Childcare options in Epsom

Our centre reflects our growing passion for sustainability and learning through the natural world around us. These experiences will help your child build confidence and knowledge, all designed to support your child’s preparation for school when the time comes. 

Your child will have the opportunity and the space to run, climb, laugh, explore, garden, enjoy the sun or have quiet time in sheltered areas, surrounded by our beautiful natural trees.

Creating strong connections with our community is important to us. We want to show our children that we can spread kindness by contributing to our community and helping those in need. One of the ways we show this is through our beautiful Pataka (community pantry) that we installed outside our centre. We want to encourage everyone to take what you need and share what you can.

Infants and Toddlers – 0 to 2.5 years old

Our Infants and Toddlers are surrounded with soft fixings, natural wooden resources and homely touches that provide a loving, holistic play space for your smallest treasure. We encourage your child to grow and learn by exploring the wider world around them. They will learn and grow at their own pace supported by a loving and nurturing team of teachers.

Preschool – 2 to 6 years old

Our Preschool room is a culturally diverse space, with a large focus on allowing each child’s unique personality to shine. The large, open plan classroom allows room for your child to explore, roam, learn and grow. We value getting outside in the rain, jumping in puddles, exploring amongst the plants, chasing butterflies, and getting messy.

Our talented chef prepares a variety of well balanced, tasty and nutritious meals. Our menu takes inspiration from the diverse cultures in our centre and we like to provide our children with many different culinary experiences to explore.

He paurapura I ruia mai I Rangiatea e kore e ngaro

A seed sown in Rangaiatea will never be lost

BestStart是新西兰最大的幼儿教育机构，我们服务于新西兰幼儿教育行业已经有22 年了。在全国各地，我们有270多家幼儿园以及众多具有新西兰幼儿教育资质的教师。BestStart的所有幼儿园都隶属总部直接管理，因此我们拥有一支强大的教育领导团队确保和提高每个BestStart幼儿园的教育质量。

我们采用的新西兰早教教材- Te Whāriki是享誉世界的。在新西兰，儿童早期教育提倡孩子从玩中学习，注重孩子个人的喜好和发展，由孩子自己决定想要学什么以及怎么学，从而使他们逐渐形成适合自己的学习方法。众多著名的研究报告表明，教会了孩子掌握知识的方法才更有可能使他们在以后的学习和成长过程中赢得成功。这个短片就是向您简单介绍一下，在我们BestStart幼儿园孩子们是怎么样从玩中学习的。

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.

At Beststart Newmarket the moments where our young minds begin to make sense of their world matter tp us! Our professional team of teachers are efficient to capture these little everyday moments and they know how to transform them into something extraordinary.

Our Reggio inspired learning environment provides challenges to stimulate further development and help children to live in the moment. These well-resourced learning spaces create a sense of belonging where tamariki feel safe and secure to explore new and exciting wonders.

We have two rooms in this homely learning space.

Our Atawhai room (infants and toddlers) has a natural Reggio Emilia inspired environment and is well resourced to cater for children from 3 months to 2 years old. In this room children are guided and supported to develop in their own individual way in a calm and nurturing environment.

Our Arahi room (toddlers and preschoolers) is designed to provide a safe and exciting learning environment for children from 2 to 5 years old.  The room provides opportunities for young minds to explore, investigate and discuss a multitude of concepts. Our extensive outdoor area inspires our tamariki to challenge themselves on the playground equipment while building their independence and self-confidence. Our Be School Ready initiative helps children gain confidence to become competent learners and make them well prepared for school.

The learning journey and milestones of each child will be captured and shared through our online learning platform, Storypark. This is a great way to build our partnerships and to be involved in the learning journey of our children.

Our team of passionate and professional teachers promote development of foundation skills such as resilience, turn taking, communicating and co-ordination, setting children up for life long learning. They work hard to ensure that each and every moment of a child is counted and valued. As soon as you step in you will feel a sense of happiness, calmness and  belonging. It is a  place where tamariki and whanau are  loved, encouraged,empowered and respected.

At BestStart we work under the National Early Childhood Curriculum of Aotearoa, Te Whāriki. The principles of Empowerment, Holistic Development, Family and Community, and Relationships underpin our practice and tie in with the Reggio Emilia approach that influences our daily practice and centre philosophy.

We encourage Whanaungatanga and greatly value our multiculturalism.   Our strong connections and partnerships with families ensure that every child/family has a place where their culture is respected and valued. We strongly believe in the whakatauki (Māori proverb) that Ahakoa he iti he pounamu, Although it is small it is a treasure.

For more information about the specific fees for your centre,please contact us directly (09) 522 1022 / newmarket@best-start.org You might be eligible for support paying their childcare fees. For more information click here.

BestStart是新西兰最大的幼儿教育机构，我们服务于新西兰幼儿教育行业已经有22 年了。在全国各地，我们有270多家幼儿园以及众多具有新西兰幼儿教育资质的教师。BestStart的所有幼儿园都隶属总部直接管理，因此我们拥有一支强大的教育领导团队确保和提高每个BestStart幼儿园的教育质量。

我们采用的新西兰早教教材- Te Whāriki是享誉世界的。在新西兰，儿童早期教育提倡孩子从玩中学习，注重孩子个人的喜好和发展，由孩子自己决定想要学什么以及怎么学，从而使他们逐渐形成适合自己的学习方法。众多著名的研究报告表明，教会了孩子掌握知识的方法才更有可能使他们在以后的学习和成长过程中赢得成功。这个短片就是向您简单介绍一下，在我们BestStart幼儿园孩子们是怎么样从玩中学习的。

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.

Uptown Kids Epsom Childcare Centre is located in Epsom, near Newmarket and Mt Eden.

We provide childcare for children from 0 to 6 years old and are licensed for up to 32 children, making it a small, safe, friendly and fun environment. Give us a call or come in and see us for more information.

Uptown Kids Childcare is located in a character-filled bungalow that has a homely feel that the children love - their home away from home. Uptown Kids is located on Manukau Road, Epsom near Newmarket, Mt Eden and Greenlane.

The government’s 20 Hours ECE subsidy for 3, 4 and 5 year old children is available. Some families may also qualify for the WINZ childcare subsidy, which is dependent on income. We can provide more information and contact details to contact WINZ directly if needed.

The back yard is a large private outdoor area for the children to play. The focus is on natural peaceful surroundings with plenty of grass, plants and trees, topped off with a path lined with giant pebbles and ferns leading to the Whare at the end of the garden. The Whare is a favourite place for taking a book for some quiet time.

The most popular pastime is designing their own personal obstacle course with ladders, bridges, tunnels, planks, boxes and slides. The children also love riding the trikes, the large sandpit, growing strawberries in the garden, picking and eating feijoas from the tree, and swinging on the round net swing with their friends.

We are a small, welcoming early childhood centre, licensed for 35 children from 3 months to school age.  Based in a converted villa on a quiet street in Epsom, our friendly and highly qualified teaching team is passionate about providing quality care for your child.

We focus on five main areas:

Books and reading

Literacy is a skill which unlocks all the other subjects in your child’s future learning. We nurture a love of books and reading by telling stories, singing songs, reading aloud and a whole range of other play-based strategies.  We have a dedicated reading corner where children and teachers congregate to enjoy reading together.

Language skills

Most of our teaching staff are bilingual or multilingual, and our teaching emphasises English, Mandarin, and Maori.

Nature

So many children are growing up without the chance to experience the outdoors. We use the Forest Kindergarten philosophy to make excursions outside the centre to parks and the local community. Back at our ""home base"" the children can experience the satisfaction of caring for our gardens and centre pets.

Life Skills

You can teach someone to read at eighty, but if they haven’t discovered how to make (and keep) a friend by the age of eight, they likely never will. At Red Kite Preschool we use the Virtues Project https://virtuesproject.com/homepage.html to help children acquire qualities such as honesty, courtesy, kindness and courage which will help them all their lives, in their relationships with family, friends and colleagues, and as they learn to aim for and achieve their goals.

Science At Red Kite

We make deliberate use of maths and science language in our everyday activities. We encourage our children to count, sort, measure and observe. We foster curiosity and a sense of adventure as our children explore.  To facilitate this, we provide plenty of resources for them to access at will.

Kia ora and welcome to Epsom South Kindergarten

Epsom South Kindergarten has a unique outside environment designed with areas of interest to spark children’s imagination and exploration.

Here at Epsom South Kindergarten we focus on sustainable practices.  We are proud to be an Enviroschool Kindergarten – aiming for a peaceful, healthy and sustainable world through people sharing, teaching and learning together.

Epsom South Kindergarten offers quality Early Childhood Education to develop children as competent and confident learners.

Our kindergartens have early childhood qualified and registered teachers.  The teachers are dedicated to, and passionate about, early childhood education.  Each kindergarten has a head teacher plus teachers and support staff.  Quality learning programmes are based on the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whãriki. The team at Epsom South are passionate, experienced and fun.

Our learning philosophy

For the past 110 years, the Auckland Kindergarten Association has been igniting young minds by encouraging them to explore their imaginations through play. For many of us, kindergarten was where we began our life of learning; it was where we started learning skills like sharing, tolerance, patience, respect and self-confidence.

We view children as capable, competent, life-long learners, and our philosophy encourages children to make their own learning choices, problem-solve and observe and explore at their own pace…with support from teachers, parents, wider whānau and their peers. We value the importance of child-initiated, play-based experiences. Our kindergarten teachers nurture your children’s interests and natural curiosity by working alongside them, expanding language and introducing mathematical and science concepts, as well as literacy, digital technology and sustainable practices.

Our centres have gardens and natural outdoor spaces where children can create, explore, be imaginative and expressive. There’s plenty of room to safely run about, being imaginative and physically active. In fact, the natural world is essential to free-range play. AKA encourages each kindergarten community to explore and enrich their diversity and uniqueness. Some have regular excursions into the local community; some are Enviroschool kindergartens that live and breathe sustainable practices; while others engage in long-term research on child interest-based programmes of learning.

As an organisation, we formally acknowledge the dual heritage of Aotearoa / New Zealand, and work to uphold the spirit and intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in each kindergarten. We are accessible, secular and welcoming to the wide diversity of tamariki and whānau who attend our centres, and value ongoing partnerships between teaching teams and leadership staff with families and whānau. We value ongoing learning for teachers, parents and whānau, and the sharing of knowledge, skills and attributes is fundamental to achieving the best learning outcomes for children. Teachers and staff can access collegial professional time to ensure that quality practice is enhanced so current theories of learning and development within New Zealand’s world-class Te Whāriki early childhood curriculum are shared and understood.

Children learn

Children in our kindergartens have the opportunity to:

• Feel confident, develop responsibility and a sense of independence
• Play meaningfully alongside other children and adults
• Develop effective communication skills
• Persevere, problem-solve and take risks
• Explore limits, boundaries, routines and conflict resolution strategies
• Practice fine motor skills such as threading, writing, cutting and grasping
• Develop gross motor play such as physical games like climbing, throwing, kicking, balancing and lifting
• Develop creative expressions through painting, music, collage, movement, dance, finger-painting, drawing, cutting, pasting and story sharing
• Develop early numeracy, literacy and science skills
• Learn techniques through trial and error
• Explore the world through experimenting, questioning and curiosity
• Develop confidence and celebrate both attempts and successes
• Develop a passion for learning and a love of life
• Have fun!

Older children will be supported in their transition to school to make this process as simple and seamless as possible. Book a visit here on Kindello today, we’d love to meet you.

Our centre draw inspiration from the preschools of Reggio Emilia in Italy and are underpinned by the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki.

Our task is to help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths and languages and to overcome any obstacle presented by our culture

Peacocks is a purpose-built early learning centre that provides education and care for children aged 3 months and 5 years old. Although children are grouped according to age, there is flexibility in our programme that enables children to visit other classrooms during the day.

At Peacocks Early Learning Centre we strive for professional excellence in all that we do. We are committed to providing the highest standard of education and care for the children who attend our centre and we aim to offer the same standard of service to parents and Whānau. We acknowledge that our community of learners include children, teachers, parents, whānau and community members who are dedicated to promoting a life-long love of learning. We celebrate our multicultural learning community respecting the individual identity of each child and family and we endeavour to support each other, sharing the same vision and encouraging the same goals for our children.

Kia ora! Welcome to Three Kings Community Kindergarten.

Children learning through play - Mā te tākaro ka ako ngā tamariki

Three Kings Kindergarten is a community based, not for profit organisation offering:   

Qualified experienced teachers

A quality learning programme

Up to 20 hours ECE funding for 3-5 year olds

A high teacher to child ratio for all our sessions

Full day and sessional hours 

We operate a free play programme based on Te Whariki, the National Curriculum for NZ Early Childhood Education.  Children learn through free play where their dispositions are fostered.  We encourage children to take responsibility for their own learning by choosing their own activities, completing their work and ensuring the environment is respected by working together to keep it ready and inviting for the next person to play.  

During their time at Kindergarten, your child will have the opportunity to:

• Build relationships with other children, teachers and adults
• Develop self confidence and self-esteem
• Research, discover and problem solve
• Take responsibility
• Develop literacy and numeracy skills
• Develop creativity
• Develop social competency skills

Vintage Kids started with the idea that early childhood centres needn’t feel like corporate institutions. The natural way for young children to grow and develop is in an environment where authentic everyday happenings are infused with learning. Where they can cultivate and navigate friendships within smaller groups of children of differing ages. In a traditional New Zealand house that truly feels like an extension of their own home. Where there’s a Playgarden, complete with fruit trees, hills and running water that keeps everyone close to nature. Your children will make genuine connections with experienced and mature professionals. They will feel safe, supported, encouraged and inspired, yet free to explore their individual interests and imaginations.

These are the precious early years where foundations are being laid for the adult your child will become. Through our unique philosophy we work with children to foster imagination, creativity, curiosity, confidence, and communication.

Story-telling is a central theme. It’s the primary way humans have always communicated and learnt, and it’s particularly engaging for children. It develops imagination and emotional intelligence. It’s the building block for early literacy and rich language skills, and a key indicator for success later in life.

Please spend time reviewing what makes us different, then email or phone Sheree Thomason to arrange an appointment to visit. We know you’ll experience a refreshing and joyful alternative in childhood education.

Whangaia te manuo te ngahere ki te miro, nana te ngahere

Whangaia te tamaiti ki te matauranga, nona te Ao!

Feed the bird of the forest the miro berry and he will own the forest

Feed the child knowledge and he will own the world

As kaiako of Te Puna Kōhungahunga, we aim to provide a safe, challenging, positive and caring environment. We aim to deliver quality learning experiences that encourage our mokopuna to be active learners using te reo me nga tikanga Māori me nga akoranga o te Ao Whanui, encompassing a holistic approach.

We want our tamariki to:

• be exposed to quality Te Reo Māori
• have an understanding and able to participate in nga tikanga Māori
• foster manaaki - respectful relationships
• foster Tuākana/teina relationships where they can look after each other
• mana tangata - be able to stand confidently in both worlds (as New Zealand is a bicultural nation)
• have pride in who they are - know their identity
• have respect for the environment
• love and feel valued and special
• have a feeling of belonging - this is their place
• have good self esteem, and self confidence
• desire to learn.

One of two early childhood centres located at our Epsom Campus, catering for children aged 6 months to 5 years.

Tēnā koe and welcome to the Faculty of Education Early Childhood Centre (affectionately known as ‘Number 28’). We are very excited you are considering our centre as the next step in your child’s educational journey and look forward to meeting you.

We cater for the children of students and staff and families from our local community. Our programmes are underpinned by the national early childhood document Te Whāriki, and Pikler and Reggio philosophies.

We are committed to effective group sizes, teacher ratios, and employing qualified teachers. As a not-for-profit organisation, our fees are also very competitive.

For most families however, it is our passion for teaching and learning that makes the decision to enrol here such an easy one. Our teachers are inspiring, experienced professionals, who simply love what they do. We look forward to sharing that excitement with you.

U ki te ako, tū tangata ai apōpō

Excellence in teaching, so learners can excel in the future.

Our pre-school, known as the Foundation Centre, is a fully licensed Early Childhood Centre which employs qualified and experienced teachers and teacher assistants to cater for three and four year old girls. The Foundation Centre operates weekdays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The children can also access the after-school programmes and activities. 

We offer 20 hours ECE subsidy and the fees are comparable with those at other early childhood centres. Click to see our current fees.

The Foundation Centre girls are fully involved in many aspects of the daily life of the Junior School. The children join the Junior School in Chapel Services and assemblies as well as visiting the school library. Weekly visits to Mt St John, baking bread and pizzas for lunch, and swimming at the Aquatic Centre are also highlights of the week. All these activities help to familiarise the Foundation Centre girls with school routines and traditions to ensure a seamless transition to Year 1 when they turn five.

We encourage parents to make visits with their daughters before they start in the Foundation Centre and parents are welcome to join us on our weekly walks to Mt St John and attend swimming. 

The Foundation Centre philosophy is guided by Te Whaariki, the New Zealand National Curriculum, and the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate. As our girls begin a lifetime of learning, we introduce them to the core subjects of Literacy, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, the Arts, French, and Digital Learning. These are integrated into an inquiry-based programme that will set them up for a successful future. 

Epsom Community Crèche, operating in the heart of Epsom for over 30 years, is a vibrant, community-based early childhood centre that provides care and education for children from the age of two. 

Many children start their early childhood education journey with us, enjoying, first our 3½ hour morning sessions, which are short in length and big on activity, before making the small step up to our 5 hours, full-day sessions. and then making the transition to the longer days at our local kindergartens and childcare centres.  

We’re unique in that our Crèche is one of the only local early childhood centre that offer morning sessions to children from the age of two years old.

The Crèche’s three, fully qualified teachers, two for each session, supported by a parent helper, offer children a nurturing environment as they take their first steps into the wider world. 

We offer a wide variety of activities and equipment for play in art and painting, music, books, puzzles, family play, play dough, sand and water, nature/science, and outdoor physically active play.  During the session, opportunity exists for the group, parallel and individual play.  Whilst children are free to select their own activities, they are encouraged to get involved, to persevere and complete tasks, and to try new things. 

Our programme is planned to foster the development and creativity of each child.  Play and learning are self-paced and self-directed, with children being guided and encouraged through activities.  Positive values such as sharing, caring, and co-operation with others are fostered.

The Crèche programme is based on the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.  Through our weekly Facebook updates, emails, group learning stories on the walls, discussions with our parents, and your children's portfolios, we aim to share with parents some of the learning that is taking place.​

Aro Arataki Children's Centre is situated on the Greenlane Clinical centre site and provides early childhood education and care service between 6:30 am and 5.30 pm for the children of the staff of the Auckland District Health Board and children in the local area.

The centre is licensed for 75 infants, toddlers, and young children. The families and staff team are culturally diverse and work together towards making you and your child a part of an inclusive learning community.

At Aro Arataki, we are governed by a parent committee and we operate under a new governance and management structure. The centre Director is supported by Team Leaders of each play space, who provided leadership for the teaching teams. 

The centre's philosophy emphasises the importance of respectful and responsive relationships, recognition of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the celebration of diversity.

The philosophy links well to Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and promotes children's development as self-directed, independent learners.