One of the most important parts of early learning in Aotearoa is giving our children the space and support to explore. The Ministry of Education places a strong focus on creating safe, nurturing environments where our youngest learners can follow their curiosity, make choices about where and how they play, and develop a sense of confidence and independence.

Exploration helps develop confidence, decision making and independence and one Lower Hutt kindergarten has recognised and championed its importance for over 30 years.

Epuni Kindergarten is part of a diverse community in the heart of the Hutt Valley, located on a sheltered site within a supportive neighbourhood. Many 3rd and 4th generation students enjoy its vibrant and welcoming environment.

Tucked away in a sheltered corner of the Hutt Valley, Epuni Kindergarten offers a safe and nurturing space that quickly becomes a second home for the tamariki who attend.

The strong sense of belonging, familiar routines, and caring kaiako help students settle with ease and confidence. Head teacher Liz Fifita says the centre becomes a home away from home with the only real challenge being the ever-changing Hutt Valley weather.

“We embrace an open-door approach that encourages children to explore and learn at their own pace, freely moving between indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the day. This freedom supports their independence and sense of agency in their learning journey.

“We’re lucky to have a spacious and secure covered area that our students and teachers can use when it’s raining and the playground or sandpit isn’t suitable, however, during heavy rain or flooding, poor drainage can affect how safely the space can be used. We always assess and monitor conditions closely to make sure it’s safe for everyone," she says.

In early 2024, Epuni was able to solve part of this challenge with the installation new heavy-duty plastic drop-curtains that prevented any rain getting in and were easier for the teaching team to operate and secure.

Geographically, the east side of the Hutt Valley is a bit slower to catch the morning sun and tends to lose it earlier in the afternoon. This often means chilly starts and cooler temperatures later in the school day.

“With the cold still getting in the way and making it tricky for our teaching team of five and our 40 students to make the most of the outdoor space, a casual kōrero with some parents sparked a great idea to handle the ongoing challenge of staying warm during the colder months especially in the outdoor learning environment,” says Fifita.

This fortunate chat led to the discovery of a practical solution that would help the whole Epuni team make better use of the space, no matter the temperature.

Warm & toasty

UPS Power Solutions’ engineering manager, James Clark has already seen his eldest daughter enjoy Epuni’s enriching learning environment before progressing on to school. His second daughter currently attends the kindergarten and his youngest will be joining the Epuni family in a few years’ time.

He says that the outside areas at Epuni have always been a highlight for his own children and their friends but recognised how vulnerable their exploration was to weather interruptions.

“As soon as we started talking about how to improve the outdoor space and extend its value to the kids’ learning, I knew our Helping Hands Initiative could solve the problem. Epuni is already a place that our kids look forward to visiting every day so it’s great to be able to add even more variety to their experience,” he says.

Clark immediately began researching the ideal heating solution that would increase the availability of the outdoor space, while maintaining the safety and security of the kindergarten and its occupants.

“We not only wanted to deliver a heating solution that was tailored to the space but wanted to investigate how it would best meet Epuni’s requirements by simplifying its operation. This would ensure the teaching team could rely on the heaters switching off automatically with no interruption to learning or unnecessary power costs,” he says.

Clark, a registered electrician, installed the three 2.4kW outdoor radiant heaters and set up delay off timers to fit the daily operation of the kindergarten.

The heaters come on for 2 hours in the morning, so everyone arrives at a warm and cozy space, with teachers able to remotely operate them in the afternoon if required.

Liz Fifita says that her teaching team, students and their parents got the benefits immediately and they are almost looking forward to what will be a very different winter experience at Epuni Kindergarten.

Helping our own communities

The Helping Hands Initiative was set up to give UPS Power Solutions’ people a way to support their own communities. Clark says this is a great example of how focus and expertise can deliver fantastic results.

“We love lending a helping hand because it means deeper engagement with our communities, and the outcomes we achieve together are tailored to their needs. There’s nothing better than seeing the positive impacts of our work first-hand,” he says.

Liz Fifita says this project was especially meaningful as, in 2023, the Hutt City Kindergarten Association which includes 20 early learning centres, celebrated its 95th year of providing rich learning environments where tamariki feel comfortable to explore and engage.

“It’s completely transformed the space for us at a time when we’re marking some important milestones in early education in the region. The children keep saying how warm and cosy it is now and are clearly happy that we’ve been able to ease up on the usual layering of clothes for cold days. We can’t thank James and his team at UPS Power Solutions enough,” she says.

See where else we've provided a Helping Hand