A place-based learning community rooted in land, play, and stewardship

About Earth School Aotearoa

Earth School Aotearoa is a place-based learning environment rooted at Mangaroa Farms, where children learn through direct relationship with land, creativity, and each other. Learning here is practical, relational, play-based, and woven into daily life - shaped by seasons, shared rhythms, and care for people and place.

Children arrive, settle, explore, eat together, create, and reflect. Learning is not separated from living; it unfolds through real experiences in a real place.

Children harvesting a large yellow squash in a garden with green plants, carrots, and a red fence in the background.

Why Earth School Exists

Our children are growing up in a world that’s shifting quickly - environmentally, socially, and technologically. We want their learning to do more than keep up. We want it to help them become grounded, capable humans who can meet change with confidence, care, and creativity.

Alongside strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, children thrive when they get to think deeply, ask good questions, work with others, and solve real problems. They learn best when learning feels connected to life - to people, nature, community, and purpose.

Earth School Aotearoa was created for families who want that kind of education: plenty of time outdoors, meaningful responsibility, and hands-on learning that supports both academic growth and wellbeing - in ways that feel relevant and lasting.

Children and adults sitting on grass in a park, engaging in an outdoor activity or storytelling session; some children wearing hats and raising hands, surrounded by trees and greenery.
A woman with glasses and a colorful scarf working on an adobe brick in a construction site with a small group of people observing, including a young girl in a white shirt and others standing outdoors with trees and a green building in the background.
Four young girls playing and sitting in a field of yellow flowers under green leafy trees.
A girl sitting cross-legged on a tree branch in a meditative pose with closed eyes, surrounded by children near a wooden fence with green grass and trees in the background.

Our Approach

Learning at Earth School is shaped by place, relationship, and rhythm. Children move between outdoor exploration and quieter moments, supported by experienced educators who hold the learning environment with care and consistency.

Rather than following a fixed curriculum, learning emerges through meaningful play, guided inquiry, and shared experience. Our approach is informed by the understanding that children learn best when they feel safe, engaged, and connected with their inner selves, with friends, and with the natural world.

  • Person planting a seed in the soil with green plants nearby.

    Nature Connected

    The natural world is central to learning at Earth School. Children learn through daily relationship with the land - noticing seasons, weather, soil, plants, and animals. Ecological literacy grows alongside a sense of responsibility to care for Earth and the living systems that sustain us.

  • A young girl in a striped shirt, patterned leggings, and a cap, examining plants with a magnifying glass in a grassy field with yellow flowers.

    Child-led, Gently Held

    We follow the spark of each child while providing a steady, supportive structure. Children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and ask bold questions, with teachers guiding, resourcing, and holding the rhythm of the day. Learning is self-directed, but not unstructured.

  • A large group of people, including children and adults, gathered outdoors on a grassy area with trees and hills in the background. Some are smiling and posing, and a child is riding a small bicycle in the foreground. Mangaroa Farms team and community

    Whole Family

    Earth School is designed to complement families’ wider learning lives. Parents and caregivers are welcomed into shared moments, seasonal rhythms, and reciprocal relationships. We believe children thrive when learning is supported by connected, engaged adults around them.

  • Matiu teaching haka to Earth School children at one of our indoor facilities. There is a window with books on the window sill. A colorful educational poster is on the wall.

    Culturally Grounded

    Our programs are informed by te ao Māori, alongside honouring the diverse cultural identities of the families who learn here. Story, place, and ancestry help ground learning in meaning, continuity, and respect for many ways of knowing.

Permaculture studies at Earth School Aotearoa

Growing the Children the Future Needs

At Earth School Aotearoa, we offer more than a set of activities or lessons. We offer a living learning environment where children are deeply rooted in nature, guided by attentive mentors, and supported to grow into confident, compassionate young people.

Learning here supports ecological literacy, emotional awareness, cultural understanding, and creative thinking - not as separate subjects, but as interwoven capacities developed through real experiences. Children explore big questions, collaborate with others, and practise caring for themselves, each other, and the Earth.

Our aim is not to prepare children for the next test, but for life - helping them understand who they are, where they come from, and how they can contribute meaningfully.

Earth School is not a registered or full-time school. Our programs are designed to complement families’ wider learning contexts, with responsibility for children’s education remaining with parents or caregivers. We see learning as a shared endeavour, supported by trusted adults and strong relationships.

A Day At Earth School

A typical learning day at Earth School includes time to arrive and settle, outdoor exploration, creative or inquiry-based work, shared food, care of space, and moments of reflection. Days follow a gentle rhythm that supports emotional regulation, curiosity, and connection. Rather than rushing between activities, children are given time - to notice, to persist, to collaborate, and to follow ideas where they lead.

How Families Take Part

Families join Earth School Aotearoa in different ways, depending on their circumstances. Some families participate through our One Day Programs (local families), attending a weekly learning day during the school term.

Others join us through Worldschooling Stays (visiting families), living at Mangaroa Farms for a season while their children take part in Earth School learning days alongside local children.

While these pathways differ in rhythm and duration, they share the same learning environment, values, and approach. You can explore these pathways on our Programs page.

"We were searching for a place where learning felt alive and connected to the real world. Here, our children are not just learning - they're growing into grounded, resilient humans."

— Earth School Parent

Our Kaiako

Learning at Earth School is facilitated by experienced, values-aligned educators who hold the learning environment with care, attentiveness, and consistency. Our kaiako bring backgrounds in education, science, outdoor learning, mataraunga Māori, creative arts, and child development. Our team works collaboratively to hold a consistent, relational learning environment across the week and to support mixed-age groups.

  • Close-up of a woman with long, curly hair smiling at the camera

    Mandi Lynn

    Brings extensive training in eco therapy, Hakomi, and NVC. Renowned visual artist.

  • A woman with long dark hair smiling outdoors with a blurry green background.

    Catlin Powers

    Brings experience teaching at Harvard & a love for science and nature.

  • A man with long curly hair and a beard, wearing a black t-shirt and a necklace with a circular pendant, smiling outdoors with green palm leaves in the background.

    Matiu Te Huki

    Brings decades of experience teaching haka, waiata, and te reo Māori.

  • Black and white photo of a woman with shoulder-length hair smiling outdoors.

    Neci Monahan

    Brings decades of experience as a primary school teacher.

  • Justine van Niekerk

    Justine van Niekerk

    Brings her experience leading Playcentre Aotearoa and Scouts.

  • Zeb Horrell

    Zebulon Horrell

    Brings his passion for permaculture, agroforestry, sheep, and trailblazing.

  • Hannah Dawson

    Hannah Dawson

    Brings deep expertise in heritage orchard crops, foraging and medicinals. 

  • Carlos Riegel

    Carlos Riegel

    Brings bushcraft, archery, music therapy, and craftsmanship.

  • Three people outdoors, two men and one woman, sitting on the ground near trees.

    Halina Horn

    Brings her permaculture training and rites of passage leadership.

Child jumping off a pile of hay bales outdoors during daytime, with trees and cloudy sky in the background.

Is Earth School a Good Fit?

Earth School Aotearoa tends to suit families who:

  • value relationship, rhythm, and connection with the natural world

  • are comfortable with outdoor, place-based learning

  • appreciate shared responsibility and gentle structure

  • are seeking depth, meaning, and relevance in their children’s learning

It may not be the right fit for families seeking:

  • full-time or registered schooling

  • fixed curricula or standardised outcomes

  • large-scale or drop-in programmes

An Invitation

Earth School Aotearoa offers learning that is rooted, relational, and held with care. We welcome families who are curious, values-aligned, and seeking meaningful learning experiences for their children. If this feels aligned, we’d love to hear from you.

Enquire About Availability