At Blue Gum Cottage Children’s Centre, our curriculum is play-based and designed around each child’s strengths, interests, knowledge, and cultural background. We follow the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Standard (NQS), ensuring that every child learns in a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment.

Through play, children have opportunities to explore their senses, solve problems, and develop critical thinking skills, while building confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning. Our educators encourage children to lead their learning and use their voices as the foundation of everything we do, respecting them as capable and confident learners.

Children enjoy:

1. Hands-on experiences that inspire exploration, curiosity, and discovery
2. Activities that reflect their emerging ideas, abilities, and cultural perspectives
3. Rich play environments that encourage imagination, investigation, and wonder
4. Learning opportunities that support growth across social, emotional, cognitive, creative, and physical domains

For our Nursery children (0–2 years), our educators support growth and development through hands-on play, music, movement, and sensory experiences, creating a nurturing environment that fosters curiosity and a sense of security.

At Blue Gum Cottage Children’s Centre, we are proud of our dedicated team of qualified and passionate educators who are committed to the safety, well-being, and development of every child. Our team represents a wide range of cultural backgrounds, and educators use their languages, experiences, and cultural knowledge to enrich our program, promoting inclusivity, cultural awareness, and diversity throughout the centre.

We provide a welcoming and inclusive environment where all children and families feel valued and supported. Our educators thoughtfully plan learning experiences that reflect each child’s interests, abilities, and identity while fostering a strong sense of belonging.

Our Director, Louise Turner, has been part of the Blue Gum community for over 13 years, and our Assistant Director, Ariane Liskowski, is Early Childhood Trained with more than 10 years of experience in the early childhood sector. Together, they lead our team with warmth, professionalism, and a deep commitment to quality care and education.

All educators hold current Working with Children Checks, are trained in First Aid, Emergency Asthma, Anaphylaxis, and Child Protection, and most are Responsible Person qualified. Ongoing professional learning is encouraged to ensure our team continues to provide the highest standard of education and care.

At Blue Gum Cottage Children’s Centre, the safety and wellbeing of every child are at the heart of everything we do. As a not-for-profit, community-based service, we’re guided by a genuine commitment to providing a nurturing environment where every child feels secure, valued, and supported, and where families have complete peace of mind.

All of our educators are trained in child protection, hold a current Working With Children Check/National Police Check and are mandatory reporters, ensuring that any concerns for a child’s safety or welfare are taken seriously and acted upon appropriately. This reflects our unwavering dedication to each child’s right to feel safe, respected, and protected at all times.

Being a community-run service means that our focus is on people, not profit. Decisions are made with the best interests of children and families in mind, and our leadership team is actively involved in maintaining the highest standards of care, compliance, and integrity across the centre.

We are proud of our dedicated and long-standing team of educators who provide consistency and stability for the children in our care. These meaningful relationships help foster trust, belonging, and a genuine sense of community that families value deeply.

Our centre is equipped with secure entry systems, and only authorised individuals are granted access. Comprehensive supervision and safety protocols are in place throughout our service to ensure that every child is safe, every day.

At Blue Gum Cottage Children’s Centre, safety isn’t just part of our practice, it’s the foundation of the caring, community-focused environment we create together.

Our Preschool Program is centred on preparing children for Kindergarten while fostering independence, confidence, and social-emotional skills. We view children as capable and confident, and encourage them to take the lead in their learning, using their ideas and voices to shape the program.

The program helps children develop:

1. Autonomy, self-esteem, and confidence
2. Critical thinking, both individually and collaboratively
3. Social skills, including conflict resolution and cooperation
4. Awareness of personal safety and boundaries through our SAFE Series Program for 2–5 year olds, which teaches children about safe people, trusting their instincts, making positive choices, and understanding body boundaries

Preschoolers also engage in community-based experiences and excursions to develop their life skills. These include:

1. Bunnings woodworking and sustainability program, as well as La Perouse beach and bush kindy
3. Visits to FoodWorks Shopping Village
4. Book Week activities and collaborations with Chifley Public School
5. Return and Earn initiative, donating funds to Ronald McDonald House
6. Special events such as Crunch & Sip, Uniform Week, Lunch Box Week, and our End-of-Year Calendar Program

Our preschool program combines play-based learning with intentional teaching, giving children the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive in Kindergarten and beyond.