Meet our kaiako

Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

Kia ora!

My name is Claire and I am so fortunate to be apart of the very special Redwoods whanau.

I am a mother to 3 boys, the youngest of which was lucky enough to attend the Redwoods and gave me an insight into all the incredible nature based experiences that I have come to value so deeply.

My family and I relocated from Auckland in 2017 to a lifestyle block so that our boys could experience the open air and have space to run and play and after experiencing first hand that the Redwoods holds the same values, I knew this was the place I wanted to continue my teaching career.

In this fast paced world we live in, I believe its crucial for children to experience free play in a relaxed, peaceful, unhurried and self directed fashion. Smelling the flowers, watching the bees, listening to the wind in the trees is all part of my why. I value building strong connections between Kaiako, tamaiti and their whanau and through these connections, really getting to know the heart of the tamaiti and supporting them to confidently and competently grow and learn through their play.