Childcare options in Tauranga South

Welcome to New Shoots Tauranga – a modern, purpose-built early childhood centre nestled among the city’s main thoroughfare on Cameron Road. Opposite the hospital and close to the city’s downtown core, we offer a convenient location for hospital staff, local workers and out-of-town commuters alike. 

Walking into our spacious building is like entering an oasis – delicious smells waft in from the kitchen and calming classrooms are filled with sustainable resources to create a homely feel that puts children at ease.

Centred around a beautiful old rhododendron tree, our outdoor spaces foster exploration and creativity, reflecting the needs and interests of our growing tamariki. Our infant playground is designed to peak our youngest children’s curiosity, while the toddler and preschool area promotes safe discovery of their ever-evolving abilities.

We offer our very own Born to Play sessions – a sport and movement programme that supports children as they hone their physical skills alongside social and emotional competency.

At New Shoots Tauranga, we pride ourselves on forming warm and loving relationships with our tamariki and their whānau. We take an unhurried approach to children’s development, knowing that play-based learning in a homelike environment is where they thrive.

We are proud to be part of Tauranga’s diverse community and give back by collecting toys for the children’s ward at the nearby hospital and spreading joy at the local rest home.

Pop in for a visit and join the family at New Shoots Tauranga children’s centre.

• Quality ratios and small group sizes
• Community and coastal focus
• Fees include nappies, meals, wetbag, bag and hat/beanie (season dependant)

Welcome to Avenues Kindergarten

Come and play in the Avenues! Avenues Kindergarten has been a part of our local community for over 50 years. We’re well known for our nurturing approach to early learning, and the importance we place on encouraging creativity, fun and outdoor adventures! 

Discover nature with a large, gorgeous outdoor play area, with an extra grassy reserve located right next to our kindergarten.

Our teachers are 100% degree-qualified and registered. We routinely receive top-of-the-charts ERO reviews from NZ's education review authority for the learning outcomes we provide.

We offer up to 30 free hours* per week, and accept donations ($4 half day/ $6 full day) to help us to continue the great work we do! Come and chat to us about your schedule as we also have longer days available!

Primary teachers often feed back that our children transition particularly well into their first year of schooling from kindergarten. 

Most importantly, we're child-centric! We focus on cultivating their natural curiosity for learning in a safe and encouraging environment.

What makes our kindergarten special?

• Our large natural outdoor environment has space for children to independently and creatively explore and grow
• We have a welcoming community where all children and families/whānau are valued for their uniqueness
• We focus on following children’s strengths and interests
• We are passionate about supporting children to develop the skills knowledge and attributes to be lifelong learners
• We are well established in the community having been here for over 50 years
• Our teachers are all highly qualified and are committed to providing an exciting and innovative learning environment

At BestStart Tauranga Central we're proud to provide the best quality early childhood education and care for children. We care for children aged 0-6 years old and are open from 7.30am to 5.30pm, right through the year. We offer a range of full time and part time hours and provide learning experiences children just love. We the perfect choice for families working in the city!

Our Actions Today Are Our World Tomorrow

Our goal is to nurture and empower our tamariki to grow and develop a passion for learning which will prepare them for their future.

At BestStart Tauranga Central we take pride in creating an environment that sparks children’s curiosity to explore, encouraging them to take risks and make their own discoveries in an area that is safe, calm and respectful. 

Our learning environment is set up by passionate teachers, using a range of resources to encourage open-ended and collaborative play. This approach supports the children to contribute and become involved in their own learning.

Our passionate teachers thrive on working alongside our learners, engaging them and inspiring them within their play.  Play helps to nurture and empower our tamariki and through this they can learn to problem solve, work with others, express themselves, be creative and conquer challenges.

We provide enriching experiences fulfilling our tamariki goals and following their current interests. Learning experiences are inclusive and diverse, making sure we support all our tamariki in a holistic way.

We utilise our local community for learning and provide school visits to support our upcoming school children. We regularly visit our local rest home, encouraging community connection and interaction and enjoy a variety of spontaneous excursions to support our group planning. 

We are a culturally responsive centre where understanding our families’ backgrounds, heritage, values and beliefs is of high importance. We value each and every child equally. Our passionate teachers thrive on expanding the cultural awareness of our tamariki and whanau by celebrating special events and embracing their own and others culture. Children who experience other cultures at an early age acquire stronger social skills and form positive attitudes towards diversity.

At BestStart Tauranga Central our children learn from each other and build positive foundations to support them later in life - our actions today are our world tomorrow.

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.