Name: KU Children's Services
Price range: $

Our Program and Approach

At KU Rydalmere, we provide a play-based learning program that is designed to stimulate and encourage children’s love of learning in a challenging and safe environment. We see each child as unique and provide an individualised learning program for all children with the support of each child’s family.

Some of the long-term goals for children at our preschool include learning to work cooperatively with others, acquiring social and language skills, developing a love of literature, developing a love of the natural world and having a sense of fun – to enjoy this truly unique time in their life.

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.

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.

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 Rydalmere, we focus on environmental sustainability. We believe that we are part of the ecosystem, so we need to be respectful of the nature that we share our environment with.

We incorporate this into our program through activities such as the observation of local creatures, gardening, investigations of our local environment and using natural materials to enhance our play outside.

We feel that the children benefit from this focus, because it teaches them to have respect for our environment, which they will bring forward into childhood and adulthood.

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...

"The preschool is set in a peaceful environment and has a wonderful outdoor play area, which offers endless opportunities for creative play within the natural environment. The staff are caring and highly qualified Early Childhood Educators and it is clear that our daughter is benefiting from the many educational opportunities that are offered in the preschool program. I have observed improvements in all her developmental areas since she started attending the centre, particularly in her creative ability and social skills." – KU Rydalmere parent

"I believe that KU Rydalmere is fulfilling an excellent role within the local community. It offers a warm, nurturing environment to both children and their parents, who come from a variety of cultural backgrounds." – KU Rydalmere 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.

KU Rydalmere is an early childhood centre catering for 25 children each day, located on Crown Land, adjacent to the Ponds Walk and Subiaco Creek. It was built by the local community with the assistance of the Rotary Club of Rydalmere and opened in 1965. At KU Rydalmere, we are surrounded by mature trees and have a large outdoor learning environment and a spacious and well-equipped indoor area.

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, climb trees, discover and learn about insects, birds and reptiles 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 Rydalmere, we began our journey to develop our centre’s RAP in 2018 and we are proud to present it here.

Other Features

Child Care Subsidy

Hat and Sunscreen

Transition to School

Public Transport

Play-based Learning

Parking

Outdoor Play

Award

Storypark

The daily fee for 2024 at KU Rydalmere Preschool is: $122.50

This is the full daily fee. If you are entitled to Child Care Subsidy, this will reduce the daily fee you are charged.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, KU has remained very proudly a not-for-profit provider of quality education for more than 125 years. In the past, KU has taken great pride in offering the very best services with minimal increased fees wherever possible. However this year is different, escalating operating costs have meant that in 2024 we are forced to increase fees at a higher rate than we would normally.

The fee increase will ensure we can continue to improve the quality of our services and invest in our highly skilled teachers and educators. We recognise our staff are the heart of KU as they build strong nurturing relationships with children and families whilst continuing to provide a high-quality learning program. These are vital factors that contribute to what is most important to us all – the best outcomes for children.

Overall, KU services hold the highest ratings across the National Quality Standard, with 82% of our services rated either Excellent or Exceeding, compared to the sector benchmark of 45%

KU does not distribute our profits to shareholders or send them offshore.

About Child Care Subsidy

Child Care Subsidy is the main payment to assist families with the costs of childcare. It is paid directly to the childcare provider and passed onto families as a fee reduction wherever families meet the criteria. The level of subsidy you receive, as well as the number of hours you will be subsidised, depends on your individual family’s circumstances.

If you do not already have one, you will need a MyGov account linked to Centrelink to claim any subsidy you may be eligible for, and to find out more information, please contact Centrelink on 136 150 or visit https://www.dese.gov.au.

NSW Start Strong Fee Relief

From 2024, the NSW Government is providing additional fee relief funding, based on $2,110 per eligible 4 year old child attending a preschool program within a long day care service. This funding is applied as a weekly credit to the gap fee after CCS has been applied or to full fees where a family does not receive CCS. The Start Strong fee relief will not impact CCS entitlements.

If your child is 3 years old and not yet 4 years old on, or before 31 July 2024 and enrolled at an eligible long day care service, you will receive up to $500 in fee relief.

Start Strong fee relief funding is for children who are 4 years old on or before 31 July 2024, and can only be accessed in one service. This could either be in a community preschool or long day care service. If you have a child who may be eligible, please discuss this with your service Director.

The NSW Department of Education requires parents to sign the ‘Fee Relief Declaration and Consent’ form at the time of enrolment. Your eligibility for Start Strong fee relief Funding is conditional upon signing this form.

KU Rydalmere Preschool