At Explore & Develop Artarmon – Dickson Ave, our vision is to create a high-quality early childhood environment that continually grows and evolves, positively impacting the lives of children, families, educators, and the wider community. Our philosophy supports this vision by drawing on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Australian National Law and Regulations, and our commitment to professional ethics and our Reconciliation Action Plan. Through these guiding principles, we strive to foster an environment that values diversity and promotes inclusion and social equity.
Grounded in the strong relationships built within our service, our goal is to offer a play-based curriculum that inspires children to think critically, investigate, explore, and solve problems through a variety of learning experiences and mediums. Our approach is guided by the National Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), along with a range of Early Childhood teaching theories and curriculum perspectives.
At Explore & Develop Artarmon – Dickson Ave, we are strongly committed to supporting school readiness and the transition to school by fostering lifelong skills from the earliest stages of a child’s learning journey. This process begins in our babies room and continues throughout each stage of development, with a focus on nurturing key dispositions such as perseverance, conflict resolution, empathy, curiosity, creativity, and self-expression. Our aim is to equip children with a diverse range of learning strategies and approaches, ensuring they transition to school feeling confident, capable, and ready to embrace new challenges.
Explore & Develop Artarmon – Dickson Ave is owned and operated Alison Cross, an Early Childhood Teacher who has run an Exceeding centre in the Artarmon community for over 18 years. Alison is a mum of three children who is is passionate about working closely to inspire and lead educators in providing a high-quality curriculum, and a secure and stimulating environment for children and families.
Our primary focus is on building consistent, trusting relationships among children, families, and educators. These strong connections help create a sense of belonging and community, forming a solid foundation for each child’s learning and development. As educators progress with their class through the service each year, we’re able to maintain and strengthen these meaningful relationships over time.
Our team surpasses national standards for qualifications and educator-to-child ratios, reflecting our strong commitment to professional growth and the long-term retention of high-quality educators. We take pride in the diversity of our team, which brings together a wide range of cultural backgrounds, languages, and experiences that enrich our learning environment.
Our service philosophy embraces a broad and inclusive play-based curriculum that nurtures children’s dispositions for learning while encouraging them to explore their ideas, perceptions, and understanding of the world around them.
Our natural outdoor environment is thoughtfully designed and abundantly resourced with open-ended and natural materials, offering children rich opportunities to explore, discover, and engage with the elements. We extend this learning beyond our space through regular community walks and meaningful interactions with the local community, fostering a deeper connection with nature and the world around them.
All meals are freshly prepared on-site by our qualified chef, who creates nutritious, home-style meals that support the health and wellbeing of every child.
She is passionate about creating meaningful connections and building strong, trusting relationships with children, families, and educators.
Alison is committed to excellence in early education and takes pride in fostering a warm, inclusive, and high-quality learning environment.
Alison values her teaching team and ensures they are well supported and empowered in their roles. She invests significant time in selecting educators who are like-minded, dedicated to delivering high-quality care, and aligned with the centre’s teaching philosophies. Alison’s strong commitment to professional development is reflected in her regular attendance at early childhood conferences and seminars, helping to keep the team informed and inspired.
0 – 2 years
We have two small babies’ rooms where we care for up to 12 children aged between 6 weeks and 18 months. In these rooms, we adopt a primary caregiving approach that prioritises following each child’s individual routine, respecting their rights, and fostering safe and secure attachments. Our flexible environment allows children to move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces, encouraging them to engage in a variety of play-based experiences.
We have two toddlers’ rooms, each providing care for up to 15 children aged between 18 months and 2.5 years. Our early childhood educators develop a curriculum that emphasises hands-on learning, supporting children’s sensory exploration and fostering their growing independence. Additionally, we place a strong focus on building early social skills through language development, positive communication, negotiation, empathy, and self-expression.
In our Junior Preschool Room, we build on the foundations that nurture a lifelong love of learning for every child. This room caters to 20 children aged 2.5 to 4 years. The curriculum here adopts a deeper project-based approach, encouraging children to question, investigate, and solve problems. Alongside this, we support the development of self-help skills and foster growing independence.
Our Senior Preschool Room accommodates 20 children daily, aged between 3.5 and 6 years. The curriculum emphasises deepening project-based learning with a strong focus on equity, inclusion, fairness, and social justice. We also nurture key social and emotional skills such as curiosity, resourcefulness, independent thinking, problem solving, initiative, and perseverance. Set within a literacy- and numeracy-rich environment, children are encouraged to take responsibility and actively participate in the life of the room.
Our outdoor environment is a versatile, flexible, and adaptable green space featuring movable play resources that inspire creativity and exploration.
Children encounter countless learning opportunities, from cozy small spaces to an adventure playground designed to challenge their physical skills and curiosity. They connect deeply with nature through activities like gardening, worm farming, exploring bush tucker plants, and observing native bees.
The space also includes water pumps, rock beds, and large sand pits, encouraging hands-on discovery and sensory play.
We use sustainably collected loose parts that promote imaginative play with reclaimed, repurposed, and natural materials.
Physical activity is a key focus, supported by our Fun Moves sessions, bikes and scooters, ball games, and a climbing wall — all designed to keep children active and engaged.
60 Dickson Avenue
Artarmon
2064
Monday – Friday
7.30am – 6.00pm
