Kindergarten forced to operate from tent

Stevie Newton, 3, and Lucie Locke, 4, don't seem to mind a bit that their school Te Puna kindergarten has moved outdoors. Photo / Katie Cox

Children and teachers have been forced from their leaky kindergarten building and into a marquee on a neighbouring Bay of Plenty farm in what is believed to be a New Zealand first.

They don't have power, and the nearest neighbours are sheep.

Squares of carpet cover the floor inside the 10m x 10m marquee and inside, tables, chairs, games, activities, and toys fill the space. Two play tents are also being used.

It's not flash, but staff say they have everything they need.

"When we first moved here I felt we had to bring everything over to this space but now that we're here, we don't need the glut of items," head teacher Paula Osborn told the Bay of Plenty Times.

"We've found it really nice being able to be right involved in nature and get back to the basics of reading and writing and for us teachers, not relying on technology to assist our teaching. And the kids love being outdoors."

When Mrs Osborn joined the Minden Rd kindergarten in late 2010, she said it had already been established that "dampness" was somehow coming into the kindergarten and then cracks started appearing. The expected cost of the repairs is about $200,000.

Te Puna school offered temporary space but the kindergarten community wanted to stay close to its original building, so Mrs Osborn approached Gordon and Avis Burr, who owned the farm next door.

"He was amazing and offered us his land to use and I think it's great being here because it makes sense to keep these kids connected to the kindy. They can look over the fence and see work being done on the kindergarten and understand what's going on."

Before the temporary kindergarten was established on the paddock, it had to pass Ministry of Education requirements. This is the first time a kindergarten has operated from a marquee and tent, Mrs Osborn said.

The kindergarten, which established in the early 1980s, is undergoing major work. Builders are adding an additional toilet and a new kitchen, expanding the office area for another staff member, recladding the outside and double-glazing all the windows. These changes will mean the kindergarten can cater for an additional 10 children, bringing their total to 40.

Parent organisation Tauranga Region Kindergartens will pay to fix the kindergarten building.

The kindergarten is expects to be in its repaired building by the end of the month.