Progression through the programs offered by WanaExcel are determined by several factors. These include, but are not limited to, meeting of developmental milestones, levels of independence and self-regulation, age, personal circumstances, hours regularly attended, and availability of child spaces. Please note, the timing of all transitions within our programs are at the discretion of the WanaExcel Teaching Team and are based on each child’s individual needs. Please see our ‘Progression of Learning’ page for more details.

WanaExcel understands that sleep requirements adjust with the age and stage of each child. Sleep areas for different age groups are set up to best cater to the specific needs at their current stage of development. 

• For our youngest children in the Exploration Room, the WanaExcel Team will do their best to maintain sleep patterns followed at home as dictated by parents and whanau. 
• As they transition into the Little Discoverers environment and beyond, children are put to sleep in our designated sleep areas immediately after lunch and are woken again by 2pm. Daily sleep requirements (i.e maximum sleep times) will be met by the WanaExcel Team as requested by parents and whanau within this timeframe.
• It is not envisioned that 4-year-old children will sleep on a regular basis at WanaExcel B4 School however, allocated rest areas are available to all children should they be required.  

The opportunity to take part in excursions at WanaExcel begins at 3 years old and expands once your child reaches the age of 4 and attends WanaExcel B4 School. It is important to note that some of the excursions have limited availability so it is important to express interest in these during your child’s enrolment or via email request to go on the waiting list. Please note an expression of interest will not automatically ensure your child a space as these are sometimes limited. Please see our Extra Curricular page for more details on what excursion opportunities are available for different age groups.

• Lunchbox: All parents provide a fully packed Lunchbox with enough food for morning and afternoon tea, lunch and a late snack if staying after 4pm.  
• Milk and Formula: Due to different preferences and specific needs children have at such a young age, milk and formula is not supplied by WanaExcel and will need to be brought in by you. 
• Nappies: Again, due to different preferences and sizing needs, nappies are not supplied by WanaExcel and will need to be brought in regularly by you (wipes are included). You are welcome to use re-usable nappies if this is your preference however, due to Health and Safety reasons we do not wash these at the Centre. Instead, solids will be removed from the nappy into the toilet as best as possible and it will be wrapped up and placed in your child’s re-useable wet-bag you will receive as part of your enrolment and sent home for washing.
• Spare Clothing: Please ensure you pack enough spare clothing for the day! A rough guideline based on our experience would be enough for 3 full changes per day ensuring that each set is appropriate for the current weather conditions at the time. PLEASE NAME EVERYTHING
• Sleep Sack / Snuggly / Dummies (for sleeping children): Most children have things that help with comforting during sleep times at home – it is a good idea to bring these into the Centre each day as another constant in your child’s daily routine. Some families choose to have a spare set that stays on-site to reduce admin during pick up and drop offs
• Wet Bag: All children need to have their wet bag with them daily. This is used to store and transport wet / soiled clothing

7:30am-5:30pm (Early Learning Centre) 8:30 am-4:30 pm (B4 School) Monday to Friday - Hours outside of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm at B4 School can be provided on an ‘as-available’ basis by request.

Absences at WanaExcel are charged in full except for scheduled holidays and Public Holidays. Absent days may be made up in the following week free of charge if numbers allow. Holidays are to be applied for in writing at least 2 weeks in advance which will then be discounted to 50% of normal fees. WanaExcel is closed for all public holidays and for an annual Christmas closing period of approximately two weeks for which there is no charge. Dates of this closure will be finalised and announced yearly.

Our fee schedule is determined by many factors including the age of your child, and the number of days and hours in a day you would like them to attend. If you would like more information on our fees and get an exact figure on what it would cost for your family to attend WanaExcel, please feel free to email askme@wanaexcel.co.nz with the age of your child and the number of days and hours you would like and we will get back to you with the details as soon as we can.

An important feature of WanaExcel’s success is the partnership we build with children, and their parents, whanau and caregivers.  We love to share in your child’s journey both at home and at the Centre so will take every opportunity to talk to you about your child. If you have specific things you would like to discuss in a more formal way, the Directors office door is always open.

Yes, we offer 20 hours subsidised education with hourly/daily rates payable beyond these for children 3 years and over.  At WanaExcel we ask that parents contribute an optional charge for all weekly attested ECE Hours. This charge has been introduced to allow us to cater to aspects of education and care that parents may wish their children to have access to, that are over and above that provided by a ‘minimum service’ centre. For more information on this, please see our policy on Subsidised ECE Hours and Optional Charges.

At WanaExcel we are here for you and will do our utmost to accommodate the changing needs of your family.  We encourage parents and whanau to always ask, and if we can be of any assistance, we will do our best to make it happen within our licensed child numbers and hours of operation.

If a child becomes unwell during the day, we will care for them away from the other children and contact a caregiver to pick them up as soon as possible to avoid them having any more contact with other children to help prevent the spread of sickness.  If your child has been vomiting or had a diarrhoea bug, we ask that you keep them away for at least 48 hours from their last incident. The Team at WanaExcel are competent and trained in First Aid to deal with minor injuries.  An Accident Register is kept of all treatments and injuries that occur and these are monitored so our Health and Safety Policy and Practices can be adjusted accordingly.

At WanaExcel we pride ourselves on maintaining a high level of hygiene to prevent the spread of infection with good hand washing practises, professional cleaning contracts and a state of the art oxygen exchange system.  Your child may be exposed to common childhood illnesses earlier than school but often younger children cope well with these and develop an early immunity.

Yes, in fact we encourage it!  We have created a special place in our Exploration Room for mothers who are breastfeeding to come and share this special time with their babies. Bottle fed babies also love to see their Mum during the day so feel free to join us.  We are happy to call you when your baby is hungry if you live or work within a close proximity.

This is a big step for families and we understand any apprehensions you may be feeling in transitioning your most precious possession into the care of others. The most important attribute to consider when choosing the right centre for you is the feeling you get when you visit the environment. At WanaExcel, we adopt an Open Door Policy for this reason, and you are free to come and book a visit with your child at the Centre.  We are confident our experienced trained staff and the culture of our Centre will make you and your child feel comfortable and excited about joining us.