We would encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as possible. Spaces are worked out based on start dates, waitlists and availability in each rūma. You do not need to commit completely until the space is offered to you, so please fill in an enrolment enquiry form and drop it in, so we know the days and times you are looking for.
FAQS
What are your teacher to child ratios?
Our infant rūma (~up to age 2) have an average kaiako to child ratio of 1:4.
Toddler rūma (~age 2-3) have an average kaiako to child ratio of 1:6.
Preschool rūma (~age 3+) have an average kaiako to child ratio of 1:8.
What is included in your fees?
Nutritional morning tea, afternoon tea and late snack, personal portfolio, online learning e-portfolio.
Do you offer 20 hours free?
We offer 20 hours free early childhood education, which are subsidised by the Ministry of Education. Find out more at www.education.govt.nz
How big are your classes?
To maintain ideal ratios, we prefer to keep our occupancy less than our official allowance. So for us that means:
Infant rūma – up to 8 tamariki
Toddler rūma – up to 12 tamariki
Preschool rūma – up to 18 tamariki
Are your teachers qualified?
A minimum of 80% of our kaiako are fully qualified.
What food will my child eat?
We provide a range of fresh fruit and pre-packaged snacks such as crackers with cheese.
We follow the Healthy Eating guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health.
My child has allergies, can you cater for this?
Yes, we cater for children with allergies. Please talk to our centre manager (Jaclyn) about the specific needs of your tamariki.
Do the children play outside all year round?
We believe in outside play all year round and ensure that and tamariki (and kaiako) are dressed appropriately. This allows tamariki to fully enjoy jumping in puddles and exploring the changing seasons, while still keeping warm and dry.
Do you have holidays?
While you’re able to take holidays when you would like, our fees are calculated over 52 weeks of the year, for ease of payments. Inspiring Minds is only closed on the statutory holidays.
What happens if my child gets sick?
It’s important to have a plan for when your tamariki is sick, as you will be asked to keep them away from the centre until they are well again. You will need to call the centre to let them know your tamariki will be absent and let us know if they have an infectious disease e.g. Chicken Pox, conjunctivitis etc. Any absent days are still paid for in full.
What do I need to bring?
We encourage each tamariki to have their own bag which will contain 2 or 3 changes of clothes; their lunch box and water bottle.
Each item should be clearly named to avoid losses.
If applicable, bottles, formula and nappies.
A named sun hat between the months of September – April and a named sun-block if they have an allergy to regular sun-block.
During the cooler months, it is good for tamariki to have a warm jacket, warm hat and gumboots so they can fully enjoy our outside environment.
Do you have a school readiness programme?
We use a play-based curriculum where we focus on developing, extending and enhancing tamariki’s interests in a tamariki-led environment.
We focus on the dispositions that set a tamariki up for lifelong learning e.g. problem solving, perseverance, resilience, curiosity, social and emotional intelligence.
We incorporate early literacy and numeracy and the dispositions into what the tamariki is passionate about, in a fun and engaging way. Our rūma offer all the literacy and numeracy tools for tamariki to be successful in their learning as they transition on to primary school learning.
Do you offer sessions or half days?
Yes we do.
We do encourage tamariki to have a minimum of 2 days per week at our centre and a minimum of 6 hours per day. This ensures a consistency of routine to help tamariki feel settled and comfortable in this home-away-from-home environment.
How will my child settle in?
It is important that both you and your tamariki are feeling settled before they have their first full day with us. For this reason we recommend a minimum of three visits before your tamariki starts spread out over a few weeks. Please discuss this with Jaclyn (Centre Manager) and the kaiako of the rūma your tamariki will be in. Some tamariki settle in immediately, and others take more time, but we make sure to give them the love and support they need to make it as smooth as possible.
What age can my child start?
We enrol tamariki from four months to six years old. If you need to enrol a younger child, please speak with us to see if we can help.
How far in advance should I enrol my child?
What do the words ``tamariki`` or ``kaiako`` mean - and why are they used here?
Inspiring Minds respects the unique position of Māori as tāngata whenua in Aotearoa. Inspiring Minds is aware of and appreciates the bi-cultural heritage of our country. We uphold Te Tiriti O Waitangi and the use of Te Reo Māori as a living language.
We also understand that some of our whānau may not be familiar with these words. It is a learning experience for all.
Some words with some very simple meanings to help guide your understanding:
Tamariki – child
Kaiako – teacher
Rūma – room (eg Toddler room)
Kura – school
Whānau – family
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