BestStart Hillcrest

0508 BESTSTART

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Phone (07) 349 2933
Email enquiry@best-start.org

Where we are

26 Puriri Crescent Hillcrest Rotorua 3015

Opening hours

Monday7.30am - 5.30pm
Tuesday7.30am - 5.30pm
Wednesday7.30am - 5.30pm
Thursday7.30am - 5.30pm
Friday7.30am - 5.30pm

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At BestStart Hillcrest we value each child’s individuality, creativity and ideas and love and respect them for who they are. We are passionate about providing quality learning opportunities for all children that build and extend on their interests, offering many experiences to explore at their own pace.

Little Explorers, Big Ambitions

The wellbeing and development of all children is at the HEART of every decision we make.

Building relationships and working in partnership with our families is at the heart of what we do at BestStart Hillcrest. Our vision and philosophy acknowledge the importance of whanaungatanga, using a collaborative approach in ensuring children thrive. Our door is always open to our families and whanau, welcoming you to spend as much time as needed to settle your child into their new environment.

Wonderful environment - The natural environment plays an integral part in children’s learning, they are encouraged to value the natural world, to become kaitiaki (guardians) of their environment and surroundings.

All children have access to a beautiful outside play area where they can continue to explore, run, jump and engage with their friends. Our large spaces allow our children to use nature in their play such as picking flowers, vegetables and leaves. Our wonderful environment provides opportunity for children to explore and connect to the natural world. There are many opportunities during the day for children to be creative, expressive, lead, explore or just sit peacefully and watch the clouds float by.

Community learning - It is very important that our children make community connections, understand their place within our community and learn from our beautiful town. We arrange excursions and invite experts from our community to visit our centre to share their expertise such as Police, Librarians, Dental nurses and animal experts.

Infants and toddlers - At BestStart Hillcrest our babies are cared for by passionate teachers who specialise in working with children aged 0 to 2 years old. Our warm inviting indoor area combined with two spacious outdoor play areas designed for the younger children, offer them plenty of opportunities to explore and grow at their own pace. Our learning programme for our youngest children is nurturing, respectful and guided by each child’s individual needs and interests. Our teachers work with whanau and the wider community to provide an environment that empowers each child to succeed.

Project Hub - Our Tui Room is an exciting project hub, full of interesting, educational opportunities to discover, research and create. Our children are encouraged to plan and implement activities that are of interest to them and they are given the opportunity to experiment with ideas, ways of thinking and doing things. We also empower children to develop those all-important self-help skills, ready for that next part of their learning journey which is school. Along with this, our unique Be School Ready initiative helps our children develop the skills needed for the transition from BestStart Hillcrest to school.

We welcome you to visit our centre at any time convenient to you.

Video Gallery

Rotorua Cultural Festival

Our Christmas party

Water slide fun!

Crank Worx 2020

Frozen Day

Quality Service Award 2023

kind words from our parents

Parent

To the amazing, beautiful, funny, loving teachers at BestStart Hillcrest. This place was a home away from home, a safe place, where magic happens and memories are made. No words can express how grateful we are, to have you ALL part of our lives. You all cared for and adored Alzarah as if she was your family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we will truly miss each and every one of you.

Parent

Our son Oliver started at the centre about 4 months ago when he was 1 year old (incredibly young and vulnerable in our eyes!). We were naturally very nervous about the idea of ‘handing him over’ for such long periods of time to people who we had only briefly met. From day one the staff have welcomed Oliver by name. Again a small thing that may seem insignificant but is incredibly important to you as a parent as it shows that they see your child as part of their whanau and not just another kid turning up for a few hours. I simply can’t say enough about Kristen. We’ve only known her for a short period of time but already completely trust her with Oliver, primarily because we know that he completely trusts her. That’s probably one of the biggest compliments I could pay. We couldn’t have hoped for a better start and look forward to seeing Oliver thrive here over the next few years.

Sian Coombe

I have now been a parent at ABC Hillcrest for over 11 years and could not imagine taking my children anywhere else. When we first visited the centre back in 2007 as young parents we were drawn to the the large open brightly-coloured back play area and the warm welcome from the staff. With a just turned two year old and a six month old baby the fact that they catered for both of our children in the same centre was a huge draw card. Able to accommodate my crazy shift work hours in tourism, I found a real sense of family and community at ABC Hillcrest. Although the centre has undergone ownership changes and a few staff changes over this time the sense of family and community has stayed strong. We have since gone on to have two more children with 5 year gaps and I knew that the only place I wanted to leave my babies was here. Both my sisters jumped at the chance to enrol their children here when the need arose, having seen first hand how happy we were with the centre. I know not all families are as lucky as we have been with their childcare experiences and I will always treasure the many memories we have made here at ABC Hillcrest.

Julia and Craig

Today is the end of an era for Talei and the start of a new adventure. Thank you for helping to shape her into the lovely confident person she is. As parents we look for a daycare centre that meets or exceeds all the high standards we set for ourselves. Thank you for being that place

McHale/Pearson families

Thank you so much for all the love and support you have shown Gareth over the last couple of years. We are so proud of the little boy Gareth has become and you have had such a huge and positive role to play in this. Words can not express how much we appreciate everything you have done for him and us! I can't wait to bring Gareth back for lots of visits. Keep up the good work you are all truly inspirational.

Amara's whanau

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always taking such good care of Amara over the years! All of your ongoing love, support and nurturing and morning awhi has been so much appreciated!

Parent

Thank you so much for your love, care and support over the past 4 years. You have made Hillcrest such a happy, fun and eye-opening place for our daughter. We are so grateful she has had these wonderful learning experiences. I’m glad we will see you all for a few years yet!

Parent

Thank you to everyone at BestStart Hillcrest for taking Riley onboard and caring for him, is settling in and I enjoy seeing all the things he gets up to and all the little creations he makes. Thanks for your input and I look forward to seeing what else is to come with Riley. Everyone does an amazing job.

Grandparent

Thank you for all the effort you put into mothers / grannies afternoon tea. Pink platter, balloon lovely food and the handprints poem was all just lovely. I think you are all stars. Thank you for caring and educating our granddaughter.

Stacey & Scott's Whānau

Thank you all for everything you have done for Lukas and our whānau over the last 5 years. He has truly loved his time with all of you!

Parent

Thank you for all the love and care you have shown Ari over the last 6 months of his early childhood education. He has had loads of fun.

Parent

Aiah-Jean will miss you all. Thanks so muych for giving her the "Best Start" in her journey to "big school". You guys are awesome.

Alice Duffy

We found our transition into BestStart Hillcrest very smooth going. You were very welcoming and reassuring when we came to visit prior (multiple times I might add.. ) and Kristen and Sarah made us feel at ease when dropping Archer off for his first day. I felt very reassured and loved that you guys posted on the page to welcome him and also messaged me to let me know he was settling in well It was so comforting to know he was being well looked after and not just a number to you. I’m really not sure what else you could of done better?! You were also very open with us visiting whenever which is nice as it felt like we were seeing the real experience rather than a ‘perfect’ version which was great!

Shanice

Our initial visit to BestStart Hillcrest we had I got a good vibe from the teachers and kidlets. Staff retention was a big selling point. I remember on that visit also that Hudson fell over and one the kindy kids went and helped him up and took him into their room where a dance party was happening. That to me was a standout moment knowing the kids are so caring and want to help the little ones and I want Hudson to have those traits too. One other moment was a little girl just came up to Hudson and gave him a hug, it was sweet. The outdoor area was a cherry on top as well as Hudson loves being outside and all the different animals you have is soooo cool! A small daycare was a big thing as well but the main thing I remember was Hudson walked away to play and explore within within 5 mins of being there..which he never did/still doesn’t do that in a new place- he sticks to me and Adam like glue for like an hour, sometimes not even looking at people and he just cuddles in and hides. Also you do the right thing for the kids- you don’t go by age which I think is important for their development. You don’t hold them back in the bubba room if they are ready to join the bigger kids. That was important as Hudson development seemed to be ahead a bit in some areas and you guys nurture that and go by each individual child.

Parent

Having dedicated learning time from 4years old works well as Riley knew that he had to go to learning time and not just free play all day so it wasn't a shock transitioning from BestStart to School Other things like children lining up and waiting to wash their hands before meals and all sitting together to eat lunch etc some good structure

Parent

Thank you for giving Rafi such a lovely time at preschool. We have been really blown away by the level of care and attention that you show to every child in your care. From the detailed stories on StoryPark to the amazing meals and kai, to giving each child a present at Christmas, as well as creating beautiful keepsakes, this is by far the best preschool we have been involved with.

Parent

We are truely grateful for you all for being a part of Millar and Connors lives. The experiences they have had far outweighed our expectations. The kids have loved their time with you all. It will be strange, not returning next week. You have become like family and we will miss you all. But alas, the next chapter starts! Thank you so much! All the very best for all your future endeavours.

Parent

To the amazing teachers at BestStart Hillcrest. Thank you for helping Eliza grow into the amazing girl she is, we really appreciate all the support, help, and advice over the years. Lucky us, we still have a few more years with you all, because of Billie.

Parent

To the most wonderful group of teachers, caregivers, and friends we could ever ask for! We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all the time, love, and care you have shown us and put into our three tamariki. We have shared many laughs amongst the challenges of raising our kiddies. We absolutely couldn't have done life without you all.

Parent

It takes a special person to understand my language, my tears, my arm flaps, my tippy toes, my facials and my heart! Thank you for being that special person. Ka nui to aroha, Stephen aka Mister

Gardiner Family

Thank you for all the love, care, and education you have given Lucille over the years. Your dedication is shown by the time you have put into her profile photos and learning stories. Impressive! I have seen Lucille grow in confidence to become a skilled preschooler. I have always been so impressed with the activities you offer - Mother's Day, Halloween, Matariki, etc. You put in a lot of extra work with all the children and it shows. I have always felt welcome at your centre. You are all truly amazing teachers. Thank you thank you thank you for giving Lucille an amazing preschool adventure.