Costs: A Transparent Breakdown
At Four Seasons Kindergarten, we value openness and honesty when it comes to our fees and optional charges. We know that choosing an early childhood environment for your tamaiti (child) is a deeply personal decision, and we want whānau to feel informed, supported, and clear about what sits behind our choices. Below is an outline of our fees and optional charges, and what they help to make possible.
Holding a Small, Connected Community
One of the most important things our optional charge supports is our ability to remain a small kindergarten, with no more than 20 tamariki each day. We are the smallest ECE service in Taupō by intention, as we know that smaller numbers create space for deeper relationships, unhurried days, and a strong sense of belonging. This gentle pace allows kaiako to truly know each child and to respond with care, presence, and warmth.
Weekly Rates and Optional Charges
The weekly costs below include the optional charge and apply to tamariki aged 3–6 years using 20 ECE hours, attending full days from 8.30am–2.30pm.
3-day minimum enrolment: $60.00 per week
4-day enrolment: $116.00 per week
5-day enrolment: $190.00 per week
Two-year-olds are not eligible for 20 ECE hours. Their rate is $74.00 per day for a 6-hour session, which includes all meals.
We encourage a minimum three-day enrolment, as this gives tamariki the time and continuity needed to settle into the rhythm of the week, form trusting relationships, and feel a genuine sense of belonging within our community.
What Our Optional Charges Support
Our optional charges help us to create and sustain a nurturing, holistic kindergarten experience, including:
Small group sizes, a maximum of 20 tamariki daily allows for meaningful relationships and attentive, responsive care.
Our special character, grounded in Steiner Waldorf education, where imagination, rhythm, and creativity are nurtured within a calm, homely, natural environment. Our kaiako are committed to ongoing personal and professional development through Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand, and Four Seasons Kindergarten is a member of SEANZ.
Qualified kaiako, with a team that is 100% qualified and deeply committed to supporting each child’s growth and wellbeing.
All meals provided, offering nourishing, wholesome, freshly made food throughout the day.
Seasonal festivals, which mark the rhythms of the year and bring our community together in meaningful ways.
Parent and whānau evenings, creating opportunities for connection, shared understanding, and partnership between home and kindergarten.
At Four Seasons Kindergarten, we aim to offer a place where children are known, relationships are valued, and whānau feel a true sense of belonging. Our financial sustainability policies reflect the care, intention, and commitment that go into holding this uniquely bespoke space while keeping our kindergarten accessible to families from a range of backgrounds.
Our optional charge is an invitation to enter into a shared relationship with us, grounded in mutual care and shared values. What we offer at Four Seasons Kindergarten is held collectively by our community, and we trust whānau to engage in ways that feel right for them. If cost is likely to be a barrier for your family, we warmly encourage you to connect with us when you begin the enrolment process so we can talk together. If you have any questions or would like to explore enrolment, we warmly invite you to get in touch.
Our current fee policy is available to view here.
Lunchtime at Four Seasons