visit places like the Christchurch Botanical Gardens and the Margaret Mahy playground – the central city will be their playground.

“We have many years of experience designing childcare centres, and our centres have led the way in pre-school design and best practice. We’re bringing all of this experience to The Crossing Pre-school.

“Among other initiatives, the preschool will provide a garden-like environment, with water features for interactive play. Children will feel like they are playing in gardens. There will also be age appropriate open indoor rooms, as well as large, well-resourced outdoor play areas,” says Hamish.

The preschool design is by The Crossing architects Wilson and Hill.

“Our teacher child ratios are lower than required by government regulations. We will provide a 1 to 4 ratio for 0-2 year olds, and a 1 to 8 ratio for children 2 to 5 years of age, ensuring the best possible experience for the children attending our preschool. We will also be approved for the government early childhood education subsidy,” says Hamish.

- ENDS-

© Scoop Media