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The former Bayside Bistro in Snells Beach could become a Montessori primary school if the Ministry of Education and Auckland Council give their consent.
Nikau School has acquired the beach front restaurant at the bottom of Kokihi Lane, following its closure as a café restaurant in December, and wants to provide Montessori and outdoor education for up to 20 five to nine year olds. School founder Joy Leigh has been working to set up an independent school for more than a year, largely as a result of the changes and challenges in education brought
about by the covid pandemic.
The news that a school could replace the former bistro has been met with disappointment by some local residents, with several opining on local social media pages that it is either the wrong place for a school or should remain as one of the few beach front cafes in the region.
However, others say it is an ideal spot for primary aged children to learn. Leigh said last week she was reserving comment until the school was granted consents, a process which could take up to 10 weeks.
Bayside first opened as a restaurant in March 2019 but closed a year later just as covid started to hit. It was taken over in February 2021 by Susan and Desmond Vize, owners of Warkworth’s Chocolate Brown, and stayed open until their business went into voluntary administration in December.
