Welcome to Explore & Develop North Ryde Public School.
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Welcome to Explore & Develop North Ryde Public School.
Enquire here Waitlist nowExplore & Develop North Ryde Public School is located on the school grounds of North Ryde Public School. Our service first opened its doors to the community in 2011, educating and caring for children from birth to six years old.
At Explore & Develop North Ryde Public School, we aim to provide an environment where children can feel safe, secure and happy. We give priority to nurturing relationships and providing children with consistent emotional support, so that they become confident and develop the skills and understandings they need to interact positively with others. We are committed to equity and believe in all children’s capabilities to succeed. We offer children the freedom to explore and discover through play based learning whilst providing programs that aim to enrich their learning through planned experiences and programs.
At Explore & Develop North Ryde Public School, our service’s design, furniture and resources have been carefully researched and selected to ensure an environment that is warm, relaxed, safe and secure where children are free to imagine, explore, create and discover so as to be continually learning about themselves, others and the world around them. We provide experiences for our children which include science, music, reptiles, sea life experiences, sewing, language classes, water safety, police talks, fire brigade visits, and cultural inclusion workshops, as part of our service. We use an electronical program called Kinderloop to communicate curriculum, learning and care routines with families.
We aim to provide an environment where children can feel safe, secure and happy.
We believe that working in partnership with our families is essential in ensuring continuity and progression in children’s learning and development
We value open and honest communication with families through direct contact with our team of educators, through newsletters, parent communication board, emails, information evenings etc.
We have long-term educators who are committed to building warm, respectful, responsive relationships with the children. We invest in our educators through regular professional development to help them grow and learn the latest development in Early Childhood Education and Care.
We strive to include natural sustainable resources both indoors and outdoors and through our programs.
We believe in working in partnership with our local community through participating in local community events or through excursions to local community venues.
Stephanie Romano is the Nominated Supervisor of Explore & Develop North Ryde Public School and holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. She is passionate about creating a safe, welcoming and inspiring environment where children feel a strong sense of belonging.
Stephanie loves seeing children’s confidence grow as they explore, discover and make sense of the world around them. A strong advocate for children’s rights and educator wellbeing, she believes that happy, supported educators create the best learning experiences for children.
She is passionate about authentic pedagogy, ensuring that learning is meaningful, engaging and responsive to each child’s interests and abilities. Stephanie also works closely with BeYou, supporting mental health initiatives in early childhood, and collaborates actively within the North Ryde community to ensure children, families and educators thrive.
Stephanie has shared her expertise at numerous conferences, inspiring educators and leaders across the sector. She values strong partnerships with families and believes that open communication, trust and collaboration are key to a positive early learning journey. Stephanie looks forward to supporting each child’s unique growth and learning.
With over 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education and Care, Irene Vidaic is a passionate advocate for nurturing, inspiring, and empowering young learners. She holds a Diploma in Children’s Services and is a certified Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) Facilitator, giving her the expertise to provide guidance and support to both children and families. As a mother of two daughters who have followed in her footsteps, Irene’s commitment to shaping the future of childcare is both personal and enduring. Her daughters are also leaders in the sector, speaking at early childhood conferences and advocating for children, continuing the family legacy of care, innovation, and advocacy.
For Irene, children always come first. She and her team create learning environments where children are truly the focus.
Our Bilby educators support babies’ learning, wellbeing and development through a holistic approach that recognises the interconnection between children’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
Consistency is maintained between home experiences and children’s time at the service, and educators work in partnership with families to share information and collaboratively plan for each child’s individual needs. Educators are responsive to the varied experiences of babies and consider each child’s individual milestone development when supporting their learning and well-being.
The Service provides two quiet sleep rooms that support children’s rest and self-regulation. We practise safe SIDS and Tresillian responsive sleeping techniques to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing during rest periods. Each child uses the same cot until they are developmentally ready to transition to a bed, promoting a sense of continuity. Educators supervise sleep times and support children as required.
The indoor learning environment is spacious and well resourced, supporting exploration, curiosity, and play-based learning. Experiences such as music, movement, and schematic play are integrated throughout the day to support communication, physical development, creativity, and emerging patterns of thinking. The Bilby room also includes a dedicated outdoor learning environment with a sandpit and a vegetable garden, providing opportunities for sensory exploration, physical activity, connection with nature, and early experiences with growing food. These experiences support children’s milestone development, learning and overall wellbeing.
We support toddlers as their skills emerge and expand, working in partnership with families to ensure each child builds confidence, resilience and self-esteem.
In the Koala room, educators focus on fostering emerging self-help skills and encouraging independence wherever possible. Routines are thoughtfully implemented in areas such as feeding, handwashing and personal care. Toddlers’ natural curiosity and growing language abilities drive their interest in the world around them, providing a foundation for exploration, questioning and discovery. These observations guide an interest-based program that offers new experiences and learning opportunities tailored to each child. The program is guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), supporting children’s sense of identity, wellbeing and agency through play-based, meaningful and engaging experiences. We also offer the Out the Gate program, which extends learning beyond the service and into the local community, supporting real-world exploration and connection.
Play-based learning is central to the Koala program, allowing children to develop socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively and creatively. Educators take a holistic approach, considering each child’s individual milestone development and overall wellbeing. The junior preschool children have access to a spacious, natural outdoor learning environment, including a sandpit, vegetable garden, bush kitchen and outdoor art space. Children are encouraged to engage in risky and challenging play opportunities, promoting problem-solving, resilience, confidence and physical skill development. These experiences provide hands-on learning, connection with nature, and meaningful exploration of the world around them.
Welcome to the Possums and Wombats – our dynamic preschool program!
Our Possums and Wombats groups provide our preschool children with a fun, play-based and innovative educational experience, where learning is driven by their interests, curiosity and creativity. Guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), our program nurtures children’s confidence, sense of agency and love of learning. Educators intentionally design experiences that extend existing skills while providing opportunities to develop new ones across social, emotional, cognitive and physical domains.
Learning in the Possums and Wombats groups occurs in both small and large group settings, allowing children to think critically, discuss ideas, ask questions and collaborate on experiments. Our children’s voices are valued, and educators actively advocate for their ideas, interests, and learning, ensuring they have a strong role in shaping their educational experiences. Literacy, numeracy and higher-order thinking skills such as problem-solving, reasoning and recall are seamlessly woven into engaging, hands-on experiences, ensuring learning is meaningful, authentic and fun.
Our preschool children also enjoy weekly Bush School sessions at the Field of Mars, where they immerse themselves in nature to explore, investigate and connect with the environment. In addition, our Out the Gate program takes children to exciting locations across our city, including the Museum, Library, and Museum of Contemporary Art, giving them real-world learning experiences and inspiring curiosity beyond the classroom.
Real-Life Thinking & Hands-On Discovery
A unique highlight of our curriculum is our Real-Life Thinking program. We believe in the power of “doing,” where children engage in hands-on building and construction projects. By using real tools and materials, children learn to:
· Plan and design complex structures
· Problem-solve spatial and structural challenges
· Collaborate on engineering feats
· Apply literacy and numeracy in a functional, physical context
· Explore sustainability and develop respect for materials
· Spark imagination through creative, hands-on building
As we prepare children for a smooth transition to school, our program focuses on developing independence, resilience, confidence and essential school-readiness skills. Being located on the school grounds allows children to become familiar with the environment, supporting a seamless and positive transition from preschool to formal schooling.
The Possums and Wombats program is more than just preschool – it’s a world of discovery, creativity, and adventure, where our children are listened to, their ideas are celebrated, and every day sparks curiosity, builds confidence and lays the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
Buddy Program & School Readiness
Located on school grounds, our program helps children transition smoothly to formal schooling the following year. Through our Buddy Program, children build confidence and connections with older students, fostering independence, resilience and readiness for the next stage of learning.
Direct flow between our indoor and outdoor learning environments with two separate playgrounds, one for 0 – 2 year olds, and one for 2 – 5 year olds.
154 Cox’s Road
North Ryde, NSW
2113
Monday – Friday
7.30am – 6.00pm
