Childcare options in Howick South

We have a multicultural team of dedicated teachers who understand the importance of Early Childhood Education. As a team, we are committed to ensuring that the environment is a place where all cultures are supported, celebrated and respected. We encourage our whanau to share their culture with us, this supports making lasting links between the centre and home.

Our Fantail Room is designed for tamariki aged 3 months to 2 years. We follow primary caregiving in the Fantail Room which allows our tamariki and their whanau to form strong relationships with our teachers as well as have a smooth transition into the centre. Our environment is based on respectful interactions and active exploration underpinned by trusting relationships between tamariki and teachers.

The Tuatara Room is for tamariki from 2 years to around 3 years. This environment is set up to provide learning opportunities that support children’s growth and development across all areas. From communication to gross motor skills, the Tuatara Room teachers engage in responsive conversations that support the child to explore at their own pace and follow their individual interests.

The Pukeko and Koru Rooms are for children aged 3-5 years. These two rooms have a shared outdoor play space which supports children taking control of their learning and following their interests across the rooms. It also allows for a seamless transition. Our unique Be School Ready initiative is introduced in all the rooms and is developed to ensure that children leave the centre as confident, capable learners who are prepared for the next step in their education journey.

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.

Beachcomber Kindergarten is a small private Early Childhood Centre, offering childcare and education in a home like setting at 95 Hutchinsons Road, Howick.  A team of qualified and experienced educators provide a high quality programme that enhances and extends children's learning.  Our lower ratio of 1:7 allows teachers to work with individual children supporting their interests and holistic development.

Our early childhood centre is licensed for 30 children from 2 to 5 years of age.  We are open during school terms, Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 4.00 pm.  We offer flexible days and hours of enrolment to suit children and their families.  Children can be enrolled for half day sessions, morning or afternoon, or a full day programme for 2 or more days per week.

We offer the 20 hours ECE subsidy to 3 and 4 year old children