Turua Early Learning Centre
Affordable fees
20 ECE hours available for children 3-6 years old. T&Cs Apply
Kia ora!
Kia ora!
About this centre
Welcome to our beautiful new building! Designed to be a warm and inviting open-plan space, it offers a nurturing environment for our precious babies and plenty of room for our older tamariki to explore and grow.
Currently, we’re developing our playground, with our tamariki actively involved in shaping the space. From tending to gardens and creating mud potions to learning how to transform the environment, the process teaches valuable life skills such as planning and problem-solving.
Exciting projects are underway to complement the development of the playground, which will begin in the New Year, 2025. We’re excited about the bright future ahead and the positive impact these developments will have on our children's growth and learning.
Find out more about it here.
Turua Early Learning Centre is a welcoming, safe and vibrant environment where your child will develop their creativity, confidence and love for learning.
- Our spacious outdoor area has a huge sandpit, a little hill perfect for running up and rolling down and even our very own hut that our tamariki love.
- We love to visit the native bush nearby to explore, discover and see what creepy crawlies we can uncover.
- Your child’s individual nature and uniqueness will be embraced and celebrated by our nurturing teaching team.
0–6 years
Individualised development, support and resources
Flexible hours
Open 7:30am-5:30pm with part or full day options
Affordable fees
20 ECE hours available for children 3-6 years old. T&Cs Apply
Home packed kai
Each tamariki brings a lunchbox prepared by their whānau, filled with the foods they enjoy.
Large outdoors
Spacious, secure and fun environment
Expertise and knowledge
Experienced in early learning for over 55 years
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More about us
Convenience
Our aim is to create the best conditions for your child's learning, wellbeing and care. We also know how important it is to give you the convenience you need and reassurance that your child is in safe hands. Our location, loving team and tailored environment are all waiting to be discovered by your whānau.
Full day or part day options, Storypark - our online parent communication tool, are just some of the ways we try to make things a little easier for parents. Local excursions and fun activities are just the beginning when it comes to being the best we can be for your child.
Engaging environment
Our environment will inspire, stimulate, and empower your child to learn in their own unique way. The large outdoor spaces challenge and excite the imagination, while our spacious and light-filled indoor areas offer room for reading, rest, and engaging learning experiences. Our children love painting, baking, farm activities, outdoor messy play, and the many natural areas they have to discover.
Connecting with the outdoors
We only know who we are, by knowing where we come from. That's why building a strong connection with nature and our local community is so important. We believe it helps your child develop a sense of belonging and identity and positively influences their learning experiences.
We're so lucky to have so many wonderful options on our doorstep here at Turua. We love to visit the native bush nearby to explore, discover and see what creepy crawlies we can uncover.
Staff who nurture and inspire
Our qualified and experienced teachers are committed to caring for and nurturing your child. They build a strong connection with each child throughout their early learning journey and go out of their way to ensure every child feels supported and their unique needs are met.
Our teachers create positive opportunities for your child to develop physically, mentally and emotionally. They help guide your child as they navigate new friendships, master new skills and build independence and resilience to get ready for school and lay the foundations for lifelong learning.
Nutrition and wellbeing
We encourage healthy eating habits and offer healthy snacks for morning and afternoon tea to complement each child's BYO lunchbox and food they bring from home. Our children also love being involved, and we use the vegetables and herbs we grow in our baking.
Our centre is nut-free, and we're happy to cater for any allergy or dietary requirements as needed.
Care that grows with your child
We recognise that tamariki at different ages and stages have very different needs. That’s why our approach early learning evolves as your child grows, ensuring they feel safe, supported and confident every step of the way.
We also take the time to get to know each child and their whānau from the very beginning. During the onboarding process, our kaiako work closely with parents and caregivers to understand each child’s individual needs, routines and preferences, helping us create a smooth, familiar transition into care.
For our pēpi and toddlers (0–2 year olds)
Our youngest tamariki are nurtured in calm, secure and responsive environments, with dedicated kaiako who specialise in caring for this age group. We focus on building strong, trusting relationships, as this is the foundation for all future learning and wellbeing.
Pēpi have their own thoughtfully designed spaces, with cosy areas for rest, bespoke cots, and age appropriate resources that support early movement, sensory exploration and discovery. Barnardos Early Learning services offer safe outdoor areas, so they can begin to explore the natural world in a gentle and supported way.
Our routines are flexible and guided by each child’s individual rhythms, ensuring their needs for sleep, nourishment and comfort are always prioritised.
For our older tamariki (3–6 year olds)
Our older tamariki are supported to become more independent, confident and socially connected learners.
They enjoy access to larger indoor and outdoor environments, including adventurous playgrounds that encourage physical activity, creativity and problem solving. Kaiako continue to guide and extend their learning, while also allowing space for child led play, friendships and exploration.
At this stage, there is a strong focus on building skills that support school readiness, such as communication, self regulation, resilience and curiosity, all within a fun and engaging environment.
We’re always happy to talk through how we support each age group, and what this looks like in our centre.
Feel free to get in touch or come in for a visit, we’d love to show you around and chat about how we can support your child’s learning journey.
Supporting the transition to school
We support tamariki to feel confident and ready for school by gradually building their independence, self regulation skills, social competence and love of learning. This includes everyday skills like caring for themselves, making choices, problem solving and working alongside others. As children get closer to starting school, our kaiako work closely with parents, whānau and, where possible, local schools to ensure a smooth and positive transition. We share information, encourage school visits, and tailor support to each child so their move to school feels familiar and well supported.
We’d be happy to talk more about how we support your child’s transition to school, feel free to get in touch or chat with our team.
Fees and subsidies
We want to make your child's early learning and care experience as affordable as possible. We are a not for profit organisation, so everything we do goes back into supporting your child, the centre and our community.
Our fees include:
- Quality education, care and activities provided by our team of teachers
- Healthy snacks
- Local outings
Did you know you may eligible for fee and ECE subsidies? Talk to our Centre Manager for further information.
What's happening
Ngatea Santa Parade
We were very excited to be part of the 2024 Ngatea Santa Parade and worked hard behind the scenes on our festive float! The theme was Santa’s Workshop, and our tamariki dressed as Santa’s little helpers.
Even though it bucketed down on the day, our kaiako, tamariki, and their whānau didn’t let the rain dampen the fun! All the festive spirits shone brightly, making the evening memorable.
Buzzing about Bees
What started as a simple discovery of cardboard turned into a buzzing adventure for the tamariki at our Turua Centre! As they peeled back the layers, they uncovered a honeycomb pattern, sparking a wave of excitement and curiosity. They immediately made the connection to a beehive and couldn’t wait to dive deeper!
It was a wonderful example of how curiosity can lead to learning and discovery!
Tractor Show and Tell
We value recognising and encouraging our children's interests here at Turua, providing opportunities for exploration, discovery, and nurturing their curiosities.
One of these interests is big machinery. Tamariki have a blast when tractors and forage harvesters come to visit the centre. It's no secret we have some very enthusiastic tamariki when it comes to big machines, so it was a joy to see the excitement on their faces when the huge vehicles made their way into the car park!
Stay in touch with Storypark
We use Storypark to record and communicate learning as it happens via photos, video, audio and observations within a secure online environment. Parents and whānau can receive instant feedback and plan new ways to extend their child’s unique interests and abilities.
Read what parents say about us!
Such a beautiful centre with such lovely teachers!
Letia BoeMy children have both started at barnardos as Under 1s - they have settled in well, the atmosphere is inviting and engaging.
Paige Hocking
We can notice at home what they learn here such as colours, counting etc. They are building great friendships and the teachers are brilliant, so involved and down to earth. Highly recommend this centre.Love this daycare so much staff are so nice and accommodating never had a problem my son can’t wait to go to daycare everyday will miss them so much when he starts school soon
Erin KnightWe have loved our time at Barnardo's Turua. Becs & all the staff are kind, caring, supportive & genuinely care about our little people. We will miss them all so much when our girl starts school soon.
Lucy Gable
