Location76 Russell Street, Dunedin Head teacherAngela Porthouse Phone03-477-7902 CapacityLicensed for 40 children aged 2 to 5 years Hours7:30am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday. Closed public holidays.

Children and their families very quickly feel at home in the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere at Pioneers Russell Street. Conveniently situated just up the hill from central Dunedin, we provide a home-like environment in an extensive villa that has a large sheltered outdoor play area with beautiful mature trees.

Having fully qualified, registered teachers and high teacher to child ratios, Pioneers Russell Street provides a nurturing and stimulating learning environment for up to 40 children from two to five years. Our dedicated team take pride in ensuring that Pioneers Russell Street is where warm, respectful and genuine relationships are nurtured and children feel valued, happy, relaxed and enjoy being themselves.

We offer a rich and varied curriculum that supports parental aspirations and promotes positive learning outcomes for each individual child. Our teachers facilitate the children’s love of learning through stimulating their imaginations, by encouraging exploration, wonder, inquiry, discovery and problem-solving, and, most importantly, by having fun.

At Pioneers Russell Street we embrace our unique New Zealand context, our bicultural heritage and our Kiwi lifestyle. We foster innovative thinking, active movement and a love for our land, our native plants and animals. Our forest programme offers children the opportunity to be fully immersed in nature, nurturing mind, body and spirit.

We also take a hands on approach to sustainable education; our children are involved in each stage of the composting and growing cycles.

Fostering children’s social competency and sense of resilience is an important aspect of early learning and a focus for us at Russell Street. Our Kereru group offers our 4 year old children an interesting programme that promotes essential learning and life skills ensuring a seamless transition to primary school.