Making A Difference at Oceana
![Making A Difference at Oceana](/img/lazy.gif)
![verified logo](/img/listing/verified-logo.png)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/lazy.gif)
![#](/img/listing/nqs-logo-meeting.png)
![](/img/clp_incentives.png)
Making A Difference at Oceana Centre overview
Phone
(02) 9072 0579Making A Difference at Oceana Centre highlights
- Long serving experience educators
- Innovative learning programs
- Warm, family focussed environment
Beautiful Experiences For Your Child - Owned & Run By Caring Mums!
The first time you walk through our door, we want your family to feel at home. We want mums and dads to feel just as welcome as our children. We provide so much more than day care. We’re a real early learning child care centre where children can thrive. In all three of our sites - Narraweena, Beacon Hill and Frenchs Forest, we provide the best early learning environment for your child.
We offer a safe, welcoming environment where children can play, grow, make new friends and learn with confidence. Our incredible educators are so passionate about their work, and they love creating a warm, nurturing place for children to start their journey towards school.
Our centre is air-conditioned and 2 minutes walk to St Johns Primary or Narraweena Public School. With caring educators and carers, our own chef and lots of resources and equipment we would love to welcome you to have a look around and see for yourself.
Fees & Vacancies
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Go in the draw to WIN with Doordash.
Making A Difference at Oceana Service features
See more (15)Making A Difference at Oceana service include:
Get to know us
What the parents say
![What the parents say](https://media.toddle.com.au/_versions/media/service_pages/2261/3JC_6209Narraweena_service_page_img_md.jpg)
What the parents say
We are so happy with MAD for our two sons. We previously went to a larger daycare, but we feel that MAD is a much better fit for our boys. There is an incredibly warm and friendly vibe at every pick up and drop off, and we know our boys feel happy and comfortable with all of the educators. We love getting our daily updates and photographs and we are so impressed with the range of different activities and educational experiences that are provided every day. Definitely 5 stars from us!
Annika - parent
We absolutely LOVE these guys! They are so lovely and caring towards our daughter. She sometimes doesn't even say goodbye to us when we drop her off as she is excited for the day ahead. This isn't a place where your kids are just going to "just play games" all day. It's a place where the games and activities are focused on specific learning and developmental outcomes, and you're going to get updates each day on how your child is developing. It's also a place where if you're trying to help your child learn how to share at home, you can let them know and they'll continue to try to help your child throughout the day.
Lastly, our daughter only goes twice a week, but we noticed how much faster she started developing as soon as she started day care. It's been really great. For context, we have tried another day care that we originally thought was great. However, now that we've experienced MAD at Oceana, we realise how great they are and the extra level of support and care they provide.
David - parent
Our daughter has only recently started but is loving every minute of it. The staff here are amazing with her, always keeping us up to date with what activities they've been doing throughout the day which has been awesome to receive. This is also our daughter's first time attending child care and they have made us all feel extremely comfortable and welcome thank you MAD team for all the effort you put in for our kids.
Keanu - parent
Nathan has been at the centre for at least 12 months. We have had a very positive experience. It's a small family run Centre. The staff are great with the kids and the daily updates are detailed. Highly recommend to anyone considering childcare in Narraweena.
Joseph - parent
Programs
![Programs](https://media.toddle.com.au/_versions/media/service_pages/2261/3JC_6433Narraweena_service_page_img_md.jpg)
Programs
Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA Program): ELLA is a digital, play-based language learning program that the preschool children use daily. This Australian Government initiative inspires children by driving a genuine interest in a new language and culture.
Community Engagement: designed to give children a sense of the local and larger world they belong to and a sense of identity. The children go on excursions large and small to connect with the world outside the gates. Recently they visited a farm to milk cows and meet some goats and chickens. The centre also enjoys community visitors, including the police and fire department.
Bush Kindy: There is nothing better for children than a connection to nature and the grounding, calming energy of being in a natural space. The centre takes the children whenever possible out to local green space. This is an opportunity for exploration, learning about safety, unhurried time to talk, discover, and just be.
Sports Program: the centre’s weekly sports incursions are focused on ball skills, agility, working as a team, improving gross motor skills, hand eye coordination and balance. Soccajoeys provide skill based coaching in a fun, play based program.
Mindfulness and Body Movement: the children take time out of their busy playtime each week to re-centre and practice being calm. The benefits of this include body awareness, emotional regulation, improved concentration, positive self-image and connection to self.
Environmental Awareness & Sustainable Practices: Environmental Sustainability is a strong focus within the centre. The educators believe it is essential learning for children to feel empowered to make a difference by recycling, reducing waste, and learning about conservation.
Music Program: music is an essential part of children’s development, and they enjoy the interactive sessions that help develop confidence, memory, language and coordination skills. Music and rhythm classes for all ages are included in the daily program.
About the curriculum
![About the curriculum](https://media.toddle.com.au/_versions/media/service_pages/2261/3JC_6763Narraweena_service_page_img_md.jpg)
About the curriculum
6 weeks - 18 months
The infants enjoy a loving, warm and stimulating environment that supports age appropriate exploration, engagement and discovery. Each child’s individual developmental milestones are the focus of this space, ensuring a tailored and unique approach to each child’s specific needs. The long term, qualified and skilled educators develop programs that foster children’s emotional wellbeing and comfort in order to see them flourish.
2 years - 3 years
The toddler space is all about growing independence and autonomy. The educators have created a space where ‘doing things myself’ is encouraged, no matter how much mess that means. This program is built around each child’s own interests, family culture and input about each child’s growth needs. Educators build on many skills, including emotional regulation, verbal and non-verbal communication, exploration, curiosity and self confidence. The children are developing their own natural sense of inquiry and self-directed learning. The team encourages collaborative learning through play, introducing more group projects and classroom wide programs for this age group as appropriate.
3 years - 5 years
In the preschool program, educators strive to find the perfect balance between supporting children to live in the moment whilst also preparing them for the world of formal schooling to come. They achieve this by fostering the children’s inquisitive nature, building dispositions for learning and promoting play in all forms. Providing a combination of developmentally appropriate routines, learning environments and open-ended resources ensures children make the most of their preschool year whilst also transitioning successfully to school.
Meet the team
![Meet the team](https://media.toddle.com.au/_versions/media/service_pages/2261/5FF_4407Narraweena_service_page_img_md.jpg)
Meet the team
At Making A Difference, management understands that their team members are the most important part of the business. The highly skilled and driven educators are the key to each child’s successful journey through early childhood education.
Many of the highly qualified team members have been with the centre for a number of years. The focus of the educators is to provide individual care, to understand all they can about each of the children and their development. Educators will engage with parents to find new ways to solve problems, support growth, teach things specific to each child and ensure tailored programs meet the needs of parents.
Centre Director Natalie has been with the centre for over 10 years. Other educators say that ‘Natalie is endlessly patient and kind, loves every child in the centre as her own, and supports her team day in day out to be the best they all can be.’
Health & nutrition
![Health & nutrition](https://media.toddle.com.au/_versions/media/service_pages/2261/3JC_6913Narraweena_service_page_img_md.jpg)
Health & nutrition
The team at Making A Difference understands that balanced, nutritious food is the key to healthy brain development, good attention spans and good moods for children.
With a 5 star rated kitchen and menu developed in conjunction with stakeholders, reviewed, and approved as exceeding by the NSW Munch and Move Nutritionists, parents can be confident that their child is getting everything they need and more, and loving it. The centre chef cooks from scratch every day, and will happily share recipes for successful meal times at home.
The week rotating menus offer variety and balance, and are packed with children’s favourites. The children learn about food and healthy eating as the educators ensure meal times remain centred around discussions about our bodies and how to care for them. Meal times are a time to come together and practice self-help skills, conversation, and build a positive relationship with food.
The children love the (veggie packed) spaghetti with tomato sauce.
Programs
![Programs](https://media.toddle.com.au/_versions/media/service_pages/2261/5FF_4223Narraweena_service_page_img_md.jpg)
Programs
Dad drops Max off at 8am, he is 1 year old. Alex sits with his Educator for a little while by the sandpit. He soon feels confident to join in with castle building and sand pouring that are set up for him. Max is supported to buld a sandcastle and then has fun knocking it over and giggling with some other children. The children then go inside for a play on the mat and a story before having morning tea.
After morning tea, Max has a sleep, as that’s his current routine. Some of the other children also nap in the morning, and those who don’t will do another planned activity while they rest. Today they are making playdough together. When Max wakes up, some of the other children have gone to bed, so he has a turn with the teachers and the playdough before having his favourite pasta and garlic bread fingers for lunch.
After lunch, the children come back together for a group story, and sit on the mat and read their favourite book, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar.' Then it is time to go outside again and enjoy the warm weather, taking their instruments out onto the grass for a music lesson before afternoon tea.
The children spend the later part of the afternoon in the classroom, exploring the blocks, the animals, the book shelf and the other environments at their own pace. Max has another little afternoon hour nap around 2:30pm and Max’s mum comes to get him around 4pm. Another lovely day in the nursery.
Harper is 2.5 years old, and really loves playing outside with the big trucks in the sand pit. When she arrives at 8:30am, her class is already outside in the playground and she goes straight over to find her best friend Jack. Jack and Harper spend almost an hour together racing around the playground, until they have a big appetite for the morning fruit platter with raisin toast.
The class goes inside for morning tea, and after a story and a game on the carpet, Harper goes to the table top activities and spends some time completing a difficult puzzle, she is really proud and shows her teacher, who takes a photo of it and posts it on Storypark for her Mum and Dad to see.
After her puzzle, Harper goes to the building corner, and works with some other children to build a tall tower. Their educator watches as they problem solve and fix the wobbly bits, they decide to leave it standing when they pack up for lunch, so they can show their mums and dads in the afternoon.
After lunch Harper clears away her own plate and cutlery into the washing up bowl and goes to make her bed for a rest.
After listening to some calming music and having a rest, it’s time to get up. The class works together to pack away their beds and head back outside for some physical activity and their afternoon tea, today it's fruit muffins and cheese and biscuits, and soon it's time to go home.
Sophie is 4 years old, and lately she has been very interested in cooking. Her teacher has made some plans to incorporate cooking into the daily program for her today. In the playground, there is a mud kitchen, equipped with pots and pans, water, some herbs picked from the garden, lots of muffin tins and spoons. Sophie spots it right away and takes her mum over to see it. She starts to whip up a batch of muffins and Mum gives her a kiss goodbye.
After morning tea, Sophie's teacher reads a book about baking, and has set up an activity inside for the children to make a shopping list. They are going to walk to the shopping centre to buy the ingredients to make muffins for afternoon tea.
Sophie’s teacher helps them write the words for flour, butter, sugar and eggs. Some of the children draw pictures instead, and some of the children write the numbers of each ingredient too.
As soon as they are done with their lists, they get their hats on and their shopping bags, and walk around the block to the shops. They gather their ingredients, and talk to the lady at the checkout and head back to Preschool. By the time they get back, it's time for eating lunch and a having a rest.
Sophie has a small, quiet rest, but doesn’t fall asleep today, she gets up and while waiting for her friends to wake up, they do some puzzles at the table and help their classmates pack up their sheets and beds ready for the afternoon.
The class makes their muffins and then sits on the carpet to have their French lesson while they wait for them to bake. They decide to have a picnic afternoon tea and take their muffins out onto the grass in the shade. Sophie and her friends practice making muffins in the sandpit again in the afternoon, reciting the ingredients and going shopping at the play shop for everything they need.
Dad collects Sophie at 5pm, and is greeted with a saved muffin made by Sophie for afternoon tea.
![](https://staging-kiin.careforkids.com.au/img/homepage-banner-top.webp)
Interested in this centre but want to keep looking?
Share and add to your favourites for laterLocation
83 Alfred Street (Corner Oceana Street)Narraweena, NSW, 2099
![nqs logo](/img/listing/nqs-logo-meeting.png)
Centre Reviews
![#](/img/search-logo.png)
My son’s been going there for about 8 months now and he couldn’t be any happier. He absolutely loves going there . The... My son’s been going there for about 8 months now and he couldn’t be any happier. He absolutely loves going there . The staff is super friendly and very attentive. Highly recommend. Natalie is very helpful and always happy to help . Read more
Our daughter has only recently started but is loving every minute of it the staff here are amazing with her always keeping us... Our daughter has only recently started but is loving every minute of it the staff here are amazing with her always keeping us up to date with what activities they've been doing throughout the day which has been awesome to receive. This is also our daughter's first time attending child care and they have made us all feel extremely comfortable and welcome thank you MAD team for all the effort you put in for our kids Read more
Nathan has been at the Centre for at least12 months. We have had a very positive experience. It's a small family... Nathan has been at the Centre for at least12 months. We have had a very positive experience. It's a small family run Centre. The staff are great with the kids and the daily updates are detailed. Highly recommend to anyone considering childcare in Narraweena Read more