Community Kids Ingleburn Early Education Centre

Our centre chef prepares and cooks nutritious meals daily, catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child. We believe that by encouraging active participation (such as growing their own fruit and vegetables, preparing, and finally cooking!) children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating across a wide variety of food.

Our centre offers seasonal whole food-based menus – created to delight the fussiest eaters.

Hi my name is Courtney, and I am the Centre Manager here at Community Kids Ingleburn. I started in early learning in 2006 and began working at Community Kids Ingleburn in 2016 

I have a Diploma in early education & Diploma in Leadership and Management and have worked in all roles in the early education setting - from an Assistant educator to Centre Manager.  

I have experience working with all ages and have an exceptional understanding of all developmental needs for children to achieve their goals.  

When I was in school, I volunteered in a community-based preschool. I enjoyed setting up experiences for the children and watching them learn through playing at the activities. I enjoy watching children use their imaginations to create masterpieces and find it so rewarding that I have been a part of that learning journey.  

I want children to have the best start in life. Giving children the opportunity to explore their natural environment and allowing them to be creative is important.  

I strongly believe in the findings of Reggio Emilia that “the environment is the third teacher”. Children learn not only from themselves and educators but also the environment which surrounds them. I believe the best outcomes for children are achieved by role modeling the appropriate behaviour and encouraging children by guiding them through learning experiences.  

It is crucial to give every child tender, loving care and to make each day a learning experience. The children are learning from making their own choices and as adults learn from the children. What we see compared to what a child can see, are two completely different ideas. This I feel is how we learn. 

It is important for children to become independent from an early age. This sets them up for life. Allowing them the opportunity to become confident in all aspects of their learning journey. They have the opportunity to meet new friends and engage in learning experiences that will allow them to become socially aware of those around them.  

When children start school, we want them to be confident in being able to separate from their family with ease and to be making friends with others. Transitioning from care to school can be difficult for children if we don’t set them up for success.  

It is important for us as educators to be aware and to respect the potential of children; to provide a caring, trusting and non-competitive environment in which children can flourish as individuals and friends. Families and caregivers should maintain open, honest and consistent communication to best meet the children’s needs and to help children feel comfortable and secure. Our practices within the service ensure the environment is hygienic and cared for at all times. We encourage families to provide feedback on what they would like to see improved within the service. Regular checks are carried out daily to ensure the environment is maintained.  

At our service, we have a large diverse and multicultural team who has 136 years' experience teaching and planning for children. The languages spoken within our service assist families to feel comfortable and understand the learning journey for each of their children.  

Our service has a family feel and our educators go above and beyond to ensure the children are cared for throughout their time in our service.  

Our team members are mothers themselves and understand the importance of providing exceptional safe and nurturing environment.  

Through our enrolment process, you will have the opportunity to come into the centre and tour around all of our rooms. We encourage families to bring their child with them so they can also see the room.  

We provide families with all the information regarding the program, qualifications in each room and discuss the daily routine. We ensure families are provided our centre booklet which has a bio on all of our educators, extracurricular activities and information about our menu and yearly events.  

Families are given the opportunity to ask any questions they may have during the tour and we recommend coming in for a play day prior to enrolment.  

We walk families through all the forms and administration that need to be done, this includes enrolment forms, Child Care Subsidy (CCS), explaining subsidies, government caps, centre schedules, our centre menu and more. 

Families are recommended to have minimum 2 orientations prior to starting to assist their child in the transition process.  

We provide a coffee station for families and regularly hold breakfast BBQ’s and we celebrate all cultural events throughout the year that we invite our families and community too.  

Our service contributes to charity and holds different events for our chosen charities throughout the year.  

All of our team is friendly and approachable. Families never go without being greeted! We ensure families know we are a safe environment for any concerns they may have within the service or personal. We can refer them onto services that can assist them.  

Regular communication is sent out about what is happening in the service via email and we also have a parent information board located at the front. All rooms regularly send out communication and photos of their children through Xplor. All of the children programmed learning is available to view.  

While I love children I also love animals. I have an English Angora Rabbit named Cannon. He is Grey and really, really fluffy. He actually thinks he is a dog and not a Rabbit!