Our centre offers the VIC Government-approved ‘Best Start, Best Life’ Kindergarten Program.

At The Learning Sanctuary, your child will benefit from the VIC ‘Best Start, Best Life’ Government-approved program as part of our enhanced learning program. Our program will support your child’s learning, development, and well-being for now, at school and beyond. We tailor our Kindergarten program across:

- Numeracy

- Literacy

- Emotional and Social Development

- Self regulation

- Healthy minds and bodies

The added benefits of our Kindergarten program include:

- VIC ‘Best Start, Best Life’ Government-approved program

- Extended opening hours

- Open all year round (excl public holidays)

- Programs developed and delivered by our Early Childhood Teachers

- Exclusive music and movement program for self-regulation

“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 by experimenting. On any given day you can see the nursery children engaging in all types of play, water 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 and reading experiences.

On any given day the Toddler children 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 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 encourages active engagement in learning and supports a range of positive developmental outcomes including resilience, independence, critical thinking and creativity.

The oral language supports literacy learning. 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 development by engaging in rich discussions, introducing new vocabulary as part of everyday conversations, as well as singing, playing games, and reading with the children daily.

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, is supported through group learning environments. Our team supports each child’s social and emotional development by labelling and talking about emotions and supporting appropriate responses as together, they engage in new and challenging situations. Lastly, ensuring that all children are ready for the ‘big school’ by preparing them for all that ‘big school’ has to offer.

Our centre chef prepares and cooks healthy and 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.

Our centre offers children nutrient-rich, unprocessed, and seasonal whole foods – created to delight the fussiest eaters.

Hi my name is Rebecca, and I am the Centre Manager here at The Learning Sanctuary Pakenham. My career in early learning started in 2010. I joined the team at The Learning Sanctuary Pakenham in May 2023. In my career, I have worked in various roles from Inclusion Support, Assistant Educator, Lead Educator, Sustainability Leader, Educational Leader, Assistant Centre Manager and now Centre Manager. I hold a Diploma in Children’s Services (Early Childhood Education and Care), Certificate IV in Community Services Work and am Working towards completing an Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management. I was inspired to work in Early Education because it opened opportunities for me to be creative, have a meaningful impact on people’s lives and build strong relationships with my community.

At The Learning Sanctuary, Pakenham, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive environment. When educators and families work together, we can achieve quality outcomes for children. We are always ready to listen, offer guidance and support, and help families connect with local community services. In a dedicated early learning environment, children can build positive relationships, learn to be independent and develop a sense of belonging.

In our centre, we have an incredible long-standing and diverse team of educators. At The Learning Sanctuary Pakenham, we’re dedicated to ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of the children in our care. We understand how important child safety is and ensure that your child’s well-being is taken seriously. We offer all our families an opportunity for a “stay and play” in your child’s room before their first day. We encourage families to use this opportunity to spend time with their new educators and environments to build a sense of belonging and security. We also use this opportunity to support families through their enrolment process. We also offer families homemade snacks, including fresh fruit, muffins, cookies and coffee in the morning and afternoons. We host regular centre events and have regular excursions into our local community. I believe in transparency and an open-door policy for our families and our community. We rely on collaboration and communication to ensure our programs reflect the needs of our families and children.