BestStart Mount Eden

We are nestled away between Trent Bray Swimming School and Eden Park- come into our centre and, like the Secret Garden, discover the magic of learning- the wonder, the intrigue and the open-ended potential of learning that brings kaiako (teachers) and tamariki (Children) together to build their knowledge through play and exploration.

Welcome to BestStart Mount Eden. A happy, safe and nurturing space for your child to learn, develop and grow in their own unique way through creating Magic in the Moments.  

As you walk through our doors you will see, feel and hear the Aroha (love), Whakaute (respect), Whakawhirinaki(trust),Tākarko(play) and Koa(joy) that underpins our interactions with children, parents and whānau, the way we set up our environment and how we document and celebrate the learning journey of our tamariki.  

We take pride in our core foundations and believe that our tamariki are capable and competent learners who benefit from engaged kaiako as well as real-life experiences and resources. We strive to inspire creativity and independence through loose parts, meaningful provocations and a challenging learning environment where tamariki can take risks in a safe space. Here, tamariki learn to develop social skills, are given the opportunity to assess risks, problem solve, develop an awareness of mindfulness and grow the confidence in themselves as capable and competent lifelong learners- It is those magic moments throughout the day where this all happens.  

Come and be a part of our Mt Eden community, where we want to know what is important to you and your whānau and where your dreams and aspirations for your tamariki are valued. 

The Pipi Room ( Under two ) 

Our cosy Pipi villa cater for our youngest tamariki (children) from 4 months to approximately two and a half years. Our caring and nurturing team understand how hard it can be for new parents to go back to work and the importance of having to leave the most precious thing in the whole world with new people, in a new environment. We have a flexible and supportive settling in process that allows time for both yourself and your child to become familiar with the kaiako, (teachers) environment and rhythm of our centre, as we learn about yours.  

Rhythm and routines are more than just happenings during the day and kaiako make the most of the these moments, to make them magical and special for the child. 

Relationships are so important in Early Childhood Education and our primary caregiving system allows opportunity for a strong bond to be developed between the teachers and your child, as well having a consistent point of contact for parents and whānau (family). 

The Paua Room ( Over two )

Our Paua villa caters for the learning of our tamariki (children) aged around 2.5 and 5 years. Our curriculum is based around lose parts- open ended resources that encourage creativity, collaboration, resilience, perseverance, collaboration and communication- just to name a few! The value of lose parts is that there is no one way to use them- so your child’s imagination is the limit. With the future constantly changing we cannot prepare our tamariki (children) exactly for what is to come. But what we can begin to develop are resilient problem solvers who are open-minded, divergent thinking individuals that can think outside the box!  

We aim to support tamariki (children) who are confident in themselves as learners through lose parts, intentional teaching strategies and purposeful learning embedded throughout a play-based setting with magical moments sprinkled throughout!  

Our ‘Meadow’ is our touch of nature right in the middle of Auckland Central where we have a vegetable garden, mud pit, fruit trees, a compost area, a worm farm and a fire pit in winter. Here, children experience the true essence of learning in nature where they can make mud pies, forage for bugs and help in the vege patch. Natural learning is so important to us as at BestStart Mt Eden- we teach our tamariki to take care of the earth and it strengthens our connection to Papatuanuku, our Māori earth mother.  

Come visit us and see our environment in action, meet our genuine and passionate teachers and most importantly feel the aroha (love) of the BestStart Mt Eden community. We look forward to meeting you.

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.