The very best childhood education, spacious natural environments and teachers who care

We offer early-childhood education for everyone.

All seven of our kindergartens offer full day (school hours), morning and/or afternoon sessions during the school term for children over the age of 2 years old (we are not licensed for under 2 year old's).

 

Two of our kindergartens (Mayfield and Redwoodtown), and our Early Learning Centre (Awatere) operate a full year model and only close between Christmas and New Year, or for teachers to engage in professional development.


We offer a variety of hours and times to suit your needs.

At any one of our eight centres, your child will experience:

  • Exceptional learning

    We believe every child deserves an education that enables them to meet their full potential, which is why all our teachers are 100% fully qualified.


    Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, underpins the day-to-day activities in our centres. Te Whāriki has been developed to provide a framework based on how tamariki learn and is linked to the New Zealand School Curriculum, providing important preparation for school.

  • Developmental support

    Before starting school it is important that tamariki are confident communicators. Through their work engaging with tamariki, our teachers are able to recognise when children may benefit from some additional support, which is why all our centres offer a speech and language programme. 

  • 100% qualified teachers

    In the proud tradition of kindergarten, our teaching staff are all qualified and registered teachers, with a minimum of a three-year Diploma of Teaching in Early Childhood Education.


    We encourage and support our teachers to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date throughout the year, by providing them with regular professional development opportunities, all based on the latest research.

  • Affordable childcare

    True to one of the founding principles of kindergarten, we are proud to make quality early childhood education available to all whānau in our communities, with up to 30 hours free education for children aged between 3 - 6 years. 


    As a not-for-profit organisation, we reinvest in our centres and our people - not shareholders. This means our tamariki, whānau and wider communities all benefit, regardless of location or socio-economic background.

  • Learning that’s fun

    Tamariki are given the space and freedom to develop their imagination and creativity, and our teaching staff work hard to support children to feel safe, so they can focus on trying new things and develop new skills with confidence. 


    All our centres are well resourced to provide a range of sensory experiences, through which tamariki naturally learn a wide range of those all-important life skills, including working alongside others, sharing, cooperation, making friends and asking for help. 


    Our centres have large, shaded outdoor areas with sandpits, mud kitchens and fruit and vegetable gardens, plus a wide range of fun equipment such as swings, slides, waterplay, carpentry and more.

  • Community focused

    Our centres are a place where all cultures and languages are valued and celebrated to enrich the learning for everyone.


    As a hub for our communities, we provide a place for whānau with young tamariki to meet and engage in the community through excursions, visitors and special events. 


    From singing to local rest home residents, to planting days at nearby schools and parks, our tamariki and whānau are collectively growing more supportive and connected communities.

  • Caring for our environment

    With big shady backyards with fruit trees and vegetable gardens we are proud to provide fantastic natural environments and learning strategies that teach our tamariki the importance of being kaitiaki/guardians of our environments.


    Nature-based learning has been proven to benefit the health, wellbeing and development of all tamariki, and outdoor learning opportunities comprise a large part of kindergarten curricula. 


    All our centres are part of the Enviroschools programme, which empowers tamariki to discover their natural world and gives them the opportunity to participate in sustainability projects. At any one centre you may find worm farms, compost areas, vegetable gardens and bug houses. Tamariki grow plants, raise and tag monarch butterflies, study local waterways, plant and care for trees at the local park, design and set predator traps, pick fruit and make jam and make bird feeders for manu/birds.

  • Transition to school

    With Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Childhood Curriculum, underpinning our learning strategies across all our centres, we are proud to support tamariki with their transition to school. We work closely with the primary schools in our community, and work collaboratively with schools to ensure a harmonious transition for our tamariki.