ADDI Enrichment Academy

We are a small private school in Taupo who caters for children with special needs. Most of the students that attend ADDI have one or more of the conditions; Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD physically disabilities, Oppositional Defiance, Attachment Disorder, etc. With having no more than 12 children in a class, one teacher and one teacher’s aide. We get a very small amount of money from the Ministry of Education. Therefore, the not for profit charitable trust that runs the school is often fundraising and seeking funds from other charitable trusts. Currently we have 30 full time students from Year 0 to Year 13. Our maximum roll is 35 students.

We started ADDI 10 years ago, from the passion of Gaye Vartiainen (Managing Director) and her daughter Olivia Beck (Associate Principal), to help children who were disengaged, vulnerable and had challenges in main stream schooling. Gaye is primary trained, who was previously a principal and Olivia is secondary trained. The numbers have grown and so have the needs of these children, it followed that we should start a school. The school start in August 2017 with four children. We were provisionally registered for one year and in December 2018 we became fully registered private school. We won’t take on more than 35 children simply because of need a low sensory environment to keep children calm.