At KU Bulli, childhood is celebrated. When they play and explore, children's imagination and curiosity is sparked – they enjoy learning, and are inspired to continue learning more.
Our play-based program intentionally provides opportunities and activities based upon the Early Years Learning Framework, for your child to discover and pursue their own interests and strengths. We encourage children to laugh, think, question and learn. Their sense of self and confidence grows as they make connections with each other, and build warm, trusting relationships with our team.
At KU Bulli, we are proud of our reputation within the local community of providing rich education and care that concentrates on individual children in a family-focussed and supportive way.
Our centre is a welcoming and nurturing space where each child is immersed in a rich tapestry of educationally interactive experiences.
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 establish immediate rapport and a sense of belonging in our community, as families arrive through the front door.
We greatly value the strong relationships between our staff, children and families, and we look forward to the opportunity of including your family in the life of our centre.
We Focus On
In addition to the high quality well-rounded programs we offer, all KU centres are also encouraged to develop an area of focus.
At KU Bulli, we focus on building strong relationships with families and our community.
We incorporate this into our program through activities such as our celebration of ‘Families Week’, links with local schools, and other community events such as the Bulli show, and aboriginal and Torres strait islander connections and projects.
We feel that the children benefit from this focus because it increases their involvement in the local community, promotes cultural awareness and helps develop a strong sense of belonging.
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...
“The staff at KU Bulli are absolutely wonderful. I had heard great things about the school and they have met my expectations and more.” – KU Bulli parent “Fantastic experience so far. Living up to all the rave reviews.” – KU Bulli 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.
Our outside play area overlooks a wonderful creek, and attracts local wildlife, providing children with the opportunity to observe local flora and fauna.
We have strong links with the University of Wollongong and are supporting a number of students in their studies.
Our playground is designed to maximise the use of the natural environment and allow children to play and explore as they would in their own backyard. We offer stimulating activities that arouse children’s curiosity and encourage them to choose from a variety of planned experiences, expanding their learning potential.
Our playground includes natural elements such as sand, water, grass, mud, leaves and twigs, and we also offer gross motor experiences such as climbing, jumping and physical play. We foster the holistic development of each child so they feel inspired to create, imagine and play.
Our Awards
In 2022, the KU Bulli Team under the leadership of Director Michelle Lashbrook was awarded a 'Making the KU Difference to Families' Award. The award recognised their dedication to creating beautiful play spaces and responsive programs based on strong principles of attachment and a value of positive, nurturing relationships with children and their families.
The Making the KU Difference Awards were introduced a number of years ago, as a way of acknowledging KU staff who have worked above and beyond their normal duties to make a significant contribution to KU.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Bulli, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2017 and we are proud to launch it now. Please view it here.
Other Features
Hat and Sunscreen
Transition to School
Public Transport
Play-based Learning
Parking
Outdoor Play
Storypark
Education for Sustainability
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.
Education for Sustainability
The centre has embraced a commitment to a more sustainable early education community, embedding sustainability into pedagogy and practice. We welcome families participation.
Michelle Lashbrook
Director
Michelle is a university qualified early childhood teacher with over 20 years’ experience working with children and babies. She has been working at KU Bulli since 2010.
Michelle has a deep interest in children’s literacy, which she regularly incorporates into the day-to-day classroom, and she also strives to promote the use of technology in the classroom. Michelle also has a strong belief in promoting strong relationships with children and families as a solid base for education.
In 2022 the KU Bulli Team under Michelle's leadership was awarded a 'Making the KU Difference to Families' Award. Michelle has also won an award from Macquarie University, for mentoring a student.
Our Team
Our team of early childhood educators are qualified, experienced, caring and highly motivated. All hold specialist qualifications in early childhood education. We believe that the positive interactions children have with our staff are the most important component of our high quality program.
Our staff have all been working at our preschool for over a decade, and boast a wealth of experience, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the local community.
The daily fees for 2023 at KU Bulli Preschool are:
Fee
Amount
4 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee
FREE
3 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee
$13.50
Start Strong Equity Fee Relief fee
FREE
Unfunded fee
$81.00
Which fee will you pay?
The NSW Government is committed to ensuring that all children in NSW can participate in 600 hours of quality preschool education in the year before school, no matter where they live or what their circumstances are.
To ensure that affordability is not a barrier for families with young children, the NSW Government provides Start Strong funding making 600 hours, or 15 hours per week, of preschool participation in the two years before school more affordable. In KU preschools, this 15 hours per week is met by enrolling for two days per week.
The NSW Department of Education requires parents to sign the ‘Fee Relief Declaration’ and ‘Consent to use and disclosure of personal information’ forms at the time of enrolment (see KU’s Standard Terms for the Enrolment of Children, p.4). Your eligibility for Start Strong Funding, and the ‘Start Strong Fee Relief fees’ is conditional upon signing these forms.
Start Strong Free Preschool(3 year olds and 4 year olds)
From 2023, the NSW government has provided additional fee relief funding, based on $4,220 per eligible child. This enables NSW preschools to reduce the daily fee as much as possible, within the Start Strong funding parameters.
This funding is for children who turn 3 or 4 years of age by 31 July in the preschool year and are enrolled in a preschool program for 15 hours per week. Across KU preschools, the ‘15 hours’ is usually met by enrolling in two x 7.5 hour days per week.
Start Strong fee relief can only be accessed at one service, either a preschool or long day care service. This ensures as many children as possible can access affordable early childhood education.
Start Strong Equity Fee Relief Fee
The NSW Government provides further funding for children who meet the Start Strong Equity funding criteria. If you think you may be eligible for Equity funding, please speak with the Preschool Director further about this.
Unfunded Fee
The Unfunded Fee is charged when a family has chosen to access the Start Strong fee relief at another community preschool or long day care service.
