BestStart St Albans

60 Champion St, Edgeware, Christchurch View on map

03 365 1761

Mon - Fri 7:30am to 5:30pm

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Welcome to BestStart St Albans!

At BestStart St Albans, our early learning centre in St Albans, Christchurch, provides a welcoming environment where tamariki can thrive, be themselves, and grow in confidence. Located near the Avon-Ōtākaro River on a quiet city side street, our centre is set in a charming historic villa with a homely feel.

We believe children learn through meaningful experiences that encourage them to explore, follow their interests, and develop independence. Our child-led curriculum gives tamariki opportunities to be involved in everyday centre life, challenge their thinking, and discover what they are capable of in a supportive environment.

Learning Through Play: Our child-led curriculum follows the interests of tamariki, encouraging them to explore, discover, and develop new skills. We support children to take managed risks, helping them challenge their thinking, build confidence, and become more independent.
Set for School: Our Set for School programme supports older tamariki as they prepare for their transition to school, helping them build confidence and independence for their next big adventure.
Regular Excursions: We regularly venture into our local community to extend children's learning beyond the centre. These experiences help tamariki explore their surroundings, develop a sense of belonging, and build a love for their local community.
Learning Through Everyday Experiences: From cooking and baking morning or afternoon kai to helping prepare vegetables for lunch, tamariki are involved in all aspects of our centre day. These experiences encourage independence and give children opportunities to contribute to their learning environment.

Our centre values guide the way we support tamariki every day: Relationships / Whanaungatanga, Learning Through Play / Ako mā te Tākaro, Emotional Wellbeing / Taha Hinengaro, Empowerment, Partnerships / Mahi Ngātahi, and Diversity / Kanorau. We strive to create an environment where children feel supported to explore, grow, and become confident individuals.

We’d love to welcome you to BestStart St Albans! Enquire today to book a visit and discover our centre for yourself.

Enquire today to book a visit!

Why Choose Us?

20 hours free for 3-5 year olds and WINZ subsidies available* if required

Regular Excursions

Healthy Heart Award - nutrition and health is important to us

Get Set for School Programme

Fresh, nutritious, vegetarian meals and snacks provided each day

Kind words from our parents

Both my children have been through BestStart St Albans from 9 months old through to five. The teachers are wonderful! Very caring and fun for the kids. They keep you up to date on learning goals and ensure you are kept involved on day to day activities through the school app. After nearly 8 years being with Best start I would not recommend anywhere else.

Emma

Both of my children have attended this wonderful centre - my daughter started when she was just 9 months old, and now my son is attending since he turned 1. From the very beginning, we’ve been so impressed and comforted by the love, care, and genuine dedication shown by every member of the team. The educators are not only highly professional, but also incredibly warm, approachable, and compassionate. They take the time to really know each child, making sure they feel safe, supported, and happy every day. It’s clear that the staff truly care about the wellbeing and development of the children. We watch our kids growing with confidence, social skills, and learning thanks to the nurturing environment created here. The communication with parents is excellent, and we always feel included and informed. Thank you team for your great work!

Anu

We love this daycare. My boy went from the age of 1 until he started school and this was like a second family for us. Subsequently our wee girl, now 2 is currently there and loving it. The teachers are fantastic - they work so hard to look after all the kids, their creativity and care is top class for a range of kids with different needs and backgrounds. The diversity is a real strength. Plus the centre provides food which is vegetarian, healthy and fantastic. The outdoor space is ace, the community is wonderful, the organisation and management of it is brilliant. We would recommend BestStart St Albans to anyone with young kids.

Rachel

We absolutely love the preschool. The teachers are kind, caring, and genuinely dedicated to the children’s growth and happiness. The environment is warm, safe, and nurturing, and the communication with parents is always clear and supportive. It’s wonderful to see how excited our child is to go to preschool every day. The activities are fun, creative, and educational, and we’ve noticed such positive changes in confidence and independence. We’re very thankful to be part of this wonderful preschool community! Highly recommend to any parent looking for a safe and enriching place for their little one.

Kanishka

We couldn’t be happier with the care our baby receives at BestStart! From the very beginning, we’ve felt completely confident leaving our little one in the hands of such kind and dedicated teachers. A special thank you to Tracey and Dani, who always go above and beyond with the babies - their warmth, patience, and genuine love for what they do shines through every day. Tracey and Dani create such a calm, nurturing environment where our baby feels safe, settled, and engaged. It’s clear they take the time to get to know each child individually and build strong, trusting relationships. We love seeing the updates, stories, and little milestones they share with us - it means so much. Thank you, BestStart team, for the incredible work you do, and especially to Tracee and Dani for being absolute superstars. You're making such a positive impact during these precious early years!

Don

I absolutely love this centre for my son! Highly recommend!! We've been with BestStart St Albans since he started preschool just after 1 and he will be going to primary beginning of next year, all the staff have been so loving and proactive towards my son and have been an essential part of his growth as a wee human. The communication is great! the involvement is great! they are culturally inclusive which i love, my son gets a lot of exposure to other cultures being there and he's taught me new things, he's learned so much in the time he's there, overall I truly am grateful that we have been able to be apart of this family here at BestStart St Albans!!

Teawhina

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