At KU Bilya Gulyangarri, we are proud of our reputation within the local community of providing a creative and nurturing preschool program for children aged 3-5 years that concentrates on individual children in a family-focused and supportive way.
Our centre is a welcoming and nurturing space where each child is immersed in a program that supports their individual development, values their family’s input and encourages children to laugh, wonder, think and learn together in relationships that are warm and supportive.
Our program offers children the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of learning experiences and activities, each specifically designed to promote children’s confidence as capable, active participants in their own learning. Children are presented with a range of activities including gardening, arts and crafts, music and movement, physical play, block building, sand and water play, science experiments, early numeracy activities such as counting and measurement, and early literacy activities such as reading, drawing and writing.
We aim to build strong relationships with families and create a sense of belonging in our community. We respect the individuality of our children, families and educators and celebrate the richness that this brings to our centre.
Our Special Interest
In addition to the high quality well-rounded programs we offer, all KU centres are also encouraged to develop an area of interest.
At KU Bilya Gulyangarri, our special interest area is engaging with our Indigenous Community and our natural environment and sustainability.
We incorporate this into our program through activities such as creating and welcoming opportunities to participate in Cultural experiences and nurturing our relationships with local Elders. We have a vegetable garden and fruit trees, worm farm and compost area, and we have a commitment to recycling and using our natural environment as a valuable and rich resource.
We feel that the children benefit from this interest because we live in the Blue Mountains National Park and want children to experience and understand the importance of Aboriginal Culture and Country. Our natural environment surrounds us and we strive for children to have an appreciation and wonder at their world and their sense of belonging to this land.
Our Quality
Our centre has been independently assessed by the Department of Education NSW under the National Quality Standards, and are proud to be rated as Exceeding the National Quality Standard.
However what matters most is what our families think...
“Such a wonderful centre! We were very happy with our old centre too, but Trudi is truly a treasure and does such a fantastic job of providing an inviting play environment and engaging the children. We are very thankful for this beautiful centre.” - KU Bilya Gulyangarri Parent
“Staff are lovely, my child feels happy and relaxed attending this preschool.” - KU Bilya Gulyangarri Parent
Our Environment
Each KU centre is unique. The best outcomes for children are created within relationships and interactions between children and staff, and children and their families, not within four walls. We work hard to create beautiful, interesting, homelike learning environments for children – whatever our setting.
KU Bilya Gulyangarri is an early childhood service catering for 20 children in North Katoomba in the beautiful Blue Mountains National Park. It is housed in a purpose built centre full of natural light and in a playground that celebrates the huge gum trees that provide shade and habitat for native animals and birds. Our name “Bilya Gulyangarri” was given to us by the Elders in our community and means “place of laughing children” in Dharug Language.
Our playground is designed to allow children to explore nature and discover the natural environment. We want children to be able to dig in the mud, climb trees, discover and learn about insects and enjoy connecting with nature. The many activities we offer enable children to immerse themselves in the natural elements of their surroundings and feel inspired to create, imagine and play.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Bilya Gulyangarri, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to launch it now. Please view it here.
Other Features
Designed Centre
Extended Hours
Hat and Sunscreen
Transition to School
Public Transport
Play-based Learning
Parking
Outdoor Play
Storypark
Designed Centre
The centre has been recently renovated and refurbished.
Extended Hours
The centre provides extended hours of care and operates a minimum of eight hours a day.
Hat and Sunscreen
As part of the centre’s duty of care in minimising exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) and promoting sun safe practices among children, families and staff, the centre provides each child with a KU hat and sunscreen is administered by staff where possible 20 minutes before commencing outdoor play.
Transition to School
The centre offers a full preschool program and places a strong emphasis on programs which challenge and extend children’s abilities and confidence, aiding their transition to school.
Public Transport
The centre is accessible by public transport and is close to a train station and/or public buses.
Play-based Learning
Our high quality play-based programs are based on current research and are planned by experienced and qualified early childhood staff. Through play children learn the skills, knowledge, feelings and dispositions that provide a solid foundation for their life-long learning.
Parking
Parking for drop-off and pick-up is available.
Outdoor Play
The centre provides a natural outdoor environment designed as an active place for learning. We encourage children to develop an understanding about sustainability by exploring the natural world around them.
Storypark
The centre provides a secure, private online communication portal called Storypark at no cost that is designed to document your child’s progress and learning and provide you with updates about your child.
Trudi Kirkwood
Director
Trudi is a university qualified early childhood teacher with over 35 years’ experience working with young children. She has been working at Bilya Gulyangarri since 2003. Trudi is committed to creating an environment for young children to be independent learners who have respect for each other and their environment, as well as inspiring children to discover and promote wonder at the natural world through play. Trudi believes in supporting families to engage in their children’s learning and emotional wellbeing. She is passionate about creating and supporting a community that values and respects Aboriginal Culture and Country.
The Educators at KU Bilya Gulyangarri have worked together for many years and believe this is a very valuable aspect of their preschool due to the ongoing relationships that have been developed with families and the local community. Families have the assurance that their children will develop secure and meaningful attachments to their educators, which ensures settled and happy children during their attendance at KU Bilya Gulyangarri Preschool.
The daily fees for 2019 at KU Bilya Gulyangarri Preschool are:
Start Strong Fee: $3
Unfunded Fee: $42
Which fee will you pay?
Start Strong Fee
The NSW Government provides preschool funding, called Start Strong funding. This funding is to be directed towards children in the year before they are eligible to start school (four and five year olds) who are enrolled in a preschool program for 15 hours per week. Across KU Preschools, the ‘15 hours’ is met by enrolling in two x 7.5 hour days per week.
Start Strong funding is then passed on as a fee reduction for those 15 hours, with the Start Strong fee then applied to all four and five year old children enrolled for two days (15 hours) per week.
The NSW Department of Education requires parents to sign the ‘Consent to use and disclosure of personal information’ form at the time of enrolment (see KU’s Standard Terms for the Enrolment of Children, p.4). Your eligibility for Start Strong Funding is conditional upon signing this form.
Unfunded Fee
The Unfunded Fee is charged when:
Children are three years old
Children are four or five years old who:
Only attend one day per week (less than 15 hours); or
Attend more than two days (15 hours) per week – you will pay the Start Strong Fee for the first two days, then the Unfunded Daily Fee for each day after that.
Is there a discounted 3-year-old fee?
You may have seen media reports that the NSW Government is extending Start Strong funding to three year olds in 2019. Whilst funding for three year olds will be less than for older children, it is still very welcome news.
The NSW Government will release that funding mid-2019. We look forward to being able to pass this funding on to families as discounted fees at that time. Until then, families of three year old children will be charged the Unfunded Fee.
Are you a Health Care Card holder?
If you hold a Health Care Card, you may be entitled to a further discount on your preschool fees. Please speak with the Preschool Director further about this.
