BestStart Dinsdale

At BestStart Dinsdale we're a lovely early learning centre with individual rooms created for the developmental stages of our tamariki. We're open from 7.30am to 5.30pm right through the year, only closing for public holidays.

We rise by lifting others

Me whakamana taatou I a tatou

We value every tamaiti (child) as an individual. Their independence is valued and encouraged through exploration, play and cultural identity. We plant seeds on a foundation of kindness to rise and lift others, and as nature intended, we ourselves are uplifted.

Nau mai haere mai ki BestStart Dinsdale. We have a team of diverse, passionate and creative teachers committed to making a positive impact on the learning and growth of our tamariki.

Trusting relationships - Working together with our families and whānau is integral to developing an understanding of what each child needs to learn, grow and develop. We work hard to nurture these relationships and create open and honest communication. When we do this we are able to make sure every child has the support they need to thrive. 

Cultural connections - Celebrating our rich diversity is an important part of centre life. Together with our local BestStart hapu we are building connections with our local marae. We focus on supporting children to know their own whakapapa and identity, to stand proud in who they are.

Ready for school - We have a passionate primary trained teacher who leads our pathway to kura programme. From the age of four we set goals for our children to ensure they are well prepared for school. We build children’s capabilities through activities and experiences that foster independence, support their social and emotional development, develop critical thinking and focus on developing a passion for learning, supporting them to rise to their potential.

Getting physical - We are lucky to have great outdoor spaces where our children can challenge themselves and develop their physical skills. We utilise our wharenui for dance, gymnastics, kapa haka and yoga. We also have opportunities for our children to connect across the rooms to encourage tuakana / teina relationships.

We love going on excursions to the local and wider community. We build connections with our community by getting involved and supporting local community events.

Learning rooms - We have three learning rooms that cater to every age group from 3 months to 5 years old.

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.