BestStart Raumati

Welcome to BestStart Raumati. Our families often describe our centre as a ‘home away from home.’ We welcome children from 3 months of age to 6.

Our Community, Our Learning

Our community is us - our tamariki, kaiako, whanau and the people, places and things within our place. Our learning is what sets our tamariki up to be life-long adventurers, explorers and experts.  Our tamariki know their community, belong in their community, and have confidence to learn in their community.

From the moment you walk in the door at BestStart Raumati you will be greeted by the aroma of fresh baking, friendly kaiako and a warm homely feeling. Our days begin with a karakia and some waiata. This is a really nice way to greet each other in the morning before settling in for a day of exploring, adventuring, and imagining together. We have predictable routines which the tamariki know well. New whānau often comment that these are helpful for their tamaiti during settling in times.

Nursery Room: Our nursery space is cosy with a deck that flows to the outdoors. There is ample space for pēpi (babies) to be inquisitive as they develop and grow relationships with kaiako and other tamariki. Pēpi transition to the tuakana (older children) space in their own time, and are free to return and spend time in the nursery when they feel the need. 

Tuakana-teina Room: Our tuakana-teina space is resourced with what the tamariki are interested in, be it dress-ups and pretend play, building with magnets and duplo, moving their bodies to music,or messy play. We have a purposeful art and craft hub where tamariki have the freedom to discover their artistic flair. We encourage tamariki to build friendships, to turn take, share and take on someone elses point of view. The outdoor area has loads of space we have a big sandpit, and room for running, throwing and kicking balls. We have dedicated section for vegetable gardens, a project tamariki really enjoy being involved with.

Being School Ready: Before heading off to school, kaiako support tuakana with making their own graduation korowai from harakeke. The harakeke is sourced from our centre gardens and Kaitawa Reserve, a special way to acknowledge their connection to this place and their community. Tamariki wear their korowai with pride as they graduate and move on to kura (Primary School). During graduation kaiako share key learning achievements, whānau aspirations, and a letter penned by the tamaiti to their New Entrant teacher.

Community learning: Community learning also takes place outside the classroom as we provide opportunities to explore our wider world.  There are plenty of opportunities to lead their own learning discoveries, develop friendships and skills and test their abilities. Children develop a connection to their local area and learn about the importance of their place in it.

Our philosophy: He aha te mea nui o te Ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. We believe in prioritising relationships with people, places and things by embracing:

• Tangata Whenuatanga through place based education
• Wananga and Ako within our Be School Ready programme
• Whanaungatanga and Manaakitanga by valuing whanau aspirations and strengthening connections with home, family and community.
• We welcome you to come and visit our centre to experience all we can offer to you and your family.

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.