BestStart Somerset Street  

BestStart Somerset Street (formerly TopKids Somerset) is a recently renovated centre, licenced for up to 75 children, located in the heart of Hamilton City and Frankton Village.

We have four rooms; our Bambino Room (0-1 years), our Piccolo Room (1-2 years), our Mezzo Room (2-3.5 years) and our Scuola Room (3.5-5 years).

Here at BestStart Somerset, we are passionate about providing a home away from home, where our tamariki are nurtured and loved. We strive to work closely with parents and whanau to support each individual child on their learning journey. We build trusting and respectful relationships with whanau that allow us to gather and support their aspirations for their tamariki, as well as providing children the opportunity to lead their own learning.

Parents and whanau are welcomed and encouraged to spend time in our centre and contribute to the programme. Our trusting relationships with whanau are the essence of our centre, which allows us the opportunity to show appreciation for our families through our dedicated parent events.

In recognition of our diverse community, we affirm and celebrate cultural differences and are proud of our inclusive education model. In support of the principles surrounding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we promote whanaungatanga, te reo me nga tikanga, tuakana/teina relationships and ako, ensuring that we bestow manaakitanga and embrace our dual heritage.

Our centre curriculum is individually focused, and predominantly child led. We focus on children’s interests, whanau and cultural values, and supports each child in the next step of their journey. We have the ‘Be School Ready’ programme interwoven throughout the curriculum of the whole centre, tailored to each age group, supporting our tamariki to develop the necessary skills for a bright and positive future.

At Somerset we believe in a shared leadership approach, which underpins the empowerment, growth, and motivation of our community of learners; this being our team, tamariki, parents and whanau, along with the wider community.

We have a very close knit team of teachers, an administrator and chef, who are committed, enthusiastic, and passionate about what they do. In 2016, our centre was awarded three Trustmark awards, for achieving excellence in Quality Teaching, Leadership and Management, and Working with Others.

We love having visitors, and getting to know prospective members of our Somerset Family, so feel free to come and visit or spend some time in our Centre, to see if this is the right fit for you, your child, and family. Come anytime!