Our Program and Approach
At KU Killarney Heights, our program and practices are grounded in a holistic approach to children’s learning and development. We pay attention to children’s physical, personal, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing and we aim to respond to all children’s strengths, abilities and interests.
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.
We provide a welcoming and vibrant environment where all children feel secure and nurtured. Our program is grounded in long periods of uninterrupted play, where children can build relationships with each other and safely explore the world around them. Our curriculum planning is deliberate, thoughtful and purposeful.
We offer a free flowing indoor/outdoor program, as we believe that learning can occur anywhere and at any time. We have a strong emphasis on outdoor play and foster respect of and interest in our beautiful natural environment.
Our program offers children the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of learning experiences and 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.
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 Killarney Heights, we focus on children developing a connection with nature through our Bush Kinder Program. This program is an educational experience that is held at our local bush kinder site, located a short walk from the preschool. Here, children engage in unstructured play in the bush, learn about their local bush area and how to care for it.
We incorporate this into our program as an extension of our preschool program. During Bush Kinder, children have the opportunity to spend time engaging in play, exploring, learning and engaging with nature.
We believe that the children benefit from this program, as it provides the perfect opportunity for children to play regularly in the outdoors, to explore, imagine, create and connect with the natural environment, each other and the local community. At KU Killarney Heights, we believe children learn best through play. Play, in its true form, should be freely chosen, self-directed and intrinsically motivated.
Our Quality
Our centre has been independently assessed by the NSW Department of Education 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...
"I cannot speak highly enough of the KU Killarney Heights Preschool. The teaching team are exceptionally engaging and really put their heart and soul into providing a nurturing environment that fosters exceptionally high standards. The children are given so many amazing opportunities to challenge themselves, grow and develop through the play based learning program in place. The program includes a very unique opportunity for both parents and children to participate in Bush Kinder, a variety of incursions, an amazing free flowing indoor and outdoor play space, complete with so many wonderful educational tools to emphasis children's learning. KU Killarney Heights is everything you could hope and want for your child beginning their preschool journey. The smiles that greet you at the end of the day and the strong sense of community are a testament to this and a real credit to the teaching staff.” - KU Killarney Heights parent
"I cannot commend the team highly enough. From the very beginning I felt supported in my role as a nervous first time Mum. I was allowed to progress forward with my son at a pace that was comfortable for me. I always received individual feedback about my child and how his day went. My eldest son's special needs were identified early on and with support and guidance of teachers, other professionals and I have seen how much of a positive difference early intervention can make. I am absolutely amazed at how two years at KU Killarney Heights has helped my child to grow and overcome some of his challenges. There is a deep and genuine bond of care and trust between children and educators, and this in turn has led me to develop a great attachment to the team too! I never have to worry that my child is not being heard or his needs are not being met. We feel lucky to have had such fantastic people in our lives at such a crucial time." - KU Killarney Heights 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.
We pride ourselves on having large open spaces, both inside and outdoors, for children to play and a natural outdoor environment offering many learning experiences for children. We have chickens, a native beehive, vegetable patch, bush tucker garden and compost, in which children are actively involved in caring for and maintaining.
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, 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 Reconciliation Action Plan
KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Killarney Heights, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to present it here.
