Our centre offers the Victorian Government-approved ‘Kinder: Best Start, Best Life’ program for 3–4-year-olds, providing up to 15 hours per week of funded Kindergarten. This program supports children’s learning, development, and well-being, setting them up for future success.

Our Enhanced Learning Program for Kindergarten children focuses on:

• Numeracy & Literacy: Developing key skills for lifelong learning.
• Self-Regulation: Fostering emotional control and resilience.
• Social & Emotional Development: Supporting independence and building healthy relationships.
• Creativity & Problem-Solving: Encouraging curiosity and critical thinking.

With extended hours and a year-round program (excluding public holidays), our Kindergarten program is delivered by qualified Early Childhood Teachers committed to supporting your child’s individual development.

Additional Benefits Include:

• Government subsidy: Further reduces out-of-pocket Kinder fees in addition to your eligible Childcare Subsidy (CCS).
• Personalised Learning Plans: Tailored to your child’s unique needs.
• Rhythm and Resilience Program: Music and movement to improve emotional regulation.
• School Readiness: Preparing your child for a smooth transition to school.

We also engage with local schools and provide transition statements, ensuring your child feels confident and prepared for the next steps in their education journey. Stay connected with your child’s progress via our Xplor platform, which offers regular updates on their learning and development.

“Let the child be the scriptwriter, director and the actor in their own play” - Magda Gerber

Nursery Space: 6 weeks – 2 years

Learning starts from before birth, and our Educators have created a welcoming and nurturing nursery environment where each baby feels safe to explore and discover new things - through their senses, their communication and cues (body language, facial expression and sounds) and through experimentation. On any given day you can see the nursery children engaging in all types of play including sensory play, music time, story time and more. Every day provides a brand new, exciting adventure for our babies to support their development, learning and wellbeing.

Toddler Space: 2 - 3 years

Our teachers and educators encourage the children to learn through play to help enhance their sensory-motor development. This happens through carefully planned music, dance, games, role playing and reading experiences.

On any given day the Toddlers can be seen developing their numeracy by building a tower, sorting objects, pointing and identifying shapes and patterns and participating in counting songs and games.

Children in our toddler space are encouraged to participate in group play. Group play is important as it helps our toddlers develop important social skills such as, turn-taking, developing self-confidence and emotional self-regulation. Our skilled team helps children through talking, planning and role modelling.

Kindergarten Space: 3 – 6 years

Kindergarten is a unique time for learning with peers and developing skills for later learning including confidence and curiosity, important skills for starting school. Our play-based program has school readiness at its core, encouraging active engagement in learning and supporting a range of positive developmental outcomes including resilience, independence, critical thinking and creativity.

The oral language supports literacy learning and a child’s oral language ability is the best predictor for later success in learning to read and write. Hearing the sounds within a language is the first critical step for all literacy learning. Our team supports our Kindergarten children's literacy development by engaging in rich discussions, reading, storytelling, dramatic play and experimentation all of which introduce new vocabulary as part of everyday conversations.

Throughout the Kindergarten year, children use their language to share ideas, ask questions, express themselves, and connect with peers and adults in social settings.

Social-emotional skills, including the ability to self-regulate emotions, are supported through group learning experiences. Our team supports each child’s social and emotional development by labelling and talking about emotions and su pporting appropriate responses as together, they engage in new and challenging situations. Our goal in the kindergarten year is to prepare children and families for a smooth transition to primary school.

Our centre chef prepares and cooks nutritious meals daily, catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child. We believe that by encouraging active participation (such as growing their own fruit and vegetables, preparing, and finally cooking!) children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating across a wide variety of food.

Our centre offers seasonal whole food-based menus – created to delight the fussiest eaters.

Hi my name is Kathryne and I am the Centre Manager here at Great Beginnings Berwick. I began my career in early childhood education and care in 2010 and started working at Great Beginnings Berwick in 2021. I hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. I worked my way up from Assistant Educator to a Lead Educator in 2014. In 2018, I stepped into an Assistant Manager role within G8 Education, and then in 2021 transferred over to Great Beginnings Berwick as a Centre Manager.

After having my own child this further fueled my passion to be in the early childhood sector. There is no greater joy than to build relationships with families and their children. From the moment they first come into the centre to their first day, all the way until they go off to school – it is truly special to see each child reach goals and milestones here with us. I believe in play-based learning and following each child’s interests and creating an environment that suits their individualised needs.

At home, children do not get the same level of social exposure. Children learn really well in social situations how to navigate and negotiate play with their peers. Children will become more resilient, have greater levels of communication and have a greater sense of self.

In our nursery they learn all about creating secure attachments, then as they move into our toddler rooms, they start to develop their autonomy skills. As they head into our kindergarten room, they are working towards school readiness and preparing for their next stage of their learning journey. Having a positive association to learning is fundamental for their later years. Our diverse team of educators are dedicated and passionate about early childhood education, creating a solid foundation of experiences to help each child reach their full potential. We create a home away from home where children can develop in a warm, safe and nurturing environment.

The health and wellbeing of those within the centre is of the utmost importance to our team. It is embedded in our everyday practice and is included in our educational program. With the recent pandemic, children have been very interested in germs, where they come from, and how they can keep safe. Educators have extended on this natural interest during group times, sensory play, and science experiments. Children have taken ownership over their own hygiene practices, and with the support of their educators, are learning healthy habits. My Child Protection statement of commitment is to advocate for the rights of every child.

The journey begins at the first meeting, which is often the tour. Understanding parents’ expectations and meeting them is the most important part of a good relationship. Open two-way communication and consistent care giving helps for a smooth transition from home to care and back again.

We have a coffee/tea station set up in the foyer for busy parents. We also have a community pantry, library and clothes swap set up where any of our families can take items donated, saving them money and being sustainable.

Within our enrollment pack, we have created a step-by-step guide on how to enrol, beginning with applying for CCS (). We walk the families through each step, from when and how to apply for CCS, to submitting the enrollment forms (with the flexibility of getting the CCS applied to the account and give them a rundown of our app (). We work in partnership with families from the moment they come in for their tour, until their child goes off to school at the end of their enrollment.