BestStart Rongotai

About BestStart Rongotai
About Education & Care Service
Education & Care Services are mainstream early learning centres that offer full-day or part-day care with a structured curriculum, qualified teachers, and a focus on learning through play. They cater to families needing flexible childcare options and wanting a balanced approach that supports social, physical, and early academic development in a diverse environment.
What Is 20 Hours ECE funding?
20 Hours ECE is a government-funded initiative that helps reduce the cost of early childhood education for families with tamariki aged 3–5. Eligible children can receive up to 20 hours of funded care and education each week at participating services. Centres can set their own enrolment patterns and may ask for optional charges, but the funded hours themselves should be free of compulsory fees. If you are unsure how this works at BestStart Rongotai, it is best to ask the centre directly how they apply 20 Hours ECE.
Community Profile
Roll & age distribution
BestStart Rongotai currently has a roll of 31 children tamariki , with most children enrolled in the 2–5 years age band.
Ethnicity profile
Asian tamariki are the largest group (41% of the roll), alongside european, māori, pacific, other children.
Roll and demographic figures are based on data supplied by the Ministry of Education and were last updated on 01/07/2024.
Parent Reviews
“We are incredibly grateful to the amazing team at Best Start Rongotai for their warmth, care, and dedication in helping our daughter Zeraphina settle into the center. From day one, the teachers have been so understanding and supportive, making what can be a challenging transition so much easier for both parents and children. Their personalized approach, patience, and nurturing environment truly eased our minds, and it has been heartwarming to see how quickly Zeraphina has grown comfortable and happy in their care. We couldn’t be more thankful for the peace of mind they’ve given us as parents and the wonderful start they’re providing for our daughter.”
“Our wee daughter has recently finished her 2 years at Best Start Rongotai and moved onto Miramar Central Primary School. I can’t speak highly enough of the wonderful experience she has had, and in turn, us as parents. We had initially visited another ECE and had our pretty much made up our minds to send her there. For reference we decided to visit Best Start Rongotai with the thought this would help cement our decision. However it didn’t! Upon visiting Best Start Rongotai we were given an amazing and personal tour of and run down of the centre including daily schedules, menu’s provided by the centre, previous and proposed community field trips, and the vision of the centre. We were blown away. What struck us most was the warm, happy family atmosphere. The centre is full of the children’s arts and crafts and has a family tree with photos of each of the children’s families, giving a connection for not only the kids but their families to the centre. A good ratio of teachers/care givers to children with a roll under 30. Perfect for our little girl who tended to be on the shyer side. She has flourished in the environment, made a heap of friends and grown in confidence markedly. Sometimes you just get a ‘feel’ for things and I’m glad we followed our instincts and enrolled her. Never doubted our decision once. She was genuinely cared for, made to feel safe and confident and as a parent of an under 5 y/o we couldn’t have asked for more. A great family community feel within the centre which is constructed from the top down. I have many a time, and wouldn’t hesitate again to recommend Best Start Rongotai to any parents looking for an ECE to send their precious child. Thank you to the team at Best Start for making this first step in our wee girls life such a positive and nurturing one!”
“Our child started with Beststart Rongotai 3 weeks ago and we are overwhelmed by the care and support the teachers have shown our child. Our son has moderate to severe developmental delay due to a genetic syndrome. It has been amazing to see him adapt and be accepted into his new daycare. He is an active member of his peer group, and teachers enable him to participate in all activities. Unfortunately his previous daycare, where he had been for 3 years was unable to carry on his care, however with such wonderful teachers who can adapt to meet the needs of children with additional needs we feel we've made a grate choice.”
“We moved our daughter here at the start of the year after losing confidence in another commercial franchised operation. Needless to say we have never looked back. The leadership at BestStart is clear as is reflected in the spirit of the teachers who put a smile on the kids faces everyday. Activities are well planned, teachers are engaged and passionate and the care & communication with parents is exceptional. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend BestStart Rongotai. For anyone looking to place their precious kids in a caring, nurturing & creative environment - look no further!”
“Our son is thriving at BestStart Rongotai, we feel so lucky that his days are spent with such a dedicated, skilled and caring team. The children enjoy a constantly refreshed wide range of daily activities which are also culturally-diverse and inclusive - every day he seems to learn a new skill or 3! The carers notice each child's interests and skills and encourage these. They have fun educational routines and familiar structure, breathing games for calming at the end of the day, and they understand the importance of building the children's emotional vocabulary. Couldn't recommend more.”
Interested?
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