The Secret Garden Preschool is a small, owner-run preschool at 399 Main Road in central Huapai, just outside Kumeū. It was founded and is managed by local mum Jodi Browne, and it opened in 2015. It takes children from about 2 years old up to school age, and it caps numbers at 30 so that the teachers can get to know each child well.
Children can attend half-day or full-day sessions. The preschool offers 20 hours of free ECE for children aged 3 and over. The outdoor space is one of its features: more than 1,000 square metres of lawn with mature fruit trees, a greenhouse, a paved bicycle trail, a wooden playground and a sand pit. There is a covered area that is protected from UV in summer, and a warm, enclosed sunny patio for messy play in winter. The indoor space is open-plan and filled with light.
The teaching draws on internationally recognised early learning programmes and a Kiwi childhood approach, with teachers encouraging children to think for themselves and solve problems. One parent wrote that her daughter settled within three weeks, loved her teachers and was happy at pick-up. Enrolments are open, and visitors can book a time to look around.