BestStart Hei Hei

At BestStart Hei Hei we have a strong focus on respectful and meaningful relationships where tamariki (children) have the opportunity to explore their wider world around them. We are situated in Hornby and provide exceptional care and education for children from 3 months to 6 years of age. We have four wonderful classrooms and have a friendly and passionate teaching team that love working with tamariki to support their learning journeys.

Growing Together With Aroha

We have a lovely outdoor environment with lots of fruit trees, we have a special secret garden where we spend a lot of time growing fruit and vegetables and tend to our worm farm, teaching children about sustainability. We are also lucky to have different animals throughout our centre that the tamariki enjoy taking care of. All four of our class rooms work closely together and have a strong focus on tuakana teina relationships. We aim to provide a transitioning practice where tamariki and whanau are supported, well informed and involved in their child's transition.

Tui Room

Here in the Tui Room we understand the importance of creating a respectful environment with our youngest tamariki. From the word go, we find out as much as we can about the children and their home life so that we are able to ensure children feel a greater sense of belonging in our care. We take time to allow children to build those ever important relationships with their teachers. We focus on building relationships during special care moments with tamariki.  

Kiwi Room

Our Kiwi Room is for children from age one to two . We have a huge focus on building reciprocal bonds with tamariki where we are able to support their learning, wants and needs through the development of relationships and partnerships with whᾱnau. We use our environment to support children to learn, grow and begin their transition to the preschool environment. 

Kea Room

Our Kea room is for tamariki aged two to three and a half. We aim to provide an environment that meets the needs and interests of all individual tamariki, so they feel they have their own place in the room. Children are encouraged and supported to respect their surroundings making the room a safe and happy place for all children to experience and build a strong foundation for learning. We recognise the importance of fostering a sense of belonging -mana whenua and well-being through caring and trusting routines where children have the time and opportunity to develop independence and become aware of their responsibilities within the Kea room environment. 

Kakapo Room

Our room is for tamariki aged 3.5 to 6. We support each child through BestStart's Be School Ready programme to become confident and competent learners, prepared for the next stage in their learning journey when they go to school. We strongly value relationship building and work on building children's social and emotional competence throughout each day, as well as respect for themselves, each other and the environment. 

Education Review Office Report - We have received a fantastic Education Review Office (ERO) report, achieving the very best grade for all early childhood centres in New Zealand.

For more information about the specific fees for your centre, please contact us directly (03) 349 8180 /  heihei@best-start.org. You might be eligible for support paying their childcare fees. For more information click here.