Pre schools / nurseries in Tauranga

[brumnurse]

Hi Folks

Just heard today that we have been granted PR

We will be arriving in Tauranga (via Auckland and singapore) on the 15th of September....unless anything goes horribly wrong.


We have two daughters, one is aged 3 and a half the other aged 2.

What are the options in Tauranga for their continued pre schooling?


I believe that they would start school the day after their 5th birthdays, but what happens before then?

Can anyone recommend specific good preschools / nurseries that we could try and get a rental near?

or does location not matter, can we live where we like and enrol them in a pre - school nursery on the other side of town.

we do not really mind where we live in Tauranga, we just need somewhere fully furnished for 6 months or so initially

many thanks

[Arwen]

Hello there brumnurse.

A hearty 'Congratulations' on getting PR.

Can't give you any info on Tauranga I'm afraid, but I'm sure there will be many others who'll be able to answer your questions.

I noticed your location is Solihull. Well, we lived there for 10 years and all three of my children were born at Solihull hospital. Small world innit!!!

Best of luck with the rest of your emigration journey.

[Rob&Don]

Congratulations on your PR!!

[Kalla]

I'm afraid I don't know any thing about your specific area but we've been making enquires about our area and it seems that the pre-schools are not zoned and you can just apply to the individual pre-school. We've sent off a few e-mails to the ones we like the look of to maybe our sons name down (as I've heard there can be waiting lists).

[janrzm]

Hi

We are in Tauranga , can't help with pre schools , as my kids are schools age.

Just wanted to mention that fully furnished rentals are a lot harder to find here , other than the holiday home type , which is a lot more expensive & mostly down at the Mount/Papamoa.
Just something to bear in mind.


Congratulations on the PR

[JandM]

Congratulations!

[BaggiesFans]

Speaking from personal experience there is a real shortage of nursery / preschool places in Tauranga and all of the places in central Tauranga have a long waiting list. If you are relying on childcare to start work I would say it might be worth phoning some places and seeing if you can get on the waiting list now.

We arrived in Tauranga June 2008 when my son was 1 1/2 and phoned every nursery in Tauaranga. When we did find a place we had to jump at it, even though I didn't yet have a job or else risk getting a job offer and not being able to take it due to having no childcare. I don't know what Papamoa or Mount Maunganui are like - we lived centrally.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more specific info - between my experience and that of friends I can probably tell you something about 4 of the daycare centres.

We have now moved to Christchurch and had the same problem although loads of new childcare centres have opened here in the last couple of months so probably wouldn't have so much of an issue now.


Tracy

[brumnurse]

many thanks to all for the responses.

We will have to have a look at the various centres websites, will send you a message baggies...cheers


Btw also, is there an ofsted type organisation that reviews Kindergartens?

[walshy]

i wouldnt 'live just anywhere' in tauranga, as places go from very nice to very poor.

our kids were at 'the village' pre school in bethlehem and it was absolutely fantastic

[catt]

Like most towns and cities in the UK and all over the world, there are good and not so good areas in Tauranga but to be truthful there are no really bad bad areas just different.

We live in Welcome Bay and its amazing how many people in areas such as Matua and Bethlehem look down on it but we love it. We have fantastic views, the best in Tauranga I would say, lovely houses (some not so good in the older part), friendly folk around us and lovely reserves close by to take the dog out for a run and go for picnics.

Tauranga is lovely and we would recommend it.

Can't help on the nursery schools though.........sorry..........if we can help in anyway then drop us a pm Brumnurse.

Cheers
Anni