Our Program and Approach
KU Randwick Coogee Preschool was started by a group of dedicated mothers who saw a need for a preschool in the Randwick area. The uniqueness of Randwick Coogee, that was created then, still exists today and we continue to provide excellent early education and care for children based on the Early Years Learning Framework of Australia.
We see our preschool as a place of belonging. We provide a safe, warm, caring, stimulating, play based, sustainable environment that meets the individual needs of each child, allowing them to develop to their potential at their own rate.
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.
The sense of Being, Belonging and Becoming in each child is nurtured throughout our program, where they are able to experience, investigate, explore, problem solve, create, practice and imagine together.
At KU Randwick Coogee Preschool, we are proud of our reputation within the local community of providing rich education and care 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.
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 Randwick Coogee we focus on School Readiness.
We incorporate this into our program through activities such as developing Independence in our children. We encourage children to take responsibility for their belongings, including keeping their hats on whilst playing outside, not sharing food and applying sunscreen themselves while supervised. Consistent routines and expectations enables the children to manage these tasks over time with ease, so that they become confident and involved learners, and effective communicators with a strong sense of identity. In preparing each child to go to school, we also build a sense of community with our parents, supporting them as they also encourage their child’s independence.
We feel that the children benefit from this focus, because the majority of children who attend are in their year before school.
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...
“Our family has had an ongoing association with your preschool for the last five years, during this time three of our four children have attended your centre. During our five years of association, the staff have been exceptional in providing a nurturing and educational experience for the children. We have been fortunate to experience the care and attention of most of the staff members. I can only emphasise that they are a truly dedicated group of people, who work very well as a team in fostering a welcoming and creative environment, and in doing so, ensure that learning for the children is a positive experience. The staff are always approachable and readily communicate with one another, such that the environment is always open and friendly for children and parents.” – KU Randwick Coogee parent
“My wife and I have nothing but the highest praise for the benchmark childcare standards set by the staff at KU Randwick Coogee Preschool. The teachers and childcare workers are all extremely hardworking, dedicated and caring individuals, who show immense commitment to the school. We have experienced an extremely fruitful partnership with your school; your caring involvement with our family has been integral to helping our introverted daughter to ‘come out of her shell’. The staff always responded quickly and professionally whenever we needed additional assistance.” – KU Randwick Coogee 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 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, 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 Awards
In 2021, the Director of KU Randwick Coogee, Karen Penfold, was awarded the perpetual KU Marcia Burgess Award for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to fostering inclusion and enriching the lives of vulnerable children and their families.
The KU Randwick Coogee Preschool team were awarded the 'Making the KU Difference for Families' Award in 2019.
The Making the 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.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
KU was proud to launch its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2016. At KU Randwick Coogee, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to launch it now. Please view it here.
