ECE Caregiver (BestStart Puketaha)
BestStart Educare Limited
Listing Description
Description
About Us Close your eyes and imagine: fresh country air, wide open spaces to run, the buzz of bees, and the gentle sounds of sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and ducks nearby. Now open your eyes — welcome to BestStart Puketaha. We are a unique rural early learning centre located just outside Rototuna. Surrounded by wide open spaces, thriving gardens, and friendly animals, we offer children the freedom to explore and connect deeply with nature. Guided by our vision “Where Life Grows,” outdoor learning is at the heart of everything we do.
Our preschool tamariki enjoy rich, hands-on experiences every day, including our dedicated Nature Paddock Programme every Friday, where learning happens through exploration, discovery, and meaningful interaction with the natural world.
About the Role We are looking for a Caregiver or Teacher-in-Training to join our Preschool team, working with children aged 3–5 years, in a permanent full-time role (40 hours per week). This is a rare opportunity, available due to an internal promotion — reflecting the positive culture, growth, and career pathways within our centre. The ideal candidate will:
- Have a genuine passion for working with children in the outdoors
- Enjoy spending time in gardens and/or engaging with animals
- Be enthusiastic about nature-based learning and hands-on experiences
- Support children to learn, explore, and grow through meaningful engagement with their environment
- Bring warmth, curiosity, and a willingness to get involved in all aspects of outdoor play and learning
What We Offer
- A truly unique rural early learning environment
- A stable, welcoming team with strong leadership support
- Ongoing professional development and growth opportunities
- Confidential counselling through EAP
- Wellbeing programme
- Sick leave available from day one
- One additional week of leave after 10 years' long service
If you love the idea of helping children thrive in a setting where nature is part of everyday learning, and you enjoy getting your hands dirty alongside curious young learners, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now and join a centre where life truly grows.
Application details
Applications Close: 27/02/2026 Apply online for this role or contact BestStart Educare Limited for more information.
BestStart Educare Limited
At BestStart, we are at the forefront of early childhood education, dedicated to making a positive impact and passionate about our work. We offer exceptional early education and award-winning childcare services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Our primary goal isto deliver high-quality education to the children in our community, and we are actively engaged in groundbreaking research focused on children's oral language development and self-regulation, known as Kia Tīmata Pai. This research initiative involves approximately 1,600 BestStart preschoolers, highlighting our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
BestStart is committed to being a progressive and adaptable leader in the early childhood education sector. Our educators are highly valued for the transformative role they play in shaping children's lives. We are proud to announce that BestStart has implemented Full pay parity, underscoring our dedication to fairness and equity within our organisation.
At BestStart, we prioritise the support and growth of our teams through tailored professional development pathways. We believe in nurturing talent and empowering our employees to reach their full potential.
