BestStart Waitangirua is an early learning centre at 3 Button Lane, Waitangirua, Porirua, part of BestStart, New Zealand's largest early childhood education provider. BestStart was founded in 1996 when Wayne and Chloe Wright opened their first centre in Tauranga with a team of four, and has since grown into a New Zealand-owned charitable organisation with over 260 preschools, kindergartens and Montessori centres nationwide, from Whangarei to Invercargill.
BestStart Waitangirua sits in the heart of Waitangirua, a community the centre describes as rich in diversity. The centre puts relationships between staff and whānau at the centre of its approach, aiming to provide exciting and engaging learning opportunities for tamariki. Its connection to the local community goes beyond the centre itself, with regular excursions and events, and families are routinely welcomed to share their community involvement and showcase what makes them a 'neighbourhood hero', under the centre's 'Growing Neighbourhood Heroes' theme.
Like all BestStart centres, Waitangirua follows Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, with a focus on learning through play and building a strong foundation for future learning. The centre notes 20 hours free for 3-5 year olds and WINZ subsidies available if required. BestStart's centres nationwide are supported by a partnership with Plunket.
BestStart Waitangirua sits at 3 Button Lane in Waitangirua, Porirua, as part of BestStart, New Zealand's largest early childhood education provider. The story behind the brand goes back to 1996, when Wayne and Chloe Wright opened their first centre in Tauranga with a team of just four people. That small beginning has since grown into a New Zealand-owned charitable organisation running more than 260 centres nationwide, spanning preschools, kindergartens and Montessori centres from Whangarei to Invercargill.
BestStart Waitangirua describes itself as being situated in the heart of Waitangirua, a community it calls rich in diversity. The centre's approach puts relationships between staff and whānau at the centre of everything it does, aiming to create exciting and engaging learning opportunities for tamariki through those relationships. That community focus doesn't stop at the centre's doors — BestStart Waitangirua runs regular excursions into the local area and hosts centre events, and routinely welcomes families in to share their own involvement in the community, showcasing what makes them a 'neighbourhood hero' as part of the centre's 'Growing Neighbourhood Heroes' theme.
Like every BestStart centre, Waitangirua follows Te Whāriki, New Zealand's early childhood curriculum, which places learning through play at the centre of how children build a foundation for future learning. The wider BestStart organisation describes its teachers as working to create welcoming, safe and engaging learning spaces where every child can explore, grow and reach their full potential, with each child's learning journey treated as unique.
BestStart Waitangirua points to a few specific reasons families choose the centre: regular excursions into the local community, an experienced team of teachers dedicated to early education and care, and access to 20 hours free early childhood education for 3-5 year olds, with WINZ subsidies available if a family needs them.
Parent reviews of the centre highlight both the quality of care and the warmth of the team. One parent, Eric, described how BestStart helped ease the transition when his older child started primary school, praising the teachers and receptionist as always welcoming and caring, and noting that his younger child often doesn't want to leave at the end of the day — which he takes as reassurance that his child is well looked after and having fun. Another parent, Samantha, called the customer service 'top tier', from the receptionist through to the staff caring for children, and praised the centre's layout and the range of activities available for kids to explore. A third parent simply described loving the friendliness and positive atmosphere throughout the centre, along with its cleanliness both inside and out and the variety of learning objects on offer.
BestStart centres nationwide, including Waitangirua, benefit from a partnership with Plunket, New Zealand's well-known organisation supporting child health and parenting.
The centre is open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm, and can be reached by phone on 04 235 9404. Families interested in enrolling can book a visit or send an enquiry directly through the BestStart Waitangirua website, with options to view the centre gallery, meet the team, and find out more about what the centre is proud of before deciding to enrol.