Operating since the late 1950’s, Rutherford Street Kindergarten provides high quality early childhood education and care for children living in Nelson city and surrounding suburbs.  We are a small, welcoming, community-minded centre with a maximum of 30 children enrolled at any one time.  Our centre manager and team of qualified teachers are committed to high quality relationships that are child-centred.  Our centre is community-based and is governed by a dedicated board made up of parents and community members.

We are licensed for opening from 8am to 5.30pm every week day.  Children can attend anytime during these hours – though our preferred minimum time is six hours for Government funding purposes.  We can offer four or five hour sessions by arrangement.  Children are encouraged to attend a minimum of two full days per week so they have lots of opportunities to settle well.  Children bring their own healthy lunch boxes and while we eat a rolling morning and afternoon tea, we all sit together for lunch.  We keep healthy crackers, hummus and cheese in the kitchen so if children run out of food in their lunch boxes they won’t go hungry!  We like children to bring a spare change of clothing for their wet and messy play.  We do have a few spares, but know that children usually prefer their own.

We are open all year except for two weeks over Christmas/New Year, and we close for weekends and public holidays.