GLEN EDEN
GLENDALE ROAD (09) 818 9913 | MATAKI WAY (09) 218 6407
GLENDENE
BEAZLEY PLACE (09) 836 6495
ONEHUNGA
CHURCH STREET (09) 636 1395
Our four privately owned and operated childcare centres are located in Glendene, Glen Eden and Onehunga with many of our children coming from surrounding West Auckland areas including Kelston, Te Atatu and Titirangi.
Anita Kumar
Managing Director
I established Our Kids Early Learning Centre in 2008 following 13 years in the education sector. I hold a Bachelor of Education, (Teaching) (ECE), from the University of Auckland, and I am an experienced teacher, head teacher, and early learning centre manager. My passion is for quality in early childhood education, stemming from my years of study, experience and ongoing professional development.
I am passionate about inspiring teachers to strive for excellence. I enjoy being in a mentoring role with teachers, supporting them when embracing challenges within the changing education landscape. I am a good listener who establishes relationships with teachers and others easily.
I’m responsible for developing policies and establishing strategic and management plans to guide the future direction of the centres.
I have considerable experience with mixed aged grouping and both the Our Kids Glendene and Glen Eden centres have mixed aged licenses.
Bhagirath Prutvi
Business Manager
I graduated from AUT in 2012 with a Bachelors of Digital Design, specialising in 3D animation and motion graphics. Followed by a one year Diploma in Contemporary Music Performance from MAINZ, and then a Bachelor of Music (Hons) in Jazz Performance on piano at Auckland University.
Throughout that time I’ve been assisting my mother Anita with running Our Kids Early Learning Centres. With Web Development, managing the IT systems at the centre, photography and videos for marketing and brand development and the occasional music performances at the centres. More recently I have taken an administrative role as well as management accounting of the business which has formalised into the role as a Business Manager for Our Kids.
My role is to grow the business with increased enrolments and working alongside the teaching teams and management to support strategic and management plans to guide the future direction of our centres.
Brooke MacClure
Centre Manager, Our Kids Mataki Way
Kia Ora, my name is Brooke and I am the Centre Manager for Our Kids Mataki Way.
I have been working in Early Childhood since 2007. I hold a Graduate Diploma of Teaching (ECE), alongside a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Intervention. I have worked in a range of settings in the early childhood sector. I started my career working in Daycare, then as a Visiting Teacher and Manager in the Home Based Sector and more recently Kindergarten.
I teach from the heart and give 100% in all that I do. I believe that when our tamariki, fellow Kaiako and whanau are treated with kindness and compassion meaningful relationships develop. The strength of these relationships ground us in a space that enables us to explore, to fly and let our true selves shine. I am committed to my role leading our wonderful team of passionate early childhood educators and working in a collaborative space to promote rich and meaningful learning opportunities for our tamariki.
Katerina Longo
Centre Manager Our Kids Glen Eden
Kia ora, my name is Kate and I am the manager at Our Kids Glen Eden. I have been working with the wonderful Our Kids team since 2019 but have 15 years experience in the early childhood sector. I hold a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education.
I have a calm and caring approach towards tamariki, and building whānaungatanga/relationships with whānau and tamariki is extremely important to me. I have a deep respect for our people of the future and nurture children with aroha and patience so they feel secure enough to blossom and develop into strong capable learners.
After having my own child in 2017, my passion and commitment to the early years has deepened even further which makes me relate and understand the beautiful and sometimes challenging parts of parenting. I am dedicated to helping young tamariki grow emotional, social and developmental skills to promote their overall well-being.
I lead our Kaiako with a kind and understanding approach and believe the well-being of our teachers is extremely important so they feel supported to give our tamariki their full potential.
Here at Our Kids Glen Eden, our team is passionate and works well together to ensure that we have an understanding and respect of Te Ao Māori and te taiao the environment. This is something I continue to be inspired and learn more about.
Natasha Barr
Centre Manager, Our Kids Glendene
Rochelle Cole
Centre Manager, Our Kids Onehunga
Kia ora e te whānau,
My name is Rochelle Cole and I am the centre Manager over at Our Kids Early Learning Centre Onehunga.
I have a Bachelor of Education in Primary/Intermediate teaching and I have been working for Our Kids Early Learning since 2012 which has provided me with multiple opportunities for growth and development over this time. My approach to teaching and learning as a whole is centred around ako/ recipricol learning, and whakamana/ empowered child led learning, with an emphasis on dispositions and attitudes towards lifelong learning. We strive for our tamariki to experience a challenging and thoughtful environment that encourages respect for themselves, respect for others, while also fostering a deep and instrinsic connection with Te Taiao.
High quality education means ensuring a holistic and culturally inclusive response to teaching and learning where tamariki, kaiako, and whānau feel capable and valued to confidently express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. I embrace a shared leadership model, nurturing and building beautiful collaborative whanaungatanga between Kaiako, and whānau, where everyone feels connected through a strong, authentic sense of belonging.