KU Bligh Park goes beyond childcare. We create a safe and nurturing environment where childhood is celebrated.
We are proud of our longstanding reputation within the local community of providing rich education and care tailored to each child’s needs in a family-focussed and supportive way.
Our experienced and dedicated teachers and educators build strong, trusting relationships with each child, fostering a sense of belonging and confidence.
Set in a peaceful area backing onto natural bushland, KU Bligh Park is a calm and inviting space where children can connect with nature, imagine and explore.
When children play and explore, their imagination and curiosity are sparked – they enjoy learning, and are inspired to continue learning more.
Our play-based program intentionally provides a wide range of engaging opportunities and activities based on the Early Years Learning Framework.
We are dedicated to developing meaningful, authentic relationships with children, families and our environment. Our team fosters respectful conversations through activities like morning meetings, storytelling and music, where children are supported to have a voice and express themselves.
KU Bligh Park has been independently assessed by the NSW Department of Education, and are proud to be rated as Exceeding the National Quality Standard.
We believe that the positive interactions children have with our staff are the most important component of our high quality program. Our team of teachers and educators are qualified, experienced, caring and motivated.
Our staff undergo continuous professional development, staying at the forefront of early childhood education.
Mary Stenmark is a university qualified early childhood teacher with over 20 years’ experience in the early childhood sector. She has been an early childhood teacher and Director with KU since 2006, and commenced as Director at KU Bligh Park in 2021.
Her previous background as a restauranteur, gallery manager and visual artist informs her educational practice and shapes the curriculum she provides for children.
Mary actively explores pedagogy that emphasises authentic and inclusive cultural practice, social justice and children’s identity. She strongly believes that children need time and space to explore and build upon their knowledge of the world through dynamic learning environments. She is equally passionate about the arts and literacy and the role they play in shaping children’s voices and lives.
Age group | Amount |
---|---|
4 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee | $3.50 |
3 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee | $32.00 |
Start Strong Equity Fee Relief fee | FREE |
Unfunded fee | $98.50 |
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, the NSW Government provides Start Strong funding. This funding makes 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, and offers your child quality early childhood education.
From 2024, the NSW Government is providing additional fee relief funding of $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:
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.
To be eligible for Start Strong fee relief funding, the NSW Department of Education requires parents to sign the ‘Fee Relief Declaration and Consent’ form at the time of enrolment.
The NSW Government provides further funding for children who meet the Start Strong Equity funding criteria. These include:
If you think you may be eligible for Equity funding, please speak with the Preschool Director further about this.
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.
KU has remained very proudly a not-for-profit provider of quality education for more than 129 years. 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.
If you have any questions about our fees, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Highly respected for our high quality programs, KU's National Quality Standard Ratings far exceed the national average.
KU was established in 1895 and is the most experienced provider of early childhood education in Australia.
As an Employer of Choice for 9 years running and certified Great Place to Work, we attract the best and brightest staff who stay with KU for longer.
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KU respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the many lands on which our services are delivered.
The contribution by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to the education of young children existed long before our story began.
Proudly a not for profit and for purpose organisation
© KU Children’s Services 2024
Proudly a not for profit and for purpose organisation
© KU Children’s Services 2024
As part of the service’s duty of care in minimising exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) and promoting sun safe practices among children, families and staff, the service provides each child with a KU hat and sunscreen is administered by staff where possible 20 minutes before commencing outdoor play.
The service provides extended hours of care and operates a minimum of eight hours a day.
The service has embraced a commitment to a more sustainable early education community, embedding sustainability into pedagogy and practice. We welcome families' participation.
Parking for drop-off and pick-up is available.
The service 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.
The service is accessible by public transport and is close to a train station and/or public buses.
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.
The service 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.
The service offers a full preschool program and places a strong emphasis on programs that challenge and extend children’s abilities and confidence, aiding their transition to school.