Abbotsleigh Website - Early Learning Centre

This year, an exciting building project is being undertaken on the Junior School campus – a new Infants precinct and an Early Learning Centre for our youngest learners from birth to five years old. It is anticipated that the Early Learning Centre will open next year in 2010.

The new Early Learning Centre will be a seventy place, coeducational centre providing a long day, educational program in a caring, Christian environment. The centre will run for fifty weeks per year. As well, there will be a Transition class for 4 – 5 year old girls. This class will run during term time only and will be structured on a slightly shorter day than that for Infants students.

At Abbotsleigh we have a number of core principles that form our foundation blocks. Beliefs and traditions include our:

Christian ethos
Pursuit of personal as well as academic excellence
Respect for oneself and others
Will to serve
Parental support and involvement
Broad, well balanced education.

Our new Early Learning Centre will encompass all of these core principles and specifically acknowledges our belief that early childhood is a unique stage in life. Early learning has importance in itself; it is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives.

In designing the Early Learning Centre, we have spoken to the architects about planning a building where children will feel safe, secure, challenged and stimulated. Our rooms have ample storage, allowing the floor plans to be used flexibly for the creation of learning spaces. Each room opens onto a paved, covered, outdoor area that is a transition to the playground.

Our playground will be a magical kingdom for children. There are secret gardens for our youngest children up to 2 years of age, a huge sand pit in which to dig, spaces for gardening, hills to climb, bike tracks to ride and play equipment to conquer. Our older students will also have an outer circle of the playground with peep holes through which they can view the play of Infants and Primary students.

In planning the learning programs for the Early Learning Centre and Transition class, research of best practice led to the Reggio Emilia approach that is widely recognised around the world as the best early childhood has to offer. Our programs will be inspired by the Reggio approach and New Zealand’s Te Whariki curriculum that also emphasises the individual child and the importance of using experiences at home, at school and in the wider community setting to enrich children’s lives. Questioning, guided enquiry, collaboration, critical thinking skills, problem solving, communication and effective use of technology will be fundamental elements of the educational programs.

For more information about the Early Learning Centre,
email elc@abbotsleigh.nsw.edu.au

To enrol your daughter in the Transition class, please click here for further information or contact the Registrar on 02 9473 7777.

ELC Forms


	ELC Expression of Interest.pdf (385 Kb)