Typically responds within
A few hours
Vacancies
Taking enrolments
BestStart Palmerston North is located close to the central city with two convenient entrances on Carroll Street and Ngata Street. Since opening in 1989 we have been the centre of choice for literally thousands of families. We're open weekdays from 7.30am to 5.30pm only closing for public holidays.
Experienced teachers - We have very experienced teachers, some of whom have been educating and caring for infants and young children at this centre for over 30 years. Others have been in the team for more than a decade. Our teachers are specialists in various areas of early childhood education to support your child to reach their full potential.
Music Specialists - Music sessions with our professionally trained teachers are fun and we have fantastic resources. Your child will enjoy songs, actions and dance with rhythm and movement. By being part of our music sessions your child will develop mathematical understanding through repetitive patterns, counting and spacial awareness as well as building their fine and gross motor skills. Click here to read more about our music programme.
Artist in Residence - Our specialist shares her skills across the complex so no matter where your child is, they will have the opportunity to enjoy this experience. Awesome art work is created using different mediums and techniques. Art supports early literacy skills and ignites your child’s imagination and creativity.
Foundation Skills - These skills support your child’s fine and gross motor skills and are the beginnings of sport and physical activity, using for example, balance and hand-eye coordination. When children have strong upper body and strong hand and arm muscles, it enables them to concentrate during reading and writing. In other words, these skills support early literacy.
Cultural Group - Our cultural group ignites recognition of all cultures by providing learning and experiences of customs, art, music and food. We recognise the culture of every child and by doing so this we give them a sense of identity and belonging.
Diverse Learners - We have specialist teachers who are post graduate trained in both gifted and talented children and early intervention. Karen MacKay (our Curriculum Manager) is well respected in Early Childhood Education circles and her specific focus is on supporting teachers to provide quality education and care in line with the New Zealand Curriculum. In addition, she ensures that our warm and welcoming environment is vibrant and extends the children’s learning.
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.
