FROEBEL St Leonards

FROEBEL St Leonards is a not-for-profit early learning centre and preschool, located in the heart of the Crows Nest / Wollstonecraft / St Leonards triangle. Our centre caters for 99 children aged 6 months to 5 years of age and stretches over 3 levels with a huge rooftop playground for all our children to enjoy. On Level 1, our children can participate in cooking and baking experiences with our in-house chef in our semi-open kitchen. Our centre has its own car park in the building which makes drop off and pick up easy and convenient for our families. We have our own in-house chef preparing all meals freshly and daily on site in our kitchen theatre which invites children to participate in cooking and baking activities.

Our philosophy is rooted in progressive ideas developed by Friedrich Froebel, the renowned educator who shaped the kindergarten concept almost 200 years ago. His holistic approach to early learning inspires us even today: child-centred, play-based, in unity with nature.

Our educational program focusses on inquiry-based learning with our Little Scientists program igniting children�s natural curiosity and encouraging them to explore the world surrounding them, thereby fostering their independence and self-esteem. Part of our STEM learning program is implemented during excursions for all our age-groups to the local surrounds and beyond � we are so lucky to have beautiful parks nearby.

A number of our educators are German speakers and implement our immersive language learning program with German as a second community language. They speak with the children in German throughout the day, alongside their English-speaking colleagues, allowing children to pick up the new language very naturally. Supported is our immersive language learning program by German books, songs, games, routines and we also celebrate German traditions such as our annual lantern walk, alongside Australian events and traditions from our diverse team of educators.

We also focus on sustainability at our service, implemented through practices such as providing wet bags and eco-friendly nappies. Education for Sustainable Development is a part of our teaching, with projects such as our Recycling Tree or participating in Clean-up Day.