Childcare options in Bellevue

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.

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.

At Playcentre our children gain knowledge through play, participation and positive guidance provided by their parents, or other family members/caregivers, who stay on session with their children. Curiosity, creativity and learning are nurtured through the wide range of experiences provided in a quality environment, supported by parents and whanau as children’s first and best educators. We believe play is the best way for our tamariki to gain the social and emotional skills to set them up for success in future life. 

We have a well-resourced centre with a large outdoor area. We welcome children from birth to 6 years and also offer the Space programme (Space for you and your baby) for new parents and parents with new babies.

It’s not just the children who benefit from coming to Otumoetai Playcentre – our adult members value the friendships and support networks built here too. For many families our centre becomes a second home. We also offer opportunities for adult personal development and learning, including Playcentre’s free education programme, which helps us to understand children’s development, interactions and need to play. 

Please feel free to drop in for a visit (the first 3 sessions are free) or phone our centre to have a chat about coming in. 

Remember to bring morning tea and a change of clothes for your little ones, for when they discover the joys of paint and water play at Playcentre! 

We are a peanut-free and plastic-wrap-free centre.