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See what our community have to say
Thanks for taking such great care of our beautiful kids. You have all made their final year at kinder one to remember for all the right reasons. My daughter is already missing everyone!
Our son is always proud of the creations (or projects as he refers to them) he brings home from Kinder.
Our Philosophy
At Heidelberg Preschool we recognise that children are competent individuals with many different ways of knowing and doing, who have different talents
At the core of our philosophy is Loris Malaguzzi’s image of the child …’the child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all connected to adults and other children'. Our goal is to provide a creative, stimulating and interactive learning environment, encouraging each child to develop their social emotional, physical and intellectual skills.
The program identifies interests, strengths and emerging skills that is based on continuing documentation of each child.
We value meaningful connections with families acknowledging the importance of a genuine partnership and the role this plays in achieving quality outcomes for the child. We are committed to honouring diversity and inclusion and encourage families to share their experiences and culture.
Our Spaces / Environment
Heidelberg Preschool prides itself on its beautiful natural bush like outdoor learning environment that provokes imagination, exploration and opportunities to be creative and wonder WHY. The natural environment invites children to test their boundaries and assess risk, recognise beauty in the world around them, get messy, develop resilience, regulate stress, and to feel connected to the world around them.
Our two playrooms are filled with natural light and open to a large outdoor deck that is a shared learning space where groups can merge enabling the children to connect and form new friendships. There is a focus on open ended natural play spaces and through the use of high-quality natural materials and loose parts, the environment becomes a fluid creative, stimulating and interactive learning environment.
Begin the Adventure at Heidelberg Preschool
Inclusions
The teaching team at Heidelberg Preschool is passionate about providing a beautiful learning environment and learning experiences that focus on the interests and needs of each child.
All staff have a strong focus on introducing children to the world of nature and incorporating environmental education methodologies.
Each staff member has their own unique skills and qualities that they bring with them and together it combines to create an amazing team.
Children and families can enjoy:
- Being a part of an amazing community
- Incursions
- Excursions including neighbourhood walks
- Qualified and passionate educators
- Access to Storypark, allowing families to be part of their child’s learning journey
- Strong focus on sustainability
Timetables
2023 Timetable for 3 Year Olds
Wattle Group
• Tuesday, 9.15am - 2.15pm
Gumtree Group
• Wednesday & Friday, 9.15am - 2.15pm
Bottlebrush Group
• Friday, 8.45am - 1.45pm
2023 Timetable for 4 Year Olds
Mulberry Group
• Monday & Wednesday, 8.30am - 4pm
Peppercorn Group
• Tuesday & Thursday, 8.30am - 4pm
Paperbark Group
• Monday & Thursday,9am - 4.30pm
2024 Timetable for 3 Year Olds
Wattle Group
• Tuesday, 9.15am - 2.15pm
Gumtree Group
• Wednesday & Friday, 9.15am - 2.15pm
Bottlebrush Group
• Friday, 8.45am - 1.45pm
2024 Timetable for 4 Year Olds
Mulberry Group
• Monday & Wednesday, 8.30am - 4pm
Peppercorn Group
• Tuesday & Thursday, 8.30am - 4pm
Paperbark Group
• Monday & Thursday, 9am - 4.30pm
Fees
The Victorian Government provides funding to support children to access a high quality kindergarten program in the two years before they start school. This helps to ensure all Victorian children get the best start in life.
From 2023, the Victorian Government is making kindergarten programs free for three and four-year-old children – saving you and your family up to $2,500 per year for their program. Free Kinder is a critical component of the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life reform.
FAQs
How will my child be supported for school transition?
Educators at Heidelberg Preschool work closely with families regarding children’s skills and readiness for transition to school. Each family is provided with a Transition Statement during Term 4, which is an overview of your child’s development, interests, strengths and suggestions to help with transition. A copy of this is forwarded to your child’s school, with your permission.
We have strong connections with local schools and work to ensure a smooth transition for each of the children in our care.
What is your curriculum?
We provide a play based curriculum, all our activities are based on the interest and the development of the children. We believe that children will learn through play. An example of this is when children are playing in our home corner they are learning about true life experiences, they are beginning to understand and are learning about sharing toys and equipment, they are extending their play skills and they will move from solitary play to onlooker play to parallel and associative play, then to co-operative play. They begin to develop body awareness and self help skills i.e. with dress ups.
How many children are in a group?
We have 22 children in our 3 year old program, with two qualified staff. We have 25 children in our 4 year old programs, with three qualified staff.