BestStart Merivale is an early childhood centre at 350 Papanui Road in Strowan, Christchurch, in a home-like villa. The centre follows the RIE philosophy in all its rooms, and describes each child as an individual with their own identity, abilities and interests. It is close to bus routes, and the website says it takes children on regular excursions: to a local vege shop each month, and to the local primary school each term. Those school visits are part of its Get Set for School programme. The centre is award-winning. Visits can be booked through the website, with preferred times offered from 9am to 3pm.
Parents say the set-to-school programme prepared their children well, and that the meals are healthy and tasty. They describe the teachers as warm, skilled and dedicated, and say the centre feels like a home away from home. One parent says their child settled in quickly, which they had not expected. Reviewers mention the staff and the activities most often. Among the four other childcare listings within a kilometre, most have no rating on Open Locally. St Andrew's College Pre-school, 0.8 km away, has 4.5 from two reviews.