After about one year of planning and preparation, Aspire Preschool is open and staff are excited to be welcoming about 30 children for their first week.
Located on Connor St, the preschool building was once an early education centre, which closed in 2023.
Director Julian Springer, along with some supporting staff, felt there was a need for a space dedicated to supporting young New Zealanders and decided to get working on reinstating the centre.
The preschool has three large rooms — the nursery, transition and preschool rooms — each designated for different age groups. There is an outdoor area too.
Head teacher Anita Presbury said there seemed to be a growing need for more preschools in particular, as there was an increase in young families moving to Wānaka, making their nursery room the most popular one.
Preschool director Julian Springer said the process had not been too difficult and the staff were all "passionate about education in general".
His vision was to foster aspiration and provide a balanced environment for children to "get the best of both body and knowledge".
Mr Springer also wants to ensure that children at Aspire Preschool get the opportunity to learn the basics from the start.
"Kiwi kids really struggle with math in the early years," he said.
The preschool was open on Monday for school visits and is now quickly getting into the daily routine with full classrooms.
