Our centre offers the QLD Government-approved ‘Free Kindy’ Program.

At Bundaberg Early, your child will benefit from the QLD 'Free Kindy' Government-approved program as part of our enhanced learning program. Our Kindergarten 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:
• QLD 'Free Kindy' 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 Read Less

“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 supporting 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 Nicole, and I am the Centre Manager here at Bundaberg Early Learning Centre. My career in early childhood education began in 2001. I started working at Bundaberg Early Learning Centre in 2013. I hold an Advanced Diploma (Community Services) and a Diploma of Leadership and Management.

I was inspired to choose this career path as I loved to watch children laugh and learn. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a child grow and develop and the role we have as early childhood educators in shaping them for the future.

I have learnt a lot about early childhood education and care over the years including my ability to adapt to new roles, expectations, problem-solving, and working well under pressure. I always use my experience in the profession and background knowledge to guide others and my ability to understand and to show others empathy and compassion.

My approach to early learning is always to be positive and approachable. As a centre manager I always show relatability to all the families and children in my centre. From getting down to the children's level and taking the time to get to know their personalities, I can ensure I create an environment and level of trust to build a quality foundation which ensures a sense of security.

Our team is passionate about creating a centre that is a home away from home for both families and children where our team celebrates diversity of all cultures. The centre really is an extension of the home environment, and we work in partnership with families to ensure this is the case, understanding each child’s individual needs.

All team members are trained in Child Protection. We have an onsite Child Protection champion who leads the team and monitors the child protection standards of all educators and families. We also have a Workplace Health and Safety officer who leads the team and monitors Health and Safety standards within the centre by completing quality checklists and procedures.

Many educators have been with the centre for over 10 years. We have a wonderful team culture where we all showcase our strengths to help and guide each other.

With many of our team having children of their own, we have all been or are going through the process of child care and early learning – we are proud to offer support where possible - from helping our families to enrol, applying for the Child Care Subsidy or even tips to help with fussy eaters. We’re here to help.