St Nicholas Early Education provides high quality care and education for children aged eight weeks to five years. Children attending St Nicholas are placed in an age appropriate group to provide an environment conducive to their needs and safety, whilst providing personalised care to enable them to develop and excel.
Our centre is staffed by a dedicated team of qualified early childhood professionals and supported by the Early Education resources of the Catholic Schools Office. St Nicholas complies with all national regulations and licensing requirements, and is Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate approved, giving parents and carers access to government support.
Encouraging inclusion of children from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, St Nicholas operates 51 weeks of the year, closing only between Christmas and New Year.
Our Philosophy
We are committed to supporting family life as the foundation of society and of the Church. St Nicholas Early Education provides educationally sound and professionally staffed centres as part of this commitment. closing only between Christmas and New Year.
Our goal is to apply best practice guidelines in early education to facilitate each child’s optimal social, intellectual and physical development and education in partnership with parents and carers. Our aim is to welcome one and all into our centre.
We recognise that a safe, secure and consistent environment encourages the development of confidence, skills and friendships.
Our Children
Our curriculum is based on children’s interests and needs, reflecting the vision of the Early Years Framework and National Quality Standards. We support a play-based curriculum within an enriching environment, offering both open-ended and group learning.
For children approaching school age, we place a strong emphasis on programs which challenge and extend their abilities and confidence, aiding their transition to primary school.
Our Staff
St Nicholas is staffed by dedicated and qualified educators who are committed to providing the highest quality child care and education.
We support and actively encourage staff of St Nicholas to continue their professional development, keeping pace with early education requirements and trends.
Our Families
Parents and family are welcome at any time. Parent participation sends strong positive messages to your child that you support him/her and are part of the child care environment. There are many levels of parent participation and we appreciate any form of involvement you may desire to assist you and your child, which ultimately benefits the whole centre. Involvement can include:
Attend special activities and functions
Make suggestions for programming
Offer feedback regarding service
Attend parent/teacher nights
Share your hobbies or occupation with the children
Advise St Nicholas staff of any celebrated events relevant to your culture
St Nicholas Early Education centres are supported by the Early Education team at the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. Our organisation prides itself on core values of care and compassion, and ensures quality management and practices throughout our centres.
We aim to provide an environment that recognises the value of family and developing secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships.
