Our Program and Approach

Name: KU Children's Services
Price range: $

At our centre childhood is celebrated. When they play and explore, children's imagination and curiosity is sparked - they enjoy learning, and are inspired to continue learning more.

At KU Kingfisher preschool, we believe that forming strong, secure and safe attachments with children is very important. When children feel safe, secure and supported, their self-esteem is encouraged and they feel comfortable, which leads to more opportunities for learning.

Our program includes the Early Years Learning Framework ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’. Our educators use the Framework in partnership with input from families, to develop learning programs that are responsive to children’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities, and we recognise that children learn through play.

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, sand and water play, science experiments, early numeracy activities such as counting and measurement, and early literacy activities such as reading, drawing and writing.

Connections with families and children are highly valued in our service and educators are committed to developing and maintaining these through daily interactions. Educators are always available to discuss with families, both informally and formally, information about their child’s development.

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 Kingfisher Preschool we specialise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History and Culture of the traditional owners.

Our specialisation is to build relationships with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and be recognised as a place that welcomes everyone in our community. We strive to be a place that listens and supports a voice in the community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to engage in our community with respect and authenticity, by having local Wiradjuri and Torres Strait islander peoples teaching the children history and culture.

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...

"The staff at KU Kingfisher Preschool are fantastic. Very approachable, knowledgeable and extremely friendly. They have made the process very easy and I especially love the daily phone calls to reassure me that my son has settled in and is having a great day." – KU Kingfisher parent

"KU Kingfisher Preschool is great! All the teachers and assistants are always so upbeat and pleasant, they create a positive learning environment for the children. Our four year old son is the second of our children to attend and we couldn’t be happier. KU Kingfisher Preschool has helped them both grow and discover their own personalities. We are very pleased with our children’s learning and social skill development and are thankful to KU Kingfisher for contributing to this. The staff deserve well earned compliments for attending to our most precious investment during the day – our child." – KU Kingfisher 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 playground is designed to allow children to explore nature and discover the natural environment. We want children to be able to dig in the sand, 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. We have natural shade due to our many trees in our large outdoor environment.

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 Kingfisher Preschool was awarded the Making “the KU Difference” Award by Representing KU.

Our Reconciliation Action Plan

KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Kingfisher Preschool, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2017 and we are proud to launch it now. Please view it here.

Other Features

Hat and Sunscreen

Transition to School

Play-based Learning

Parking

Outdoor Play

Award

Storypark

Education for Sustainability

Francine Owen

Director

Francine has been a preschool Director for 18 years and has been at KU Kingfisher since 2005. She has a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Francine is a dedicated mother, who is passionate about social issues, such as inclusion and supporting the disadvantaged. Francine strives to help people in need and acknowledges empathy and understanding as important qualities.

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.

The daily fees for 2024 at KU Kingfisher Preschool are:

Fee	Amount
4 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee	FREE
3 year old Start Strong Fee Relief fee	$4.00
Start Strong Equity Fee Relief fee	FREE
Unfunded fee	$74.00

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.

Start Strong Fee Relief Fee (3 year olds and 4 year olds)

From 2024, 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.