Childcare options in Bethlehem

BestStart Montessori Bethlehem provides exceptional Montessori childcare for children from 6 months to 6 years old. We're a kind and caring learning community, proud of our culturally-diverse teachers and families, ready and waiting to share our knowledge with you and your child. Everyone is welcome and your family values and culture are important to us.

Be your own champion

At BestStart Montessori Bethlehem we are passionate about helping all children be the best that they can be at whatever they show an interest in. With encouragement and support we help them to develop the skills they need to be confident, resilient learners not just for school but for life. 

By building a strong relationship with parents and with regular communication, together, we can help your child be their own champion.  Whether it’s starting to use the toilet, knowing their alphabet or just needing help to make friends we pride ourselves in meeting their needs and goals in a kind, caring and respectful way.

Independence - Maria Montessori said, “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed”. Whether it be learning to feeding themselves, put on their shoes, peel a carrot, wash their hands or simply opening their lunchbox – we will always there to help and guide our children with the task at hand but, the look on their face when they manage to do it for themselves is priceless! We love to see our children reach their own potential in whatever they have chosen to work with, after all, we are all unique individuals! 

Every day is a fun day - All of our teachers are passionate about the children having fun every day, whether through singing, expressing themselves creatively or simply by playing with their friends. We also have dress up days, bring a bike day, shared lunches and lots of visitors who come to visit the children throughout the year. 

Exploring outside - We have a huge outdoor area the children are physically challenged in every day. They learn to love and respect the outside environment, raking leaves, gardening and enjoying the fresh air. We have two large playground areas, a huge tarmac area for riding bikes and big areas for growing our fruit and vegetables. Our gardens provide an opportunity for children to learn about respecting nature/Papatuanuku. Children help to look after our resident chickens and guinea pigs. They care for our fruit trees, pick flowers and weed vegetable plots. They harvest eggs and fruit or vegetables when they are ripe. Our homegrown produce is prepared by the children for morning tea or used in baking, ready to share with their friends at preschool or take home for their family. 

Playing inside - We have large, open light and airy classrooms that create a relaxed, quiet and calm environment for your child to achieve his or her optimal learning potential. Within a well-resourced classroom your child will be supported by kind and caring teachers to give everything a try. An extensive range of Montessori equipment will help your child to learn not only academically but also to respect and look after things we treasure.   

We love parent feedback - Parents know their children the best and we love to hear about what happens at home. Sharing children’s interests and family aspirations enables us to create an individualised learning plan for your child. The Storypark App allows families to access stories and videos about their child's learning, showing what they have been up to during their time with us. Our parents love to watch the videos at home with their children and have told us it makes them feel more like we are sharing the journey with them as they can see and understand what their child has been doing during their time with us.

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 Parau Drive, we are dedicated to nurturing and stimulating young minds, helping each child become the best version of themselves. Conveniently located in the heart of Bethlehem, on the corner of Parau Drive near the Bethlehem shopping centre, our newly opened centre provides a welcoming and accessible environment for families.

We offer high-quality childcare with rich learning experiences, supported by our team of qualified and experienced educators. Our spacious, well-resourced rooms are designed to inspire curiosity and foster a love of learning from an early age.

We understand that transitioning to a new early childhood setting can be an adjustment for families. Our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way. We know that this change may lead to some temporary sleep or eating disruptions, or increased emotions for your child. We are committed to helping families navigate this period with care and understanding.

Our Team

Our dedicated and experienced team of teachers each brings over 20 years of experience. We pride ourselves on creating a warm, loving environment for children and their families, where feedback and collaboration are highly valued. Our small, close-knit team ensures each teacher brings unique skills.

What We Offer:

• Extended opening hours from 7:00am to 6:00pm
• An experienced, passionate, and cohesive team of teachers
• Age-appropriate rooms and resources
• Great teacher/child ratios
• Healthy, nutritious meals and snacks provided daily by our centre cook
• Get Set for School programme
• Welcome pack for all new enrolments
• 20 hours free for 3-5-year-olds and WINZ subsidies available* if needed

Our Spaces

Our brand-new building features multiple age-based learning rooms in a stunning environment, equipped with a wide range of high-quality, age-appropriate resources to support your child’s learning at every developmental stage. Each room encourages active involvement in literacy, numeracy, science, arts and crafts, cooking, music and movement, and various physical activities.

Where fun meets nature

Take the time to visit Kidiwise Preschool & Childcare and you will find a private centre like no other with trees, grass, two acres of native bush track, a spa pool, resident pony, chickens and double the grounds, with regular weekly activities, a wide variety of resources and established degree qualified teachers to educate your child, mentally, physically and emotionally with age appropriate sensitivity.

Take a look at what makes our centre right for you

Our ratios are really low

Our ratios much better than government requirements.

• Babies (1 teacher to 4 Children)
• Toddlers (1 teacher to 6 Children)
• Preschoolers  (1 Teacher to 8 Children)

We welcome you to come and meet our amazing team.

Awesome activities for the 3 and overs

Includes:

• Water confidence and play in Spa Pool
• Trips out into the community
• Science
• Pony rides
• Play ball
• Native bush adventures

We love our animals

We have Sushi, our miniature pony, chickens and Anna's miniature schnauzer, Charlie.. Children are free to interact with our pets during special regular weekly activities. We love watching the smiles these interactions bring.

Fun to be had in the garden

Children's vegetable and flower garden are replenished from our worm farm and compost bin. There is nothing like growing your own vegetables to teach our children the value of fresh food.

Great Location and Space, Space, Space

Convenient main road location in Bethlehem, with the advantage of 2 acres of natural bush onsite! We have a couple of different entrances with plenty of parking for drop offs and pick ups. Four totally separate indoor areas and outdoor playgrounds means Kidiwise enjoys the ability for children to develop with their own age group - it is like four little childcare centres in one place.