We have a large attractive outdoor environment and encourage active spontaneous play. Our programme is well-resourced and our gardens provide fresh vegetables for our tamariki and much loved pets. Creativity is represented strongly within our programme. We welcome all families and have a diverse community base.

Our History

The Helen Deem Centre opened in Forbury Rd in February 1955, incorporating a Plunket nurse, three kindergarten teachers, Karitane nurses and kindergarten teachers in training and medical students it catered for 60 children. The centre went on to become Helen Deem Kindergarten and was rebuilt in 2013.

St Clair Kindergarten is located in the residential area of St Clair, close to the beach and esplanade. We enjoy strong support from our families and value the sense of community this relationship brings to the kindergarten.

The team at St Clair encourage our children to discover the world around them, work through their ideas and express curiosity via our inquiry-led learning approach. St Clair offers a programme that encourages creativity, exploration, problem-solving and physical movement opportunities.

Our History

St Clair was established in 1914 in the St Clair church, and continued to operate from that site for 100 years. We joined the Dunedin Kindergartens family late in 2014, and moved into our brand new purpose built kindergarten on the same site in January 2019.

We are a small centre located in the beautiful suburb of St Clair. We pride ourselves on giving children and their families a home away from home

We cater for those families that understand that smaller group sizes have beneficial effects on their child's holistic development.  We have low ratios and qualified teachers and aim to provide an inclusive environment for all families, fostering warm and respectful relationships where children and whānau enjoy a sense of security and belonging.Queens Preschool is a childcare centre in Dunedin. 

Our Centre provides a safe, secure, home-style environment where your child can learn, play and grow. Our program is inspired by the RIE philosophy which is based on respectful care.

Queens Preschool is committed to making the first transition away from home as stress free and happy as possible for families and children. Each child has a primary and secondary caregiver, this provides them with the comfort of knowing a familiar adult is close by and fully present, sensitively observing their cues and gestures. This is a place where relationships are the key to everything else that goes on.

Our responsive curriculum celebrates individual children’s interests and strengths on their journey of learning and development, encouraging and empowering children to learn through free play both independently and alongside their peers and teachers. This creates many opportunities for a high quality, holistic and empowering teaching programme based on the interests of the child and the aspirations of their parents.

Our ratios ensure a high quality, flexible programme guided by the individual rhythms of each child, with plenty of opportunity for unhurried one on one interactions.