BestStart Kaikorai Valley Road

Learn, Share, Laugh and Grow

Here at BestStart Kaikorai Valley Road, this is what underpins everything we do.

At BestStart Kaikorai Valley Road we provide a welcoming, vibrant and flexible environment; responsive to all akonga (learners) and their changing needs, interests and abilities. Teachers are committed to growing respectful and loving relationships for all.

We acknowledge and celebrate all cultures, embracing the richness and diversity that they bring. We have a strong commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and bicultural development. We recognise the mana of the child as we strive to provide safe, inclusive, stimulating environments that acknowledge the rich funds of knowledge that each child and their whānau brings with them.

We believe in the integration of learning and play; as children learn best through 'doing'. We believe that through opportunities to explore the world around them, children become active and involved learners.

Our priorities for children's learning are implemented through quality teaching strategies in ways that are relative to each individual. Teachers are focussed on supporting children to become: Socially confident, investigative learners, resilient and enriched in languages, numbers and information technology.

“Poipoia te kakano kia Puawai – Nurture the seed and it will blossom”

Our centre curriculum - Our curriculum is developed with the children, for the children. It is based on budding interests and gives our tamariki opportunities to explore their ideas, work together, develop relationships and be excited about learning. Our curriculum reflects a strong sense of community as we ensure that parent and whānau aspirations for their children influence and actively contribute to our children’s learning and well-being.

Our learning spaces - We provide age-specific programmes for your child and they are cared for in three separate rooms: our Nursery for 0 to 2-year olds; our Preschool for 2 to 3.5-year olds and the Prep-Room 3.5 to 5-year olds. All rooms offer options for morning, afternoon, 6 hour or full day sessions.  Our beautiful purpose-built centre is well-resourced, and learning is driven by children’s interests so they can become confident, independent, respectful and creative thinkers.

The children at our centre bring their own lunch boxes, which helps them to develop the self-care lunch box skills they will need when they start school. Nutritious morning and afternoon teas are provided each day.

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.