Our Program and Approach

KU Petersham Preschool has been educating and caring for children for almost 70 years. We are proud of our reputation within the local community for providing rich education and care that concentrates on supporting children in building lifelong skills, a love for learning and a sense of community.

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, construction with open ended materials, mud, sand and water play, science experiments, early numeracy activities such as counting and measurement, and early literacy activities such as reading, drawing and writing.

From the very first visit, we aim to welcome all children, their families and visitors into our space and offer them a glimpse into our natural, engaging preschool that is made up of children exploring, creating and recording their ideas about the world, engaging with their peers and educators and, of course, having fun. As children and families join our preschool, we support them in feeling welcome in our community, as their child and they form new bonds and friendships with other members of our community.

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 Petersham, we focus on fostering skills that form the basis for life long learning and engagement, as well as introducing science, engineering and maths concepts through our loose parts play. With the changing landscape brought about by technology and a focus on embedding sustainable practices, we feel that loose part play offers a strong platform for children to explore these concepts, whilst learning how to resource their own materials, innovate, collaborate, plan, problem solve and create.

At KU Petersham, learning through nature is also one of our areas of focus that we pride ourselves on.

Our staff have worked hard over the years to create the beautiful playground we have at our centre – it is full of learning opportunities, including birds, spiders and trees to climb, not to mention natural cubby spaces, fossils, a frog pond and a fairy garden. We are also fortunate to have the magnificent Petersham Park right next door. Children need to pack clothes for all types of weather as we enjoy our outdoor environment all year round.

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 experience for all four of my children at KU Petersham has been the most fantastic, enriching experience possible. The staff, facilities and learning programs have succeeded in developing confident and capable individuals. KU has always known what is best for my children.” – KU Petersham parent

“KU Petersham would have to be one of the most engaging and brilliant preschools in Sydney. The teaching and stimulation of the kids is faultless and the ideas and range of activities gives the kids so many opportunities. As my son tells me, he loves preschool as it is so much fun!” – KU Petersham 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 preschool is situated amongst the trees of Petersham Park and alongside Petersham Pool. 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

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.

In 2015, the team at KU Petersham Preschool was awarded the Making the KU Difference Award through Innovation.

Our Reconciliation Action Plan

KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Petersham, 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

Child Care Subsidy

Designed Centre

Extended Hours

Hat and Sunscreen

Transition to School

Public Transport

Play-based Learning

Parking

Outdoor Play

Storypark

Award

Kathy Lawton

Director

Kath is a university qualified early childhood teacher with over 35 years’ experience working with young children. She has been working at KU Petersham for over 20 years. Kath has a strong interest in supporting children’s learning and embedding the principles of sustainability into the program. She led the KU Petersham team to winning a Making the KU Difference Award for Innovation in this area in 2015.

Kath believes that the team of educators, working in collaboration and respect for the skills and experience each one brings, provides the framework for an interesting and vibrant curriculum. She also works to promote community connections and to engage with families to best meet the needs of all children.

The team of early childhood educators at KU Petersham are qualified, experienced, culturally diverse, caring and highly motivated. All hold specialist qualifications in early childhood education and many speak a range of community languages. We believe that the positive interactions children have with our staff are the most important component of our high quality program. We further believe that through valuing each child’s culture, family and learning style, we provide a rich and diverse community of learners where children learn and grow through connections with each other and the environment.

The daily fee for 2021 at KU Petersham Preschool is: $112

This is the full daily fee. If you are entitled to Child Care Subsidy, this will reduce the daily fee you are charged.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, KU has remained very proudly a not-for-profit provider of quality education for more than 125 years. Like all early childhood education providers, our costs continue to be subject to market factors such as CPI, salary costs, Government funding and the requirements of the National Quality Framework.

Our fees are designed to cover the operational costs of delivering the unique KU learning experience, and to ensure KU can continue delivering those experiences for many years to come. Any surplus we may make is reinvested into our local staff, continually improving the quality of our services, and ensuring our long-term sustainability. KU does not distribute our profits to shareholders or send them offshore.

About Child Care Subsidy

Child Care Subsidy is the main payment to assist families with the costs of childcare. It is paid directly to the childcare provider and passed onto families as a fee reduction wherever families meet the criteria. The level of subsidy you receive, as well as the number of hours you will be subsidised, depends on your individual family’s circumstances.

If you do not already have one, you will need a MyGov account linked to Centrelink to claim any subsidy you may be eligible for, and to find out more information, please contact Centrelink on 136 150 or visit www.education.gov.au.