Our Program and Approach
At our centre 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 holistic educational program is play-based, following the National Quality Framework and Victorian Early Years Learning Framework and focuses on the needs and interests of children.
Our centre is a welcoming and nurturing space where each child is immersed in a rich tapestry of educationally interactive experiences – a space where children are supported to be their own, unique selves, growing and developing a sense of belonging and empowerment.
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.
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 Craigieburn our special interest is incorporating home languages into our program and embedding the cultural diversities into our everyday curriculum.
We feel that the children benefit from this interest because their sense of belonging is enhanced and we are representing the true culture of our context. At our centre, we have educators from various backgrounds and languages. We strive to develop children’s bilingualism and cultural identity.
Our Quality
Our centre has been independently assessed by the Department of Education and Training Victoria 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...
"KU Craigieburn is the most amazing centre. Every staff member goes above and beyond. It is run so well. I would absolutely recommend to everyone looking to send their child here." - KU Craigieburn parent
“Both of my children have really enjoyed KU and settled in well. I think that is in large part to how welcoming the educators are and it has been appreciated.” - KU Craigieburn 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 centre is located in a beautiful area next to Mount Ridley College. We have bright rooms and a large, open outdoor area, providing a wonderful environment for children of all ages to interact and learn.
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
KU Craigieburn was named as a finalist in the prestigious 2023 HESTA Early Childhood Education & Care Awards, in the Outstanding Service category. The service was recognised for its dedication to embracing cultural diversity, understanding and bilingualism, and helping to foster a sense of belonging for children.
In addition, KU Craigieburn Director Pardeep Samra was awarded the 2023 'Making the KU Difference for Families' Award. Pardeep was recognised for leading the service's philosophy of creating inclusive and respectful environments, enabling children and families to feel welcomed and safe.
Also in 2023, KU Craigieburn Early Childhood Teacher Nuriye Bekkaya was awarded the 'Making the KU Difference for Children' Award. This award recognises her commitment to all children, looking at each child for their unique abilities and strengths, and working with families to expose them to learning opportunities to assist them in reaching their full potential.
The Annual KU Difference Awards were introduced a number of years ago, as a way of acknowledging KU staff who have made a significant contribution to KU. These annual awards are open to all KU staff, at any level (either individual staff or a team), who have worked above and beyond their normal duties.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Craigieburn, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to present it here.