Our generous outdoor yard has mature gum trees, a cubby, a worm farm and a vegetable garden the children look after with their morning tea scraps. Reggio-inspired. Open 7am to 6pm. CCS approved.
The Wahroonga families who find us are usually the ones already pulling their kids out of doors in the weekends. Walks in Sheldon Forest. Bike rides in Ku-ring-gai Chase. Fed up, frankly, with kindergartens that promise nature and deliver an artificial-grass deck.
Our yard is the real thing. Mature gum trees. A vegetable garden the children plant and harvest from. A worm farm fed every morning with their morning tea scraps. The children know which weeks the wattle will be in flower, and they know on Wattle Day that the wattle has been important to First Nations people for far longer than the rest of us have been here.
If you live near Knox Grammar, Abbotsleigh, the Coonanbarra Road precinct or in the streets around Wahroonga Park, the drive to us takes you west along the ridge before dropping down into our quiet pocket of St Ives. Sustainability for us is not a noticeboard. It is the small daily ritual of looking after a piece of land.
Wahroonga is about 13 minutes from us, depending on the run via Burns Road or the back streets through Warrawee. It's further than most centres a Wahroonga family might consider, and we're honest about that. The Wahroonga families who come to us usually have a specific reason: a sibling already here, a recommendation from a friend whose child went through us, or a particular fit between our approach and the school they're already aiming their child toward.
Many Wahroonga families have older children at Knox Grammar, Abbotsleigh, St Lucy's, or Wahroonga Public School. Some are already in established routines that include a longer drop-off run, and what they look for in a preschool is consistency: the same educators year on year, the same director who knows the family, the same daily rhythm. That's the kind of stability we try to offer.
We're a strong fit for Wahroonga families who value a leafy outdoor space, a small centre, and a long-tenured team, and are happy to travel 13 minutes for it. Wahroonga has perfectly good preschools closer to home, and for many families the right answer is one of those. The best way to know is to come and see for yourself.
Children feed it with morning tea scraps. They know what worms like and what they don't. They check on it. It is a tiny daily ritual, and it sticks.
Planting, watering, harvesting, tasting. Some weeks it is herbs in the kitchen. Some weeks it is something the children grew themselves on the lunch table.
Wattle Day, NAIDOC, Reconciliation Week. We acknowledge country every day. We try to teach respect for the land in a way a four-year-old can hold.
The team at Chase provide an ideal structure and rhythm for the kids, that we feel sets them up well for primary school. The events they hold for kids and parents and the regular communications mean you are not just joining a kindergarten, you are joining a community.
Eight years ago, we sent our daughter here and she had a safe, joyful experience. We still chose to send our second child here years later. Director Tina is highly responsible, always responsive to parents' needs.
Since our family recently moved to Australia, we had many worries about sending our kids to kindergarten, both language-wise and culturally. Both of our children have happily adapted and are truly enjoying their time here. Because it's not a large centre, each child receives more personal attention.
Choose between preschool hours or extended long day care, from 2 to 5 days per week. Child Care Subsidy approved, so most families pay significantly less out of pocket.
Families from Wahroonga are very welcome. Book a tour with our team, a walk around the space, time to ask questions, no pressure. Usually 30 minutes, and you're welcome to bring your child.