BestStart Tōtara Park
BestStart Tōtara Park is a new early learning centre in Tōtara Park, Upper Hutt. We provide quality education and care for children aged between 3 months to 6 and are excited to be a part of the local community.
At Beststart Tōtara Park, we believe in strong relationships with family and the community!
Beststart Tōtara Park is situated in the heart of Tōtara Park, Upper Hutt. We provide quality and care education for children aged 3 months and 6 years. We are proud to have been a part of our local community for the past 3 years.
We pride ourselves on our connections and relationships with our whānau and wider community. We aspire and strive to provide tamariki with a ‘home away from home’, celebrating and embracing each and every individual for the value they bring to our centre whānau and community. This is reflected in our purpose-built learning environment and felt in every interaction and encounter between Kaiako, tamariki and whānau. From this we draw on our whānau and communities’ strengths, skills, lived experiences and funds of knowledge. Using this to inform our localised curriculum and enrich new learning for all tamariki, whānau and Kaiako.
We are excited about continuing to build our relationships with our local community including Tōtara Park School, located just over the road. Our Preschool is unique in the fact that we explore holistic pathways to being ‘learner’ ready through play basked learning. Our desire is to support the development of socially and emotionally competent tamariki. We strive for tamariki to strengthen and develop skills to support their transition to kura such as self-help skills, independence, problem solving and emotional resilience.
Our Team
Our team consists of passionate, dedicated and fun teachers who are committed to developing partnerships with our learning community and creating memorable learning opportunities and experiences for all. Our whānau and tamariki are highly valued, creating a strong sense of belonging through the competency of whanaungatanga. We aspire to promote our centre as a community of learners, rich in a sense of family, working collaboratively with whānau as partners in their childrens learning journeys. We are guided by Te Whāriki – the National Early Childhood Curriculum. At BestStart Tōtara Park, our assessment is strongly influenced by our whānau. We work in partnership with whānau to design an ‘Individual Learning Plan’ (ILP) that celebrates each child’s uniqueness, strengths and skills as well as identify areas that may require further development.
What We Offer
- 20 hours free for 3-5 year olds and WINZ subsidies available* if required
- Regular Excursions
- Silver Healthy Heart Award - nutrition and health is important to us
- Get Set for School Programme
- Fresh, nutritious meals and snacks provided each day
Our Spaces
Our environment supports indoor/outdoor flow with large areas built to support the learning and development of every age group. In the Kiwi Room you will find 14 of our youngest tamariki. Kea Room is where you will find our toddlers and in our Kakapo Room, our preschoolers. Both rooms have approximately 29 tamariki per day. All rooms are equipped with high quality, age-appropriate resources designed to spark curious minds and incorporate BestStarts 16 areas of play.
Video Gallery
What we're proud of
e-Portfolios
Quality Service Award
Most Trusted Childcare
Healthy Heart Award
Set for School
BestStart Educare Governing Organisation Report
LATEST STORIES FROM OUR BLOG
Transition to Kura workshop at BestStart Totara Park
The preschool room at BestStart Totara Park recently held an evening workshop to support parents/whanau to gain a greater understanding of ‘learning through play’ and also what our ‘Set for School’ program looks like. Read about our great turnout!
READ MORECelebrations at BestStart Tōtara Park
At BestStart Totara Park during the months of August, September and October, we partnered with our whanau and local community to celebrate Tongan, Chinese, and Māori language weeks.
READ MORE