Our Program and Approach
At KU Peninsula, we offer a welcoming and nurturing environment where children feel secure, empowered and energised to learn. Our open environment and access to provisions actively encourages all areas of children’s development.
We recognise that each child is unique, and grows and develops at their own pace and in their own style. Our program is structured to support children to learn within their own timeframe and within different contexts, supporting the individuality of each child.
We view play as an important tool in the development of children’s skills and learning and we provide a wide variety of experiences to support this. Through play, children learn how to be a valuable part of the community, accept others for who they are and develop respect for provisions, peers and the environment.
At KU Peninsula, 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 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 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 Specialisation
In addition to the high quality well-rounded programs we offer, all KU centres are also encouraged to develop an area of specialisation.
At KU Peninsula, our area of specialisation is connection to community, land and the relationships we form as they are important in a child’s development; nurturing a sense of security and belonging. Being active community members fosters relationships, connections and opportunities to further children’s understanding of where they live, play, and learn. Where connections are formed, children have more knowledge, skill and confidence.
We incorporate this into our program by engaging with local schools, aged care services, social groups and community groups. Additionally, children will develop respectful connections with local parks, nature reserves, beaches, and water ways. Providing children with opportunities to explore, participate and connect, offers a layer of learning, whereby children develop life skills they can transfer and adapt as they strengthen their knowledge base.
We feel that the children benefit from this specialisation because when children have positive engagements in the community, they are inspired, intrigued, and challenged, and able to develop a strong sense of identity with wider understandings of the place they are connecting. Engagement with local community members empowers and supports children’s overall development and capacity to learn.
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...
“How bright and inviting the preschool is. It provides a great learning environment. My children, as do I, enjoy each day we come to preschool.” – KU Peninsula parent
“What a wonderful space for children to learn in. The teachers and the environment is inviting and warm and a friendly atmosphere is created by all." – KU Peninsula 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 Peninsula Preschool is located in the sunny seaside town of Tanilba Bay, providing early education to children 2-5 years old, in a family group setting. We are proud to be part of the community since 1985 and are central to the town centre, local school and amenities.
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 Awards
KU Peninsula Preschool was a Finalist in the Port Stephens Examiner Annual Business Award for Children's Services in 2019.
In 2018, the team at KU Peninsula was awarded the Making “the KU Difference” Award through Reconciliation.
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 Peninsula, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2017 and we are proud to launch it now. Please view it here.
