BestStart Cranford Street is an early learning childcare centre in St Albans providing care and education for children aged from 3 months to 5 years. Conveniently located next to St Albans Primary School, our qualified and experienced teaching team are committed to actively engage in respectful working relationships with all learners in our community.

Where Diversity Lives and Whanaungatanga Grows

We pride ourselves in being a creative and bubbly centre with four classrooms, supporting productive partnerships (ka hikitia), children's learning and development through every age and stage.  We value children’s play as part of the learning journey through adventure, fun and friendship. Our tamariki (children) develop the independence, confidence and skills to set them up for a lifelong love of learning. Each of our classrooms has been designed to cater to the specific learning and developmental needs of each age group, resulting in an environment where children thrive. We are committed to supporting and empowering each child as unique individuals, helping them become competent and confident learners.

Our Nursery cares for our pēpi under 2 years, focusing on a nurturing, caring and relaxing environment which allows our tamariki to feel at home. 

Our Explorers room cares for our tamariki aged 2-3 years and strives for a creative environment that allows them to explore and discover while beginning to develop the necessary self-help skills to support them in their future.

Our Preschool room cares for our tamariki aged 3-4 years and has established an outstanding balance between teacher and child-led experiences within the environment.  This provides them with the opportunity to explore a range of thought-provoking provocations.

Our Extension room cares for tamariki aged 4-5 years and have created an environment allowing for the children's independence to thrive as they prepare for their transition to school. We also have a unique 'Be School Ready' initiative which ensures children are prepared for the next step in their learning journey.

Here at BestStart Cranford Street, we are truly passionate about our outdoor environment which consists of an open shared space for the over 2 year olds. Nursery children can see our over 2's through a fence and are often approached to greet the Nursery tamariki. This allows for amazing tuakana teina relationships as well as nurturing the sibling relationships we have in the centre. Our high quality indoor and outdoor learning spaces are designed to engage and inspire our children as they grow and develop. 

We are proud of the open communication and strong relationships we have built with our tamariki and their whanau. We believe children learn through interactions with whanau, teachers and peers (tuakana-teina) and the wider world. We nurture these relationships and provide meaningful learning opportunities that build on their natural curiosity.

Your child's learning journey and milestones are captured and shared through Storypark, our safe online communication system. This is a great way to keep up to date with what your child is doing while at the centre. You can log in to see what's been happening in their day, check out photos of them and comment on their activities, as well as send teachers direct messages if there's something you'd like them to know about your child.

BestStart Cranford Street values, and teaches children:

• Respect - for themselves, diverse cultures, the environment and the people around them
• Empathy and compassion - understanding and being considerate of other children and people's needs
• Independence - being able to do things for themselves in their learning and their routines

"Stand aside for a while and leave room for learning, observe what children do, and then, if you have understood well, perhaps teaching will be different from before."
- Loris Malaguzzi

For more information about the specific fees for your centre, please contact us directly (03) 926 3597 /  cranford@best-start.org. You might be eligible for support paying their childcare fees. For more information click here.