At KU Westmead, we aim to provide a safe and responsive learning environment, where children are immersed and engaged in experiences and social interactions with educators and peers.
Our centre program is based upon the principles of the national Early Years Learning Framework, Belonging, Being, Becoming, which guides our educational program and practices.
Our play-based curriculum fosters self-identity, choice, participation and collaboration with others. We believe every child is unique, with their own personality, learning style, family background and pattern and timing of growth. Our program, environment and staff interactions with the children aim to be responsive to these individual differences.
Our natural environment offers children a 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, visual arts, music and movement, physical play, block building, sand/mud and water play, science experiments, early numeracy activities such as counting and measurement, and early literacy activities such as reading, drawing and writing.
At KU Westmead, we are proud of our reputation within our local and diverse community. For over 40 years we have provided a high quality service that concentrates on individual children in a family-focussed and supportive way.
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 Westmead, our specialisation is learning through the environment and visual arts.
We incorporate this into our program through a variety of activities, including the use of natural materials as tools for learning, our sustainability practices and providing opportunities for children to engage with living creatures through our frog pond and chicken coop. Our indoor/outdoor program offers extended periods of uninterrupted time for children to explore the natural setting and engage with nature through climbing trees, mud, sand and water play, and interacting with our animals including our resident blue tongue lizard.
Our Atelier (art studio) is an inspirational area where children are immersed in a variety of rich art experiences. Alongside colour exploration, children are taught different techniques and are encouraged to use a variety of media as they create.
We feel that the children benefit from this specialisation, because it develops and enhances their creative skills and connects them with their natural environment, fostering a sense of wellbeing.
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...
“Fantastic and reassuring staff. I felt very comfortable with the whole enrolment and orientation process." - KU Westmead parent
"I am very happy with the way KU staff are teaching the children." - KU Westmead 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 includes a frog pond where children can experience watching tadpoles develop into frogs. We also have hens, so the children can gather eggs and learn more about looking after domestic animals.
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, climbing trees, 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 Reconciliation Action Plan
KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Westmead, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to present it here.
Other Features
Hat and Sunscreen
Transition to School
Public Transport
Play-based Learning
Outdoor Play
Award
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.
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.
Award
The centre has been recognised and awarded as an outstanding service provider.
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.
Kimberley Simon
Director
Kim started her career in the early childhood education sector in 2004, completing a Diploma in Children’s Services, continuing on to a Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to 5 years) and later a Diploma of Leadership and Management.
Over the past 15 years she has had experience working in several long day care and OOSH services. Throughout her time within each she worked her way up through a range of roles, such as a Preschool Teacher, Leader Educator, Assistant Centre Director and Centre Director.
Kim is a committed, passionate, motivated and dedicated leader and educator. She works hard and aims to support, guide and facilitate educators and children’s learning.
Kim believes it’s important to build positive relationships with families and children, to ensure they are provided a high quality care and education.
She has a deep passion for children’s overall wellbeing and their learning development, whilst truly valuing the importance of learning through play. Kim believes children gain positive learning experiences through open ended, challenging, stimulating, environments which allow them to feel supported, safe and secure.
Kim is a mother and stepmother, and knows how important it is to ensure all children are given love, time to be heard and a voice within their world so they become independent and confident learners who will continue to build lifelong skills which will guide them in having a successful and positive future.
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.
It is our belief and passion to promote sustainability within our educational program, throughout our service, as well as the broader community. As educators, we have an active and significant role to play; ensuring children experience connections with the natural environment in meaningful ways. As educators, we reflect on our practices with an aim towards continuous improvement and undertake professional development to ensure our currency of knowledge.
The daily fees for 2023 at KU Westmead Preschool are:
Fee
Amount
4 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee
FREE
3 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee
$11.50
Start Strong Equity Fee Relief fee
FREE
Unfunded fee
$80.50
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.
