BestStart Maich Road

BestStart Maich Road is known for its lovely outdoor environment. Catering for children from 3 months age until they are ready to go to school, the centre creates positive and happy memories and learning experiences that children take with them. Our centre is open right through the school holidays and have a range of flexible times to suit every family.

Memories in the Making

The Maich Rd team of qualified teachers have a wide range of experiences and know exactly what it takes to excite, motivate and extend children’s learning. The memories we create are of belonging, a curiosity to learn and the joy of gaining independence.

Natural Environment – the spacious outdoor areas with mature trees and shade cover provide a wonderful opportunity for children to play, learn and relax. Each of the age-appropriate rooms has a large outdoor area offering a rich diversity of experience to support physical activity.

Learning Spaces - moving through to another learning space occurs as we respond to the strengths, interests, abilities and needs of each child and their family. 

Infant Room – working in close partnership with families, we create the individual care moments and nurturing routines that support our infants’ learning. Teachers provide a peaceful environment where children learn through respectful, reciprocal interactions with people, places and things.

Toddler Room - Our curious toddlers have plenty of opportunities for individual exploration, engagement with their peers and experiences that extend learning and foster creativity. Teachers provide space with clear and consistent boundaries while acknowledging and respecting their rights to have increasing independence over their learning.

Preschooler Room -  preschoolers growing awareness of themselves as learners, their increasing capacity for language, inquiry and understanding of differing points of view is nurtured. We provide opportunities to experience new challenges, participate in projects and ensure our children and families make a smooth transition to school. 

Be School Ready - Our Be School Ready initiative is carefully designed to support children’s next big learning step when they move to primary school. We support parents and children as they develop the skills and attitudes for being a lifelong learner.  Our children leave Maich excited for their next adventure and with a kete of lovely early childhood memories!

Who is BestStart?

BestStart is for families who want more from early-childhood education. Safe, nurturing and educationally focused, we’re committed to growing caring people with curious minds.

Together we teach, learn and nurture.

Our vision is to work in partnership with families, whanau and communities to enable children to achieve their learning potential.

Ko tō mātou tirohanga hei mahi ngātahi i te taha o ngā whānau me ngā hāpori, kia āwhinatia ngā tamariki, kia tū pito mata ai rāatou, hei rangatira mō āpōpō.

We are committed to being a progressive and responsive leader in early-childhood education. We do this by enhancing our services, investing in our people, developing our support structure and continuously improving the educational outcomes and experiences of our children, families and the communities we serve.

Some facts:

• We’re licensed to educate and care for 15,000 full-time children daily.
• 18,000 families use BestStart services annually.
• We have over 270 centres nationwide located from Whangarei to Invercargill.
• Each centre is managed by a Centre Manager who is supported by a local Area Manager. This gives our centre teams ongoing quality training and support.
• Te Whāriki, the world-wide acclaimed national early childhood education curriculum, is used in all centres.
• We have over 4500 permanent teachers nationally. Over 90% of our permanent teaching staff are either fully qualified with a diploma or bachelor of teaching (ECE) or higher, or are in training. These figures are very high by national standards within the ECE sector.
• We provide a two-year Advice and Guidance Programme for all recently certified teachers, providing further mentoring and training. This gives strong support for teachers from provisional registration to full teacher registration with the NZ Teachers Council.
• We regularly spend around $4 million on teacher training per annum.

We’re for children

At our heart is our commitment and passion for children. Central to this belief is our focus on the holistic development of children. We support children to explore the world around them, learning through relationships, creating a love of learning in an ever-changing world. Exploration, friendship and fun are part of the journey.

We’re for good

BestStart is a registered charity owned by the Wright Family Foundation. We support initiatives and programmes within BestStart and the wider early-childhood education sector (ECE) that support good outcomes for all children. We do this because we want to make a positive difference to the lives of all children.

Innovation leads us

At BestStart, innovation guides our thinking. We advocate positive change for learners through our research and practice. We’re proud to be thought leaders within ECE, openly challenging ourselves to think differently to provide the best for our children, families and staff.

We’re responsive

Our centres reflect their children, staff and communities. We celebrate individuality, uniqueness and diversity, encouraging a spirit of empathy, understanding and collaboration. Through our responsive relationships and our curriculum, we support learners to choose their own path.

Our people matter

At BestStart people come first. When we grow and develop our people, everyone benefits. We strive for whakamana/empowerment, nurturing a culture of excellence with engaged, talented professionals. Their commitment, skill and passion light our way.