Kiwi Kids Early Learning is one of the Kids Group centres, at 31 Anzac Street in Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore. Its distinctive feature is the mix of approaches: the group runs Montessori-inspired centres alongside mainstream ones, and the curriculum follows Te Whāriki, New Zealand's early childhood curriculum, with a child-led way of working.
The group says it has been in early childhood education for 15 years and has served more than 368 families. Every centre is staffed by 100 per cent qualified teachers, and each has its own chef who prepares fresh meals every day. Children with allergies or other diet needs get separate meals prepared for them. The group also says it keeps a reporting system, run with the education platform Discover, to track each child's learning.
Parents can use free resources from the group, including food safety guides, colouring-in templates and home activities, and there is a newsletter. The group offers a 10 per cent lifetime discount for doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, police and other frontline public servants. Enquiries go to a general enquiry line and an email address, and staff can arrange a meeting to talk through a family's concerns.