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When you entrust your child to our care, you're looking for more than just education - you want a place where your child will be truly known, valued, and supported to flourish. After 35+ years serving Castle Hill families, we understand that every child brings their own unique story, strengths, and cultural background that enriches our entire community.
Our educational programme supports each child in developing their thinking skills, creativity, and love of learning through our "Learning for Life" approach. We recognise early childhood as a precious time when children learn best through hands-on, joyful experiences with the right balance of freedom to explore and gentle guidance to grow.
Our curriculum is informed by contemporary influences and theories including Reggio Emilia approach, Ecological Systems Theory, Socio-cultural theories, and ongoing research into brain development in young children. We provide opportunities for child-directed and teacher-supported play which encourages creativity, initiative, collaboration and problem-solving.
Our approach is built on the Three Rs foundation: Respect (for ourselves, others, and the environment), Responsibility (to ourselves, others, and our community), and Resilience (to persist with challenges and grow strong in our wellbeing). These values are embedded into all aspects of our curriculum.
We aim to enhance the children’s development and learning in areas such as:
Sociability
Independence
Emotional
Intelligence
Confidence
Creativity
Literacy
& Numeracy
We encourage family engagement, input and feedback into our programme. We support families in their parenting role through information sharing, celebrating diverse cultural backgrounds within our caring community.
The Preschool documents children's learning and shares information with families online through Kinderloop. Children's learning is promoted and assessed in an ongoing planning, learning and reflection cycle captured in learning stories, summative assessments and Transition to School Statements.
We implement the National Quality Standard and Early Years Learning Framework as our guide to best practice and outcomes for children. We're committed to continuous improvement and mentoring the strengths, talents and interests of our staff.
Kangaroo Group (Pre-School Year)
Children in the year prior to school participate in structured experiences focusing on specific literacy and numeracy skills, planning and organising, problem-solving, exploring narratives, music, drama and movement, as part of our transition to school programme.
Wallaby Group (Younger Children)
Younger children engage in group times exploring social skills, arts, concepts, literacy, music and movement, and dance.
Our open-plan preschool allows for interaction between age groups and choice in friendships and experiences, promoting natural mentoring, enhanced social skills, and confidence building for all children.
We aim to extend children's learning through their own interests or by introducing them to topics that create interest and extend thinking and creativity. Our programme provides opportunities for child-directed and teacher-supported play which encourages creativity, initiative, collaboration and problem-solving.
We embed children's voices and ideas within our Preschool guidelines as part of responsible membership of our community. We promote children's wellbeing through relaxation routines including guided meditation, sensory experiences, and connecting with the natural environment. Wellbeing messages are shared with families.
Ready to see our Learning for Life approach in action? Book a tour today to discover why Castle Hill families have trusted us for over 35 years. Our experienced educators are excited to meet your family and show you how we support each child's unique learning journey.
