BestStart Puketaha Road

We ask you to close your eyes and imagine. Smell the fresh air, feel the space and the freedom to move and run. Listen to the bees buzzing, the sheep and goats bleating in the nearby paddock. Listen to the pigs snorting and grunting as they lay in the sun, watch the chickens and ducks roam free as they waddle and scratch. Now open your eyes. Welcome to BestStart Puketaha.

Where life grows

No matter the weather, our friends at BestStart Puketaha are exploring their surroundings. Encouraged to get their hands dirty, take risks and explore. Here at Puketaha we climb fences, we wade through long grass in the paddocks, and throw leaves in the autumn. We collect natures treasures among the trees, no walls to our classrooms. No matter the weather, age or stage, even in winter, it's gumboots, overalls and jackets.

Our friends get given responsibility as kaitiaki they care for the land, and the animals. Collecting eggs, feeding and watering the animals as well as cultivating the vegetable gardens bringing produce back inside for our community marketplace, or straight to the kitchen where our cook can utilise within our menu.

Our passion for involving our community is inspiring, our community library, marketplace and orchard with a bush kindy in the making. We have monthly visits with our local rest-home and fortnightly school visits with Puketaha school, just minutes down the road.

Our Nursery Room provides a space where wonder and curiosity is invited. The Kaiako in this room connect even our youngest pepi to their land to allow our children to create their own working theories about the world around them. There is never a moment too busy for a cuddle, a chat or a smile among learning and routines. The Nursery goes at the pace of our children, catering to their needs, their interests, and their whanau aspirations.

As you enter our Toddler Room, you will be greeted by friendly Kaiako and children filled with the spirit of enquiry and a thirst for knowledge. Our room is filled with a variety of activities to suit all discovering minds as they learn through their interests. Singing songs, creating rivers, castles and mixing water and sand while exploring our environment are a few of our favourite daily activities. Serving our own drinks and kai is one way of fostering independence in our toddler room. Feeding the chickens that gather at the gate and having many discussions with our farmyard animals is ongoing throughout the day. Our large outdoor space allows us to explore, discover and have a sense of wonder; connecting us to our magical rural outlook and the Kaimai ranges nestled into the horizon.  

Our Preschool Room is where an excitement and love for learning continues to flourish! With our strong connection to the land, our tamariki build compassion, care and empathy for others and their environment. Many constructions are made; challenges overcome, manageable risks taken and creative imaginations grown. Supportive caring Kaiako that will help each child to reach their potential. Music and Waiata can be heard throughout the day. Literacy, maths and science is interwoven through PLAY!

Come and join the fun with lots of hands on sensory experiences. BestStart Puketaha, a place to grow, cultivate and play. Don’t leave footprints in the sand, leave your boot tracks in the mud!

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.