BestStart Mount Eden  

BestStart Mt Eden is a quality early learning childcare centre, conveniently located near Eden Park.

BestStart Mt Eden is a home-away-from-home with passionate kaiako (teachers) who believe in bringing joy and beauty to the everyday lives of our tamariki. We are enthusiastic about creating a home-away-from-home filled with heart and aroha. We take particular inspiration from the philosophies and teachings of Magda Gerber and believe that our tamariki deserve a space in which they can unfold in their own unique way.

We take pride in our core foundations of aroha, (love) whakaute, (respect) whakawhirinaki, (trust) tākarko (play) and koa (joy) and believe that our tamariki are capable and competent learners who benefit from engaged kaiako as well as real-life experiences and resources. We strive to inspire creativity and independence through loose parts, meaningful provocations and a challenging learning environment where tamariki can take risks in a safe space. Here, tamariki learn to develop social skills, are able to assess risks, problem solve, develop an awareness of mindfulness and grow the confidence in themselves as capable and competent learners.

Our once ‘wild urban space’ is now a meadow where learning gets ‘down and dirty’ through learning in nature. We have a mud pit and kitchen, vegetable garden and a chicken coop which houses 2 resident chickens - Poppy and Heihei - fresh eggs every day!

Pipi Villa is the home of our youngest tamariki, who can start with us from 3 months. During the first few years of a baby’s life relationships are the key to success, development, growth and a peaceful infant. We enable this in Pipi by following a primary care-giving system, which is based around the principles of RIE and the lessons we have learnt from Dr Emmi Pickler and Magda Gerber.

Paua Villa is the home of our older tamariki where we foster their growth and development until they go to school at 5. From around the age of 2 our environment in Paua and our kaiako enable our tamariki to extend and challenge themselves. Our focus is on developing key competencies and dispositions such as independence, resilience, perseverance, self-help skills and creativity which will inspire a passion for life-long learning in our tamariki.

Our unique Be School Ready initiative has been developed to ensure that children leave the centre as confident, capable learners and prepared for the next step in their education journey.