BestStart Howick

0508 BESTSTART

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Phone (09) 538 0099
Email enquire@best-start.org

Where we are

174 Ridge Road Howick East Auckland 2014

Opening hours

Monday7.00am - 6.00pm
Tuesday7.00am - 6.00pm
Wednesday7.00am - 6.00pm
Thursday7.00am - 6.00pm
Friday7.00am - 6.00pm

BestStart Howick is an early learning centre located in Howick, East Auckland and is within easy travelling distance for parents living in Howick, Bucklands Beach, Eastern Beach, Cockle Bay and Highland Park. We provide high-quality early education and award-winning childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Bringing Communities Together from the Heart.

Love & Laughter fill our villa. We're a place where learning starts from the heart!

At BestStart Howick, we believe in providing a loving, respectful, and caring environment for all children and their whānau. The relationships with children and partnerships with parents form a strong foundation for learning in our centre.

We are located in a beautiful heritage villa built during the Fencibles era as a settlement. Our philosophy beautifully combines the idea of learning as a journey with the nurturing power of a home-like environment.

The imagery of children on a waka (a traditional Māori canoe) symbolises a collaborative, culturally grounded approach to learning, where children navigate together through engaging, playful experiences. Our focus on fostering dispositions—curiosity, resilience, and confidence—paves the way for a lifelong passion for learning, with play and environment at the heart of their growth.

Our Team

Our fantastic teachers and age-focused resources support children in actively participating in centre life, empowering them to inquire and explore as they learn about the world around them. Our centre cook provides nutritious meals and snacks each day to nourish and support your child's development.

What We Offer

Affordable, high-quality education and care.
Great teacher to child ratios.
Healthy Heart approved nutritious meals and snacks provided by our centre cook daily.
Set for School programme.
20 hours free ECE for 3-5 year olds and WINZ subsidies available* if required.

Our Spaces

At BestStart Howick, we have a spacious outdoor play area that nurtures children’s physical development and natural curiosity. Our outdoor area is an extension of the classroom, supporting children’s dexterity and social skills. A beautiful heritage tree provides natural shade and can be climbed, along with our climbing frames. Our bikes, swings, water play area, and creative arts space provide children with a range of activities to help them grow and thrive.

Pepe Room

(Under 2's)

Over 2's

Video Gallery

About BestStart 1 (Mandarin)

About BestStart 2 (Mandarin)

Quality Service Award 2023

kind words from our parents

Eric & Sherry

This year's Christmas party was the best I participated in! There are fun inflatable castles, bubble machines to make the environment like a fairy tale world, magic face painting, balloon crafts, delicious share foods, and children singing Christmas songs like the sounds of nature. Friendly chatting between parents. The most important thing is the best support and care from the BestStart Howick team! Thank you for letting us enjoy the warmth and relaxation! Like the songs the children sang that day: We wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cari Richardson

Very happy with teacher interactions with children. Great environment and interactive play with different toys and activities. Great meal variety. Happy with healthy environment awareness at the centre.

Kate Pickstock

We’ve had a good experience with BestStart Howick, Brandon is very happy here and has developed his skills a lot since he started. I really like that BestStart organises a lot of fun and creative days and the annual Xmas party.

Melissa Campbell

We are more than happy with Clara’s experiences at BestStart Howick. She interacts well with the carers and has learnt plenty of ‘good life lessons’ such as being kind to her friends. She has surprised us recently with her development in communicating, asking questions and demonstrating emotions such as empathy.

Parent

I love that we are greeted each morning as we arrive. This settles the boys especially on a Wednesday when they haven’t been at daycare for 4 days. The centre has a large open space for the boys to expend their energy and different activities to do outside. They especially love summer sprinkler play. I appreciate that I can approach the lead teachers with concerns and they are acted on in an appropriate time frame. I know our boys are well cared for while at the centre (emotionally and physically). I like the internal visual images and art inside the centre is changed regularly. I appreciate the extra time the teachers put in to communicate with parents.

Leigh Hubbard

Skylah has been part of the BestStart Howick family since she was 4 months old. She has thrived in her growth and learning in her weekday environment and now prepping for primary school. I think the centre does a great job with communication and with teaching, assisting my child with her growth.

Vicky Walden

The Walden family has been coming to BestStart Howick for over 4 and half year. We have seen many changes. The most positive has been Phil and Pami being incharge. They are always supportive, loving and kind. I like the fact that there is consistent teachers. Thank you so much for your positive impact you have had on both my sons. I really appreciate everything you have done for the Walden Family. We could not have done it without you. Very sad to say goodbye.

Kate Rynbeck

We love seeing all the fun setups and science experiments the centre has been doing recently. Zac has been telling us all about them. We love how caring all his teachers and friends are and how well the children are at taking care of each other.

Zara Joyce

BestStart Howick teachers are supportive, caring, kind and they celebrate and embrace all cultures and are understanding to the children's needs.

Bryzel Groves

Absolutely love the Pepe room at BestStart Howick. Christa is the best she is so caring and helpful. You can tell she really cares about the well-being of the infants. My only concern is the frequency of posting on Storypark. This may be because Shyloh only goes 2 days a week but would love to see more on there. Besides that, I am extremely happy with Shyloh’s experience at BestStart Howick.

Amanda Jones

Liam loves going to daycare so that definitely comes down to the environment and people working there. I’m very cautious when it comes to who I leave Liam with but I know at daycare he’s well looked after and all teachers know who he is so it shows regardless of age group or which room you’re in the teachers make the effort to get to know all the children.

Jesicca Irani

BestStart Howick taught my daughter to be independent, creative and sociable.

Parent

The environment is inviting and the teachers are really friendly and get to know all the kids regardless if they are in the under or over 2 classes. I feel like they really understand what my son needs and are so good at their job. I was really nervous about him going to daycare as he’d only been looked after by family but seeing him March into daycare and look a bit sad when he has to leaves shows we made the right decision to send him to daycare and that we picked the right one for him.

Clinton & Lizette Lindemann

No words could ever express how incredibly grateful we are to all of the wonderful teachers & staff at Best Start Howick. You have all loved, cared for and taught Mason so much in the last year & a half, helping him become the incredibly special & intelligent little man that we are so very proud of. We are in awe of all that you do on a daily basis with each & every little person that we can clearly see you have a passion for. We will miss all of you and the smiles & happy chats every day.