BestStart Petone

Our Te Puna Wai space provides a warm and nurturing environment for infants and toddlers, where your child can feel safe, loved and genuinely known. We believe children's earliest learning begins with strong relationships, so emotional security and secure attachments are at the heart of everything we do.

• Someone special for your child: Each child has a dedicated key teacher who gets to know them deeply and becomes a familiar, trusted person throughout their day. Having someone who is consistently there and genuinely delighted to see them helps your child feel secure enough to confidently explore and learn.

• Start with Heart: Our Start with Heart programme supports your child's earliest development through nurturing relationships, responsive care and meaningful everyday experiences that build strong foundations for learning.

• Following your child's rhythm: Every child develops differently, so we respect your child's individual pace, routines and needs, providing warm and responsive care that helps them feel comfortable and understood.

Te Puna Wai is more than somewhere your child spends their day. It's a place where they can build trusting relationships, feel a genuine sense of belonging and begin their early learning journey surrounded by people who truly care about them.

Our Te Awa space is designed for busy, curious toddlers who are ready to move, explore and discover just how much they can do. With plenty of opportunities for active play, sensory exploration and creativity, children have the freedom to follow their curiosity while caring teachers support their growing independence and big emotions.

• Made for busy toddlers: Open spaces, engaging resources and rich sensory experiences give your child plenty of opportunities to move, investigate, create and challenge their growing abilities through play.

• Supporting big emotions: Toddlers are learning to understand themselves and the world around them. Our teachers provide the reassurance and support they need to navigate emotions, build friendships and develop confidence as they become more independent.

• A teacher who really knows your child: Each child is supported by a dedicated key teacher who gets to know how they communicate, what they love and what helps them feel safe, giving them a secure base from which to explore and try new things.

We work closely with you to ensure your child's routines, culture and individual needs are understood and respected. In Te Awa, children have the security of strong relationships alongside the freedom to play, explore and grow into confident, capable toddlers.

Our Te Moana preschool space supports children as they take their final steps towards primary school, building the confidence, independence and love of learning they need for what comes next. We believe being ready for school is about more than academic skills, so children are encouraged to become curious thinkers, creative problem-solvers and resilient learners who feel confident having a go.

• Set for School: Our Set for School programme supports your child to build important early learning, social and practical skills, helping them feel confident and prepared for a positive transition to primary school.

• Creativity and big ideas: Our dedicated art space gives children the freedom to experiment, express their ideas and think creatively, developing imagination and problem-solving skills through meaningful hands-on experiences.

• Confidence through challenge: Our large, open outdoor playground gives children room for active and adventurous play, helping them develop physical confidence, teamwork and perseverance as they challenge themselves and try new things.

Our culturally diverse teachers bring different languages, backgrounds and experiences into children's learning while taking the time to truly know each child and family. In Te Moana, we work alongside whānau to help your child become a confident, capable and curious learner who is ready for school and beyond.