ABOUT EXPLORE & DEVELOP

Castlereagh Street


Our curriculum caters for all age groups from babies to pre-school and includes a School Readiness / Transition Program and is guided by Australia’s National Curriculum, the Early Years Learning Framework.

We offer many opportunities for children to engage in additional programs such as Spanish and Mandarin lessons, Sporting programs and Excursion Program to many of the city’s amazing places of interest including Hyde Park, The Botanic Gardens, The State Library, Martin Place and The Opera House.

We invite you to come on a tour and see for yourself why our families say that Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street is the best Sydney CBD childcare centre.

Individually owned and operated

The Owner and Director, Paul Ludlow, provides a personalised approach that corporate-owned services are unable to offer. Parents can feel assured that the Owner-Operator of the service will be available on-site daily, ensuring high-quality education and care.

Experienced team of educators

All of our inspiring educators hold qualifications and Working With Children Checks. Their passion for nurturing and educating children is evident in everything that they do. Please read our testimonials to hear what our families think of the standard of education and care that we offer.

Purpose-designed learning environments

Both the indoor and outdoor environments have been designed by Early Childhood Educators in collaboration with industry leading Architects and Landscape Architects to create an environment that is home like, nurturing and stimulating.

Extended opening hours and parking

We know that parents are busy, so we provide the convenience of longer opening hours of any service in the city. We are open from 7.30am to 6.00pm, so that parents have the flexibility they need to achieve a balance between work and home.

We also offer free onsite undercover parking for our families.

Nutritious meals from breakfast to dinner

We also support families by offering not only breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack but a dinner option depending on what works for your family.

Parent partnerships and communication

We believe that building respectful and collaborative partnerships with each family is important. For this reason we share information about children’s interests, their learning and development. We achieve this through face-to-face communication, as well as through digital applications, so that families receive regular updates and photos during the day of their child’s time at Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street.

OWNER / OPERATOR

of Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street


Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street child care and preschool owner
Paul Ludlow

Paul Ludlow was inspired to create an environment for children and families based on what he would have personally wanted for his own children growing up. This philosophy ensures that every interaction and decision regarding the operation of the service considers not only the practical, but also what is in the best interests of all children and families. Paul’s extensive management and hospitality experience is evident in his approach with educators and families at Castlereagh Street. Paul is active in his local community, and volunteers his time at a local primary school where he was President of the Out of School Hours (OOSH) care program.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street


Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street child care and preschool
Birth – 2 years

Our aim is to provide a clean, nurturing and stimulating environment for our infants where our focus is on relationships, to ensure each child feels safe, secure and supported. We have two beautifully designed rooms, so that the younger babies and the older babies have their own spaces to explore. Age-appropriate resources, materials and equipment are provided to encourage children to explore and investigate using all their senses.

A private breastfeeding area is also provided and our fully inclusive fee for this age group is $186 per day.

Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street child care and preschool
2 – 3 years

Our two Toddler rooms deliver the toddlers their own spaces to explore, discover, create and imagine through play-based learning. The environment and program is vibrant and flexible and responsive to the interests and abilities of each child and includes puzzles, literacy and numeracy activities, construction activities, creative arts, music and pretend play set-ups.

Our fully inclusive fee for this age group is $186 per day.

Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street child care and preschool
3 – 5 years

Our Preschool room continues to provide a play-based developmentally appropriate program where children are learning important knowledge, skills and attitudes that will not only prepare them for school but for lifelong learning. Our ‘Transition to School’ program delivered by early childhood teachers focuses not only on the social, emotional and academic skills for children but also ensures children have the confidence and independence necessary to make a smooth transition to school.

Our fully inclusive fee for this age group is $176 per day.

Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street child care and preschool
Outdoor environment

We have created a number of varied play spaces that are natural and diverse, and include a variety of plants and shrubs. Each space not only provides opportunities for children to release energy and engage in physical activity, but also to explore, problem- solve and engage in creative expression. Some features for our infants and toddlers space include a glass-covered atrium where children can experience our sandpit, nature trail, teepee, timber boardwalk and soft ,open space for tumble and ball play.

Our toddlers and preschool children have their own, separate play space that caters for their increasing skill level. Some experiences in this area include a dedicated art space with views to the city for inspiration and to encourage creativity. Other spaces include a large sandpit, nature trail with stone steppers, timber boardwalks, music area and climbing experiences. There is also an open, soft space for running and ball games.

TESTIMONIALS

Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street


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I cannot recommend Explore and Develop highly enough! We've had the pleasure of entrusting our children to their care since they were 6 months and 4 months old, and after three wonderful years, it's clear that this center goes above and beyond.

From day one, the staff has been incredibly caring and attentive, always making sure that our kids feel safe, loved, and engaged. The nurturing environment they've created has allowed our children to flourish, both socially and developmentally.

Paul, the director, has truly been the heart and soul of the center. He’s always been responsive and accommodating to our every request, no matter how small. You can see his passion for the center, the staff, and most importantly, the children. His dedication and genuine care have made all the difference in our experience.

If you’re looking for a childcare center where your children will receive exceptional care and attention, Explore and Develop is the place to be. As a paediatrician myself, I can only highly recommend!
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Our son has thrived at Explore and Develop. Paul and the team are wonderful. The facilities are excellent and we can’t recommend them enough.
google
An excellent daycare from the moment we enrolled. The facilities are first rate.
The staff are caring and also of the highest quality. The owner Paul is engaging and reactive to any queries.
I highly recommend Explore and Develop Daycare to all.
google
Five stars all the way! Our experience with this daycare has been nothing short of amazing. From the moment we walked in, we felt like part of a big family. Special thanks to Patt, Lin, and Shaun for their incredible care and dedication to our little one over the past 1.5 years. They created a nurturing environment where our daughter thrived, and we couldn't be more grateful. Sad to say goodbye due to relocation, but we'll cherish the memories forever. Highly recommend this daycare to any parent looking for a safe, loving, and enriching environment for their child.
google
Our little one spent 4 wonderful years at E&D Castlereagh St centre. After having visited many centres in the CBD prior to E&D, we knew instantly from the first tour we had with Paul, that it was the right place for our son. The team is made up of many dedicated and passionate educators, with many of whom our little one has built strong bonds throughout his time there. Thank you Paul, Linda, Shawn, Patt, Peter and Deana.
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Sienna attended E&D since she was 6 months old. I was initially nervous about leaving her at daycare, but my nerves quickly vanished as the staff are so wonderful and took such good care of my baby girl. E&D was like a home away from home for Sienna, so much so that she did not look back when I dropped her off in the mornings. You will all be sorely missed. Thank you Paul, Daisy, Linda, Betty and the rest of the team.

CONTACT US

Explore & Develop Castlereagh Street


Address

15 Castlereagh St
Sydney NSW 2000

Business Hours

Monday – Friday
7.30am – 6.00pm