Our Curriculum

Your child will learn and explore in our quality education programmes. Our programmes are well-regarded by the New Zealand Education Review Office and are designed specifically for your child's individual needs, so you can be secure in knowing that your child is receiving the best education and support.

Communication Books and Child Portfolios

Each child is given an individual Child Portfolio which records their progress and development through a series of learning stories written by your au pair. These often become a treasured possession for both family and au pair. Similarly, our Communication Book helps you to establish a dialogue with your au pair around your children's needs, to ensure their day-to-day care requirements are being met.

Weekly playgroups

Your child will have access to weekly, local playgroups across New Zealand.  In some areas multiple playgroups run each week giving your au pair the chance to bring the children along to several different sessions every week. We also offer a music group called GrooveLink and active movement session called MoveLink. A specific activity or themes are often arranged for the day, and all our playgroups are run by our qualified ECE teachers and are well equipped with educational resources. We always enjoy a great turn out to our playgroups and it is an excellent way for children, au pairs and our Programme Managers to interact with each other, build friendships and share ideas and experiences.

Au pair & child outings

We encourage children and au pairs to explore their local communities through our regular outings. At least once a month au pairs receive an invite to a local event such as going to the zoo, a farm, the fire station or a beach - this is where children can discover the world around them together. With our close-knit network of au pairs in tow, it's not unusual to hear children naming their favourite animals in German or asking their local baker about pain au chocolat!

Regular home visits

Our team of Programme Managers are committed to ensuring each family are happy and enjoying their au pair experience.  We organise monthly meetings with your au pair and quarterly progress meetings with you to ensure the little ones have a suitable learning environment, support and resources.  We think it's important that parents are involved in their children's learning experience wherever possible, and these meetings are a great opportunity for you to share your aspirations with us.

Educational resources

A great range of free educational resources (books, music, toys) and resource kits for au pairs to explore with the children are provided by Au Pair Link. Whether your child is interested in art, music, dinosaurs or creepy-crawlies, our kits are designed to fill your child's mind with curiosity about the world around them. We even provide online learning tools and literacy and numeracy kits for children who are transitioning to school.

Professional learning

Our au pairs are offered on-going early childhood training and support right from the moment they arrive at our orientation course. We aim to weave professional learning opportunities through everything offer, especially our home visits and playgroups. We do also offer bi-monthly professional learning sessions, which are conducted by our Programme Managers. These are a fantastic opportunity for your au pair to learn more about childcare, nutrition, positive behaviour techniques and so much more! Our professional learning workshops mean that your au pair is leading the way in the care they provide to your little ones.

Te Whāriki

Our team of Programme Managers are all qualified early childhood teachers and are dedicated to supporting our au pairs, families and their children. Au Pair Link strives to implement a high quality programme, in line with the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki.

Te Whāriki (translated as 'the woven mat'), supports your children's learning and interests, as they are woven through different learning experiences, helping them to:

• Be curious
• Develop their natural interests
• Persist with difficulty and problem-solving
• Express their ideas through creativity, and
• Take responsibility

You'll relish in seeing the children develop into happy, healthy and confident young learners. By creating daily learning opportunities, which focus on your child's individual personality and interests, Te Whāriki provides them with a foundation on which to build life-long skills and knowledge, in meaningful ways.