BestStart Waikite Valley Kindy

BestStart Waikite Valley Kindy is a community based country centre providing education and childcare for the wider Waikite Valley and Ngakuru areas all year round. We are neighbours with Waikite Valley Primary School and 2kms from the Waikite Hot Pools and Squash Club.

Together we learn and grow in nature

It is important to us to be a true part of our community. Family is at the heart of centre life and together with people from our wonderful community we support our children and broaden their horizons. We love getting involved in community activities both in and around the centre.

BestStart Waikite Valley Kindy a small early learning centre caring for up to 20 children aged two to five years old. Our warm home-like environment helps feel welcome and at ease.

We have a unique centre and love to showcase our wonderful learning. We encourage visits from new whanau, current whanau and the community. We like everyone to experience and be a part of our fun, stimulating environment. We believe strength is not just that if an individual, but that of a collective.

Learning together - Our passionate and experienced teachers provide fun and interactive learning experiences that meet the holistic needs of every child (emotional, cognitive, physical, social and linguistic).

Children’s learning is well documented, and we have fantastic open communication with our families ensuring everyone is part of their child’s journey. When we work together our children feel supported to try new things and develop their skills and independence - things that will set them up for a successful life.

We are so lucky to have such a wide-open outdoor environment that embraces nature, creates opportunities and inspires our children. We have a range of animals at our centre in which our tamariki care for, giving our centre the real home-away-from-home feel.

Ready for school together - We are committed to providing a great experience for our children as they transition on to primary school. Being situated on the local school grounds we have a close relationship with the year one class at the primary school, making that transition even easier for our children.

Our four-year olds go on weekly visits to school which helps them become familiar with the environment and routines. This helps them feel confident when it's time to start school. We also take part in annual events on the primary school calendar including pet day and cross country. Together we are committed to working in partnership to support our children's learning journey.

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.