Childcare options in Greenmeadows

BestStart Greenmeadows is a popular family-orientated centre conveniently located opposite Anderson Park, a key commuter route for families across Napier, with entrances on Kennedy Road and Tait Drive.

What matters to you, matters to us

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai iwi

This simple phrase is the backbone of our philosophy. It is our mission to find out what matters to you in the care and education of your child. You and your children are at the heart of what we do.

BestStart Greenmeadows is a home-like centre for those parents looking for a place with a heart for children and with a passion to listen and respond to what matters to you. 

Our learning spaces 

Our centre consists of two houses which stand back to back, with grounds spreading from Kennedy Road through to Tait Drive. We have 3 separate rooms that children transition between as they mature and develop. Each room has a special nature or mauri that characterises the teaching and learning experience.

Amazing playground - You will experience our wow factor as you walk beyond the front doors into the children’s adventure play spaces. We are proud of our playground. Not only is it safe, secure and easy to supervise, it is lots of fun for our children. Mounds to climb, slides to whizz down, mud puddles to create in, water play and sandpits. Not to mention open spaces for running, stretching and being free to imagine. You need to see it!

Koru Room (infants) - Happiness and peace permeate the Koru Room. You will meet teachers who are nurturing and sensitive to the needs of you and your child. Our teachers are emotionally present and respect that each infant has their own rhythm and pace. They listen to what matters to you, to provide all that your baby needs to feel safe and loved. Your child’s key teacher is there throughout the day, offering support and nurturing during care moments and teaching opportunities and ensuring all the significant and magic moments in your child’s day are passed on to you. Babies and toddlers are offered rich sensory spaces that provide for safe exploration and active whole-body learning. Babies can enjoy a special space in the room where they have safe, uninterrupted play.

Tiaki Room (toddlers) - When our older 2-year olds are ready, they are supported to transition into the Tiaki Room. Friendships, kindness and manners matter to our parents so creating a place where children express daily kindness, appreciation, and love for others is a big part of their learning.  Children are diverse and so are their learning goals. We celebrate their achievements and support them to be successful in a fun and relaxing environment. We teach skills for life. Your children are busy growing and learning every minute of the day. Every person they meet, every butterfly they see, each time they build and create, exciting learning experiences help them form brand new connections in their brains.

Mana Room (preschoolers) - Our children continue to flourish as they transition seamlessly into the Mana Room around 4 years old. Being confident and ready for school matters to our parents so the Mana room has a strong focus on supporting children’s pathways to school. Teachers engage in the latest oral language and literacy research to grow your child’s language and creative thinking skills. Spaces that have an inviting range of art, construction, music, science, literacy and numeracy experiences are available.  Children enjoy fun and purposeful group times which are sensitively facilitated by teachers.

What else you can expect from our childcare centre:

• We offer part time and full time sessions
• A curriculum that reflects and supports children’s current individual and group interests.
• Storypark profiles for each child
• Winz and 20 free ECE hours approved

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.

Surrounded by nature and the beautiful open spaces of Anderson Park, Active Explorers Greenmeadows is a vibrant, family-focussed early childhood centre in the heart of Napier.

Featuring first-rate facilities, including four separate learning areas for different age groups, we provide a safe and caring environment where children are nurtured, stimulated and engaged.

We offer excellent child-staff ratios, with a high percentage of qualified educators and a team who love what they do. Our goal is to help each and every child tap into – and celebrate - their own unique potential.

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why so many families choose Active Explorers Greenmeadows. Here are just a few of them:

• Three meals a day provided
• Healthy Heart award
• Regular excursions to adjacent Anderson Park
• Free nappies and a wet bag
• Excellent teacher to child ratios
• Four separate rooms to cater for each age and stage
• Strong community focus
• Inclusive environment where all cultures are embraced and celebrated

Our Rooms

We understand that at each different age and stage, children have unique needs. Our four separate rooms – each with their own outdoor area – enable us to provide the very best learning environment as children grow.

Infant Room

Our infant room reflects a calm, nurturing environment that is designed to support infants to develop and grow. We are passionate about key teaching and understanding the importance of infants developing authentic, trusting relationships within their first few years.

Toddler Room

This is where our 2 to 3 year olds to have fun, learn and thrive. We foster independence, encouraging children to dress and undress themselves, use tongs to put the food they want onto their plates, take their dishes to the bench when they are finished eating and wash their face and hands. This builds self-esteem and confidence. An exciting range of learning opportunities are on offer here including construction, art, dramatic play, sand, water, clay, and caring for the environment through gardening.

Little Wonders Greenmeadows is a small early childhood centre with a big heart.

Our unique family focus encourages children and whanau to learn and play alongside each other. We embrace collaborative relationships and empower tamariki to learn and grow in an environment that is inviting, nurturing and fun.

Our passionate and experienced Kaiako are the driving force behind our success, delivering a rich variety of learning experiences that will bring out the best in your little one, setting them up with a love of learning and the tools they need to thrive.  Give your child the ideal start.

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why families choose Little Wonders Greenmeadows.

Here are just a few of them:

• Small learning community licensed for just 40 children
• Excellent teacher to child ratios
• Extended opening hours great for busy families (7.30am to 5.30pm)
• Homely and relaxed setting filled with stimulating spaces
• Beautiful outdoor environment connects children with nature
• Regular excursions (e.g. local shops, Mitre 10, Omni Gymnastics)
• Process baking is integrated within the daily flow of the centre
• Excellent transition to school programme
• Strong family focus – we encourage children and whanau to play and learn alongside each other

Our Rooms

Licensed for just 40 children, Little Wonders Greenmeadows is a small learning community with a mixed age setting. This environment promotes strong tuakana-teina relationships, as tamariki from different ages learn from each other.

A safe and secure infant space is available for our under 2s, providing an environment where our Kaiako can support infant development and practice milestones such as rolling, crawling and walking.