Our Program and Approach
KU Dem School is committed to high quality care for each and every child, including those with additional needs. Care is provided in a safe, relaxed environment that nurtures creativity, social skills, life skills and physical activity appropriate for middle childhood.
We believe in the importance of play and are committed to a play-based environment where children can explore and discover their place. We endeavour to support children's friendships by developing respectful, positive relationships with each other, learning to express feelings and being sensitive to others. We value parent and community involvement, especially with regard to cultural diversity.
KU Dem School is based in the Pacific Building at North Sydney Demonstration School and provides before and after school care. Parent and community involvement is valued, helping to create an environment that reflects and acknowledges diversity and honours differences.
Our Special Interests
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 Dem School our parents have requested that we embed ‘traditional heritage skills’ in our program. Parents are aware that some of these skills are slipping through the cracks of modern life and children are growing up without the opportunity to learn or experience activities that parents valued from their childhood.
We bring our area of interest to life by engaging children in experiences that promote the acquisition of ‘heritage’ life skills that cross different cultures, such as string games, paper planes, skipping and skipping rhymes, shoe cleaning, polishing silver, knitting, sewing, finger knitting, weaving, bread making, butter and ice cream making, paper making, letter writing, card games and chess.
We feel that both children and families benefit from this as it allows children to gain skills they can use for life and bridges the gaps emerging for busy families, who may not have grandparents or extended family available to teach these skills.
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...
“My daughter loves after school care and she really enjoys all the activities you are offering. I’m very impressed by the way you are showing them all these new things that I never thought to show her so thank you.” - KU Dem School parent
"Thank you KU Dem for taking such great care of our child. He always complains that I have picked him up too early!" - KU Dem School 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 playground is our outdoor learning environment and includes natural elements such as sand, grass, water, mud, leaves and twigs. Wherever possible we avoid using lots of fixed, plastic equipment in our playground. During the year, we have weekly incursions with speciality teachers to provide the opportunity to enhance and learn new skills and support physical fitness. All our activities help with the development of children’s gross motor skills, enhancing their overall health and wellbeing as they discover their strengths and abilities 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 Dem School Kids Care, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to launch it now. Please view it here.
