BestStart Cashmere

BestStart Cashmere is a family focused early learning centre located in the heart of the Cashmere/Beckenham loop. We pride ourselves on our strong community connections and meaningful relationships with whānau and tamariki to ensure that we provide the best possible care and education for every child. We operate between the hours of 7:30am-5:30pm with both full days and sessions (much like kindergarten).

Our learning spaces

We have two fantastic buildings, the first of which is home to our Nursery and Toddler rooms.  It is a lovely villa that has been refurbished to mimic and encompass the inviting and soothing atmosphere of a home. The second building is a new addition which has two separate rooms that have been purpose-built to accommodate 3-4 year old children and 4-5 year old children.

Our great outdoors

Both of our outdoor environments are inclusive of the natural environment and children flourish in the spaces we have on offer.  The 2-5 year old outdoor space is second to none!  It is vastly spacious, brilliantly designed and beautifully resourced.  We also boast a very natural and well enjoyed secret garden area where our children engage in gardening, composting and worm farms.

BestStart Cashmere provides an educational and childcare experience for children of all ages and their whānau that is of extremely high quality.  We combine experience, knowledge and endless passion to produce the best learning outcomes for babies, toddlers and children.

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.