About Explore & Develop
North Ryde
Explore & Develop North Ryde’s vision for our service is to provide the highest possible quality outcomes for children in our care through innovation within the early childhood industry, exceptional care and education, celebration within our community and leadership with heart.
We follow The Early Years Learning Framework in developing our program to ensure it offers a variety of child directed, child inspired and educator guided opportunities. We value play based learning as an ideal context for young children’s development and this is reflected in our practice. An interest based approach takes the whole child into account, focusing on their social, interpersonal, emotional, physical, cognitive and developmental needs. We believe that children have a right to be appreciated as they are at this present moment. Each child’s developmental journey is unique and occurs at its own pace. Our art as educators is to be able to be with the child during this developmental journey with love, care and guidance.
Our educational programs are derived from current research and our educators undergo continual training in evidence-based approaches to early childhood education. We have great partnerships with local universities and undertake several research projects each year. This ensures we remain at the forefront of our field for and to the benefit of our children, families and educators. Our curriculum moves beyond the classroom. By engaging an Outdoor Learning Coordinator and a minibus, this allows us to provide valuable experiences in the greater outdoors. All age groups travel on excursions to discover that we belong to a wider community, allowing us to build relationships with local initiatives and services. Key programs include Bush School and Swim School.
We believe that through developmental cognitive neuroscience, mindfulness training, social emotional learning and positive psychology, our staff and children will reduce stress, build resilience and self-regulation to optimise their capacity for the learning journey at Explore & Develop.
Owner/Operator
of Explore & Develop North Ryde
Libby Klingberg
Libby Klingberg is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Libby also owns and operates Explore & Develop North Ryde – Delhi Road. She is passionate about creating amazing outcomes for children, and continues to strive to create the most brilliant Early Childhood educators that love what they do every day. She aspires to increase her mindfulness platform so that learning moves beyond the classroom into the home by expanding education to the parent community.
As well as being extraordinary and committed professionals, they are incredibly caring and nurturing. The focus on constant staff development and on ensuring the team is equipped with the latest information and education enables the Centre to deliver the high quality service it does. The staff are very friendly, they genuinely care for the children and families they work with. Every staff member goes above and beyond what would normally be expected in a children’s services environment, and this, above all, is the point of difference for Explore & Develop North Ryde.
My husband and I choseExplore & Develop, North Ryde because we liked the play based philosophy behind it….the freedom to let the kids be independent. Not only has it great facilities, but the educators are nurturing and welcoming. The centre playground is amazing and provides plenty of room for kids to play, explore and be kids! It has been a pleasure to have had the educators of Explore & Developas part of our “extended” family over the last few years.
The staff were a constant support to the children who attended the weekly swimming program rain, hail or shine. Watching the interactions and relationships between the staff and children while they visited our swimming centre, it was obvious that the staff have a real passion for working with children. The forward thinking approach of the director and supervisors at Explore & Develop Macquarie Park and North Ryde is inspiring.
I was impressed by the level of care and education provided by the centre, their highly committed staff, the outstanding facilities and the programs offered.I consider my family incredibly lucky to have discovered Explore & Develop North Ryde and for the amazing start they provided my children with in their early years.
I would like to thank the Explore & Develop Early Childhood services at North Ryde and Macquarie Park for helping us with our research into children’s language development… Despite our research requiring children to solve challenging languae games, we were met only with smiles, quite a feat when working with pre-schoolers! This is a glowing testament to the nurturing inquisitive environment fostered by Explore & Develop.
Libby’s desire for continued innovation in her centres sees her and her team engaging the latest practices, and taking the time to find ways to care for their families better. Our step into Primary School was a sad one for not wanting to leave Explore & Develop. I truly wish that this team could continue to be a part of my children’s/ my family’s lives. We still drop in to see the staff, my kids love it and I know the team love to see them.
Learning Environments
Explore & Develop North Ryde
0 – 2 years
Our priority in the Gecko room is ensuring consistency between each baby’s home life and their time at the service. We also place strong emphasis on strong attachments and consistency of educators. As children progress between teaching rooms from birth to 3 years, we aim to ensure that the same group of educators will remain with the same group of children. Furthermore we follow a primary caregiver model; educators are assigned a specific set of children to nurture more closely throughout the day. By maintaining consistency, we acknowledge that attachment is a fundamental ingredient for healthy brain development. Strong attachments lead to a strong sense of identity and a sense of security which increases the willingness to explore and learn.
Our babies have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities including our Beyond the Classroom Curriculum, Munch Masterclasses and Imagination Library Literacy Program.
Our fees are inclusive of morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, late snack, nappies, cot sheets and sunscreen.
2 – 3 years
Our toddler room provides a tangible hands-on approach, with engaging routines utilising real-life resources that allows toddlers to discover how the world works and how and where they fit in. We understand that toddlerhood is a time rich in transitions and we strive to support families and children as these skills emerge and expand. Our toddlers have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities including our Beyond the Classroom Curriculum, Munch Masterclasses and Imagination Library Literacy Program.
Our fees are inclusive of morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, late snack, nappies and sunscreen.
3 – 5 years
Our preschool rooms are committed to laying strong educational foundations and preparing children for the transition to primary school life.
We provide children with
- School Readiness Program covering kindergarten Key Learning Areas
- Mindfulness Program (MindUP!) to nurture pro-social skills and social-emotional competence
- Beyond the Classroom curriculum involving excursion programs, Bush School and Swim School
- Imagination Library Literacy Program
Our fees are inclusive of morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, late snack, nappies and sunscreen.
Outdoor environment
The outdoor area consists of two playgrounds, both with an abundance of natural elements to foster the children’s appreciation of nature and the outdoors. The nursery playground (for 0 – 2 years) is a dedicated space for babies to safely explore outside as they become more confident in their gross-motor skills. Highlights of this area include a mini mud kitchen and sandpit.
The older age groups (over two years old) enjoy a larger space to support a variety of physical activity and risky play. Children are invited to undertake risks by navigating themselves through the tree stumps and rocky terrain. Other highlights of the preschool playground include our large rock pit and campfire space.
Gardening is also a large component of our outdoor program. We have a thriving herb and vegetable garden where we are growing seasonal produce. We also have a succulent garden and a worm farm. The children are very enthusiastic about maintaining our gardens and enjoy helping their educators water the plants, collect dry leaves and trim the hedges. They also routinely take care of resident and visiting animals; the children create bird feeders for the local birds and use their leftover food scraps to sustain our worm farm.
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Explore & Develop North Ryde
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Explore & Develop North Ryde