At Little Lane Early Learning Centre - St Kilda, we provide a warm, caring atmosphere where each child and their family feel welcome and secure as they join our community. It is a place that feels like home to our families where diversity is accepted, recognised, valued and celebrated. We strive to foster a strong sense of belonging by engaging with our community with passion and meaning, creating sustainable relationships that will strengthen and grow over time.

We are committed to understanding the history of our environment and community and are committed to educating our children to ensure that this is knowledge that is cherished, protected and passed on. Environmental sustainability underlies everything that we do, teach and engage with and we believe that children understanding their world is a key component to be able to take care of it. We believe children should be carers and advocates for their environment, their community and their world by taking leadership of their choices and being involved in sustainability programs and decisions.

Reggio Emilia is our core teaching philosophy where a child leads their own exploration of learning and understanding of the world through enquiry as capable, competent and confident learners. Part of this approach sees the environment as a third teacher, and we make sure to offer children rich, open-ended materials to explore and spark their curiosity and creativity. This emergent curriculum takes the child’s interests and turns it into an individual learning process, acknowledging the child as a learner, but also encouraging them to share and develop their knowledge.

Evidence shows that play can support learning across physical, social, emotional and intellectual areas of development and here at Little Lane Early Learning - St Kilda we are passionate about play. Through meaningful and engaging play, we are able to nurture children’s natural sense of wonder and instil a lifelong love of learning and help them find their place in the world. To support this, we focus on building strong connections with our children and families, keeping communication open and building a strong partnership as we work together to provide the care that children need and deserve to be confident in their world.

Adeline, Centre Manager

I believe in creating an environment where every child, family, and educator feel a deep sense of belonging.

Partnerships with families are at the heart of my leadership approach. I recognise that families are a child’s first and most influential teachers, and their knowledge, values, and experiences are essential in supporting children’s learning and development. I am committed to fostering open, honest, and respectful communication with families, building trust through shared goals and consistent collaboration.
Together with families, I aim to create a warm, inclusive, and responsive environment where children can thrive. 

In leading my team, I model empathy, transparency, and reflective practice. I support educators in building meaningful relationships with children and families, and in continuously growing their professional knowledge to ensure our centre remains a vibrant and nurturing community. 

As a mother myself, without family support around, I personally understand the importance of building your village. So ultimately, my vision is for our centre to feel like a second home—where every child feels they belong, every family feels heard, valued and supported, and every educator feels empowered to make a difference.