Our Learning Approach

Full-time Nature School

Express your interest in our new full-time nature school in the form below.

Reggio Emilia Inspired Primary School

We have been working with the Charter School Agency on the charter school process, and we continue to work through the possibility of establishing a full-time nature-based charter school. The proposed school is for primary aged children and is inspired by the high-quality, world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach.

Our curriculum includes the explicit teaching of core reading, writing and math skills, interest-based projects, free play, hands-on active learning, no less than 4 hours in nature daily, a predominantly device-free school and a full social-emotional curriculum supporting wellbeing and social development. Classes will be small with no more than 16 children, and the school will remain a small community-focussed boutique primary school.

No attendance fees will be charged as the government will provide the central funding. However voluntary school donations will still support the quality of the school and bus transport fees may apply to some families who require this service.

We intend to open a new Primary School in Term 1, 2026, with our exact school campus location yet to be confirmed. We are fortunate to have several options available to us and we are now at the stage of gauging community interest, preference and demand.

The full-time, nature-based Primary School is IN ADDITION to our current One Day School at Hatfields Beach, Orewa. The One Day School will remain at Hatfields Beach, whilst we propose a new full-time Primary School to be situated at Glenfield, Matakana or Warkworth. A school bus service may be offered to these locations if there is community demand.

First Name

Last Name

Phone Number

What is your location?

What is your child’s name?

What is your child’s age?

What is your child’s current year level at school?

What is your child’s gender?

Boy Girl

What is your child’s current schooling provision?

Public school Home educated Private school Not yet enrolled in school

Have you already completed an expression of interest for our proposed charter school?

YES NO

What factors are most important to you in a school location?

Close proximity to home or work Availability of transport options: carpooling, bus service etc An enriching learning environment Location is secondary, a school that is best for my child is the priority Community and connection to like minded families

What are the reasons you would like your child to enrol in The Forest School?

Finally, if The Forest School did open a full-time nature school in Matakana would you be interested in enrolling your child?

YES NO

What is your preferred location for a full-time, fully funded, nature-based Primary School?

* Glenfield - 2 hectares of private land which feels like country in the middle of the city * Warkworth - a magnificent farm and forest, estuary & harbour * Matakana - stunning pristine native bush & river - beaches nearby