For many years, Joy had been deeply passionate about transforming the education system to better cater to the needs of children today. When her first daughter, Zoe, started attending Totara Hill Montessori preschool, Joy and Tia had many conversations about education and started dreaming up a primary school that could blend Montessori education with the concepts of outdoor classrooms.

The ideas were only dreams until the unexpected lockdown in 2019/20. The isolation and uncertainty faced by families and children during this time highlighted the urgent need for a different approach to education – one that prioritized emotional well-being and instilled a deep connection with the environment.

This fueled their passion for change, and they began sharing their ideas over Zoom with Jane, who embraced the idea and decided to come out of her retirement to help make the dream a reality. They were also very fortunate for Marguerite to join the Trust with Tia and Joy, who had successfully run an alternative college in Auckland and was very excited to offer her support to the venture.

They have always felt that to create a truly transformative educational environment, they need diverse expertise. So they also started reaching out to parents, the community, and leaders in education to create the Nīkau Support group.

Once they shared the concepts they had developed during lockdown on social media, they were overwhelmed with a positive response. In one week, they received over 90 applications of interest from families all around Auckland and overseas. It was then that it felt like the right time to start making their dreams a reality.

Getting to this point was not without challenges, and they have funded the journey mostly from personal funds.

Today, they invite others to be a part of their vision – a vision to revolutionize education and empower tomorrow's leaders. Together, they aim to build a school that embraces the potential of every child and shapes a generation of compassionate, confident, and resilient individuals who will undoubtedly leave a positive mark on the world.

With the support of others, they can continue bringing the vision to life while reducing the fees to families as much as possible!

If you are interested in sponsoring Nikau School please download our sponsor packages and get in touch with us.