Childcare options in Flagstaff

.Endeavours Kindergarten is a boutique kindergarten catering for 20 children 2 1/2 to 5 years old. We are highly experienced and caring teachers.

We value small group care and education, and will have a maximum of 20 children attending our Kindergarten at any one time. We are a unique service in Hamilton, offering children aged between 2 and 5 years old a Kindergarten experience with a difference. Our philosophy is based on cherishing children, giving them time, space, and support, within a calm and aesthetically pleasing environment

Welcome to Early Learners

Our mission is to inspire and nurture confident, competent, and passionate learners who are eager to explore and contribute to the world around them. In partnership with families as first teachers, we aspire to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and developing resilience.Authentic relationships, mutual communication and being responsive underpin our special approach to learning my way, informed by best practice and current research. We wholeheartedly embrace the richness of diverse cultures, values, and identities within our community, forging connections and fostering a strong sense of belonging.

Why Early Learners

We are a small independent early childhood centre committed to quality early childhood education with dedicated qualified staff who go the extra mile to create a home away from home for your child to thrive.Whether it is an initial home visit to get to know each other better or a special routine for your child, we listen and respond – learning your way.Our personalised learning environment is designed to ensure children feel safe, secure, and happy, nurturing their genuine sense of belonging.Our customised curriculum is designed to embrace each child’s individuality, promoting child-led learning experiences in a blend of spontaneous learning opportunities and more structured learning activities – learning my way.

Discover Our Programmes

At Early Learners, we have a personalised approach to developing our programme curriculum, ensuring it facilitates and supports each child’s unique learning journey, in collaboration with their whānau.

Our programme purposefully blends spontaneous opportunities along with more structured learning activities, encouraging children to explore and learn based on their curiosity and interests.We are dedicated to incorporating the principles of Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, throughout our approach. This integration ensures that we promote holistic development, cultural responsiveness, and a strong sense of identity for each child in our programme. This empowers our children to grow as resilient, capable learners, that have deep cultural connections, shaping them into confident, secure individuals ready for lifelong learning.

BestStart Montessori Flagstaff has been rated one of the top childcare centres in New Zealand by the Education Review Office. A Montessori education fosters busy independent children who are curious and creative, focused and self-directed, where children learn naturally.

Help me to help myself

In everything we do, our aim is to prepare children for life, as they are the citizens of tomorrow. We create an environment that allows children to learn and grow to their full potential.

Preparing children for life - At BestStart Montessori Flagstaff we guide children to respect the people and objects in their environment and as they grow older, to respect and understand the connectedness between all living and non-living things.

We nurture children, enhancing their social skills, so they learn how to contribute positively to society. Children learn social skills through lessons of grace and courtesy and are supported to be thoughtful, respectful, helpful and considerate of others.

Rich diversity - We embrace the diverse cultures that enrich our centre community, acknowledging and celebrating each individual as unique and special.

Committed high performing team - “There is no I in team”. At BestStart Montessori Flagstaff our team have a variety of teaching experiences that bring exciting passions and interests alive. We have a shared commitment to making professional decisions that lead to the best outcomes for children, parents, whanau and our own growth.

What is the Montessori method of education?

The essence of Montessori education is that every child is allowed to develop naturally at his or her own pace. By aligning the activities in the environment with what each child needs at any moment, Montessori prepared environments liberate children’s energy for growth and learning.

“Learning how to learn is a preparation for life” – Maria Montessori recognised that children have a natural willingness to explore and that the best motivation for learning is self-motivation.

Discovery: One of the profound differences between Montessori education and conventional education is that in Montessori, children are given the experience of discovering the answer for themselves. This leads to a much deeper learning experience and creates a lifelong love of learning as a self-directed process of problem solving and discovery. Following their interest through intentional mathematical, reading and writing activities, the introduction to geography, history, and science and the importance of physical play in growth and development. Including creative arts to encourage children’s imagination to express themselves and to enhance creativity. Teachers simply guide them to something that will both stimulate and encourage them.

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 Rototuna we care for children from 0 to 5 years old in a beautiful nature-based environment. We're open right through the year, only closing for public holidays and offer a range of full and part time hours to suit our families needs.

Nourish our Children

He Kakaano ahau – I am a seed, born of greatness

Just like the diversity of forest flora so are the children and family of BestStart Rototuna. We know that all children are unique in their growth and learning, here at BestStart Rototuna we nourish them accordingly.

To become a budding seed at our place, you will recognise how nature is a large part of our curriculum. Our whanau and community of learners choose our learning space because it is rich with three separate natural outdoor settings, complete with mature trees and real grass areas. This creates natural habitats for seasonal bugs and plenty of sensory learning for all ages and stages.

The rich natural environments allow for experiments in literacy, science, and mathematics to take place. Our children transition beautifully throughout our three learning areas and show leadership traits to take on the next phase of learning and contribute in meaningful ways. Each age group is “blessed with the best” indoor and outdoor flow and size.

As one of our seedlings, your child will be going for walks in nature. Our orchard has plentiful fruit trees and is a place where children learn to care for plants and grow kai for our centre to enjoy. We believe our children are the guardians of our centre, nourishing Mother Earth Papatuanuku to be Kaitiaki and guardians of our grounds.

Instilled with vitality and vibrance, our centre is committed to learning about the wider world and experiencing early literacy and mathematic concepts with a touch of nature. This looks like green finger gardening, harvesting and preparing yummy fruit and vegetables and herbs which we share - just like guardians of nature do!

Our sustainable learners are dedicated to sensory learning and using the forces of nature: water, dirt, plants and insects! Through visiting other natural outdoor spaces our junior environmentalists learn how to care for animals, plants and connect with the wider community. This promotes vitality and authentic connections in our community.

Our flourishing environmentalists here at BestStart Rototuna are full of nature’s best, bringing so much life, fun, and exploration, which they share with everyone they meet. As leaders and teachers, we are so fortunate to partner with whanau to Nourish our children and to care for the natural world.

Our journey is about aligning with families who share the same values of nourishing our children in a nature-based environment. As a community may we share knowledge, passion, and skills to help inspire our sustainable learners to achieve greatness. As families you will be certain all the tools to achieve your child’s goals, dreams, and aspirations are in our three classrooms. So come along today and join us on our adventures in nature in the comfort of your second home – BestStart Rototuna, where we Nourish our Children.

As our naturalists’ journey through our rooms Kowhai-Pepi (infants aged 3months to 2 years) they sprout through to Harakeke-Teina (toddlers aged 2 to 3.5 years), finishing their final growth in Mauku-Tuakana (preschoolers aged 3.5 years to school age). As kaitiaki they have developed different ways to nourish and be nourished, resulting in fabulous learners ready for kura.

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.

About us

Tiny Nation is home-based care and education with a difference.

We believe that children have the best chance to flourish when they have secure attachments and a strong sense of belonging in their early years. This foundation is key to emotional, physical and mental growth and wellbeing. From this nourished beginning, happy, healthy and well-adjusted young adults can grow.

Enquire today

We would love to match you with the ideal educator in your area so send us an enquiry here and we’ll be in touch to provide you with all the information you need to make the best choice for your family.

How we look after our families

• High quality education and care using only trained educators and qualified teachers

Because we believe in quality, not quantity, we only work with trained educators and qualified teachers, who by completing their training have proven their commitment to nurturing and caring for children. We find the best trained teachers and educators and support them to deliver their own unique early learning programmes in their own homes. We hand-pick them for their passion, commitment, experience and qualifications. We know that qualifications are an indicator of quality when it comes to early childhood education and we’re proud to represent 100% qualified educators and teachers.

• Family and educator self-matches

When you enquire with us as a family, we support you to self-match with a Tiny Nation educator of your choice. The choice factor is huge here – you get to choose the person you leave your child with when you can’t be there. You will choose your educator based on the needs of your family and child, your values, your own early learning philosophy and, most importantly, your connection with them. This allows you to find the perfect educator for your family – someone who will become a part of your support village and who will advocate fiercely for your child when you can’t. Isn’t this what we all want as parents?

• Small ratios of no more than four children to one educator

By choosing home-based early learning, you are choosing small groups and responsive relationships. Tiny Nation educators have no more than four pre-school children in their care at any given time, with no more than two under the age of two. This allows them to engage with their care children in meaningful ways, dedicating time to support their development and getting to know them deeply. Having small ratios of children per educator enables respectful interactions and authentic connections. Your child is not just a number at Tiny Nation.

• Nurturing, natural and familiar home environments

Home environments stir up comforting memories for all of us. We make personal connections with this kind of environment because it represents our childhood. It provides a strong sense of security and safety as we are able to seek comfort through the familiar. Early childhood education in home environments provide a calm and settled foundation for learning to occur. Children have the space to explore the community around them in real and authentic ways.

Our vision

To empower a nation of children to reach their full potential

Our guiding principles

Leadership / Ārahitanga

We encourage, empower and inspire our educators and teachers to contribute to our thinking and re-define what leadership looks like in early childhood education.

Relationship / Whanaungatanga

We are founded on consistent, familiar and nurturing relationships. It’s vital to take the time to understand, relate to and acknowledge each other as relationships are the soil from which everything else grows.

Partnership / Whakahoahoatanga

We are collaborative and work in partnership with parents and whānau, educators, the community and other like-minded services so that they can participate in and contribute to our journey.

These are our values

Authenticity / Mana Pono

This means being real and accountable. We partner with people who are aligned with our principles, values and beliefs so that we can all show up for our children in meaningful ways.

Belonging / Nō Konei Hoki

We affirm the identity, culture and language of our community and ensure staff, children, families and whānau know they have a place with us. Our environments and programmes are inclusive and our transitions are thoughtfully planned.

Communication / Kōrero

Reciprocal and responsive communication allows us to express ideas and feelings. We’re as passionate about listening as we are about being heard. We model effective communication so that our children become capable and confident communicators.

Our commitment to families

“Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti aroha o tatou mahi.

Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work.”

When you enrol as a family with Tiny Nation, we make a commitment to you as we journey together to provide your child with the love and care that they need to grow and flourish. For us, early childhood starts with care and ends with education. We know that no significant learning can occur without there first being a significant relationship. Your chosen educator becomes your child’s special person – their ‘go to’ in times of triumph and trouble. Someone who loves them just like you do and an extension of your family.

Creating Lifelong Learners

Tamariki natural curiosity is the foundation for exploration and growth. They explore to make sense of the world, develop and have fun. Tamariki start their lives by exploring the world around them. They learn through everything they see, touch, hear, smell, taste and do.

Through play, nga tamariki engage in active learning and exploration. They learn more about their interests and about the world. Most importantly, they learn how to adapt to a changing world. Play helps us remain creative and provokes our imagination.

Our People

Our team at Kids at Home is a dedicated team of individuals who have been chosen for their commitment to provide quality, educational in-home childcare. Kids at Home’s management team also consists of experienced Early childhood professionals and others who have worked within other roles in ECE for many years. We are proud of our positive workplace culture which can be felt as soon as you walk through our office doors!

Playgroups

Playgroup provides your child with a rich learning setting that encourages your child to build a foundation for future learning. Our groups provide your child with the opportunity to mix and make lifelong friends with other tamariki

Music Groups

Music groups provide your child the opportunity to participate in singing, dancing and experiment with musical instruments.

Music is an important part of any child care program. Listening to music, singing, playing musical instruments, and moving to music are all activities that support tamariki development.

Outings and Excursions

Visiting Teachers plan trips to events or places of interest in the community such as fire stations, the zoo, museum, parks etc. (Whanau and friends are welcome to attend).

High Standard of Care

Our Teachers and Educators pride themselves on the quality of care and education each child receives.

We do not limit ourselves to one teaching method or philosophy because we understand that your child is unique. We believe that each child has their own learning style and personality.

Kids at Home’s Visiting Teachers are fully qualified and certificated ECE Teachers with a current practicing certificate from the Teaching Council; our handpicked Teachers have many years of experience and expertise between them.

Kids at Home’s Visiting Teachers support Educators with regular visits and planning for education and development of tamariki.

Cumberland delivers high quality education and childcare in Flagstaff, Hamilton. A brand-new modern purpose-built centre with five individual rooms to offer learning at each developmental level.

Separate Learning Areas (approx ages)

Kakapo Room: 3 months - 15 months

Pukeko Room: 15 months - 2 years

Kereru Room: 2 years - 3 years

Tui Room: 3 years - 4 years

Kiwi Room: 4 years - School

• Enrolments from birth. Starting from 3months.
• Qualified staff who are passionate about caring and learning.
• Individualised programmes for babies own routines.
• Safe, stimulating environment.
• Modern, spacious purpose-built centre.
• Well resourced and huge grassed outdoor play areas.
• 'Produce' gardening.
• Healthy nutritious meals provided.
• Private online learning portfolios for parents (sharing photos, videos and stories about your child).
• An exclusive early childhood partnership with the Enviroschools Programme (eg. recycling, composting, gardening).
• In Partnership with Sports Waikato Under5 Energize to eat healthy, be active & have fun! 
• Actively involved in the Enviroschools programme.
• Learning is based on the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.
• Value family/whānau and centre partnership

Our qualified staff carefully plan programmes that fulfil the early childhood curriculum. We aim to ensure children are competent, confident and successful learners. Children will learn and develop:

• A strong foundation in reading, writing and maths
• Art, creativity, music and dance skills
• An understanding of sustainability and their environment
• The importance of New Zealand's heritage
• Social skills, behaviour management and manners
• Self confidence
• Learning skills such as independence, creativity and curiosity
• Friendships that may last throughout their schooling
• Relationships with consistent, familiar teachers
• To understand and operate within a structured routine

Teachers provide learning extensions that prepare you child for school which include numeracy & numbers, literacy & language, nature & science, computers & technology, puzzles & games, creative arts, sand & water play, trips, transition to school programme, child friendships… and more!

Children work together at mat time to share daily information, stories, songs, movement, drama & waiata, etc.