Frequent Asked Questions

Reo Oriori welcomes tamariki from infancy until they leave for school. Our Poipoia environment caters for younger tamariki, while Penapenatia provides a dedicated learning environment for our older preschool tamariki.

Yes we do. We have two spaces: Poipoia for Years 0 -3, and Penapenatia for Years 3 - 6.

Reo oriori participates in the Government's 20 Hours ECE scheme for eligible children aged three, four and five. Fees are $10 per hour but the breakdown will depend on your child's age, attendance pattern and eligibility for 20 Hours ECE. Contact Reo oriori and we will clearly explain the cost for the days and hours you are considering before you enrol.

Start by getting in touch or completing our enrolment enquiry. We encourage you and your tamaiti to visit Reo Oriori, meet our kaiako and explore the environment before making your decision. Once a place and start date are agreed, we will guide you through the enrolment information and settling process.If you have already decided you can use the link on the home page, email Dee on dee@oriori.co.nz or ring Dee on 021 179 1143.

Absolutely. We believe visiting is one of the best ways to choose an early learning centre. You are welcome to see our environments, meet our kaiako, ask questions and get a feel for everyday life at Reo oriori before deciding whether we are the right fit for your whānau, ring Dee to organise a time, 021 179 1143.

We have expansive outdoor spaces, we combine Māori understandings of child development and contemporary early childhood education, and have excellent teacher to child ratios.

Yes. Reo Oriori welcomes pēpi and tamariki under two in Poipoia, our dedicated environment for younger children. The space has been designed around nurturing relationships, unhurried care, restful sleep and opportunities for pēpi to safely explore their world.

We have tamariki from Greytown, Featherston, Carterton, Lake Ōnoke (Ferry), Martinborough and surrounds.

Reo Oriori is located at 23–25 Wood Street, Greytown, in South Wairarapa. We are centrally located within Greytown and welcome whānau from Greytown and surrounding Wairarapa communities.

Availability changes as children enrol, change days or transition to school. Please contact us with your child's age, preferred start date and the days you need and we can let you know our current availability. We encourage families to enquire early, particularly when they require specific days.

Our available spaces vary by age and day of the week. If the days you need are currently full, we can discuss future availability with you and record your interest. Flexibility around days can sometimes make an earlier start possible.

Settling is planned around the individual tamaiti rather than a one-size-fits-all timetable. Before your child's start, we encourage visits so they can become familiar with the people, spaces and routines. Our kaiako work closely with whānau to learn the cues, comforts, relationships and routines that help each child feel secure and develop a genuine sense of belonging.

Yes. Familiarisation visits can help pēpi build relationships with kaiako while their parent or caregiver is nearby. We encourage whānau to talk with us about a settling approach that suits their baby and family.

Poipoia has calm, temperature-controlled sleep spaces designed to support restful sleep. We work with whānau around each child's familiar sleep routines and provide a warm, nurturing environment where pēpi can rest safely and securely.

Our care routines are respectful and unhurried. As part of our commitment to kaitiakitanga, whānau can choose washable kōpe and reusable bamboo wipes supplied by Reo Oriori and cleaned and sanitised daily using our established hygiene processes.

Poipoia is our environment for younger tamariki, 0-3, and focuses strongly on nurturing, responsive relationships, care routines and exploration. Penapenatia is our environment for older preschool tamariki, 3 - 5, where children are supported to extend their independence, curiosity, friendships, thinking and preparation for the transition to school.

Poipoia means to nurture, care for and support. We chose the name because it reflects the warm, responsive relationships at the heart of our environment for our youngest tamariki.

Penapenatia means to take care of, attend to, nurture and look after. The name reflects our commitment to supporting older tamariki as their confidence, capabilities, relationships and independence continue to grow.

Reo oriori refers to the oriori tradition of compositions created for tamariki, carrying language, whakapapa, identity, aspirations and knowledge across generations. Our name reflects our belief that every tamaiti arrives with their own whakapapa, strengths and potential, and that early learning should nurture these rather than separate children from them.

Yes. We believe Greytown and the wider Wairarapa are part of children's learning environment. Connections with local people, places, schools, whenua and community experiences help tamariki understand where they belong and enable learning to extend beyond the centre gates.

Outdoor learning is an important part of life at Reo Oriori. Our environments provide substantial outdoor spaces where tamariki can move, investigate, take appropriate risks, explore the natural world and develop confidence, coordination, curiosity and kaitiakitanga.

Yes. Reo oriori is a Ministry of Education licensed Education and Care Service in Greytown. Our Ministry of Education service number is 46128.

Reo oriori has a highly experienced teaching team that includes fully qualified and registered early childhood teachers, teachers with primary and early childhood experience, experienced educational leaders and kaiako currently completing recognised ECE qualifications. You can meet our current team and read about their experience on our Kaiako page.

Yes. Play, exploration, relationships and children's interests are central to learning at Reo oriori. Kaiako observe, listen, question, introduce ideas and provide environments and resources that enable children to investigate, create, communicate and extend their thinking.