BestStart Montessori Otumoetai

BestStart Montessori Otumoetai is nestled on a quiet suburban road and is a destination centre for those interested in the Montessori Philosophy. Our small and intimate centre cares for children from two to six years old. We are the longest established Montessori in Tauranga and have been rated one of the top childcare centres in New Zealand by the Education Review Office.

Planting seeds of the future

Montessori prepares children both for higher education and for life. We help our children attain skills to become independent, confident learners for life.

BestStart Montessori Otumoetai focuses on fostering independence in the children. We do this by following the child, preparing the environment and allowing them to reach their full potential. Our teachers provide support to empower the children and to develop their skills in an unhurried and calm setting.

Children experience real life activities with special child sized tools and equipment at their height to help coordinate the desires of their mind with the movements of their body. Preparing food, dressing up, cleaning up after themselves, packing their bags, watering and planting in our garden, looking after our pets and cleaning our environment are just some of the activities our children are regularly involved in that help them develop their independence. We embrace the Montessori concept of “Help me to do it myself”.

We cultivate a culture of resilience by fostering the idea that children are capable learners, who can, do, and think for themselves. We encourage our children to try things that they are interested in, such as hanging on the monkey bars, carrying their own glass of water, cutting their own fruit, tying their shoelaces, going out on excursions and exploring new things.

We provide learning opportunities to help our children identify and understand their emotions. Every child is treated with respect and dignity and are given opportunities to express their feelings and to embrace their mistakes. When tasks seem difficult and challenging, we encourage children to persist and believe in themselves as capable and strong individuals.

One of our core goals is to build a love of lifelong learning in our children. From investigating the colours of the flowers in the garden, watching the seeds grow into plants or watching the metamorphosis of a butterfly, working on the carpentry table or digging in the sandpit, or working with our intriguing Montessori materials, we continuously strive to create a world of joy and wonder for our children.

Our self-directed Montessori materials cater to different ages and skill level. our specialised Montessori materials expose children to many complex and challenging concepts, allowing them to see and explore abstract concepts.

Our philosophy - Together with our whanau we aim to cultivate skills and habits of mind for children as they grow into competent individuals knowing to co-operate, collaborate and contribute to society. Read our full philosophy here.