Explore & Develop - Parramatta

Explore & Develop offer daily programs within their calm, relaxed and unrushed environment, including:

Art program: the centre’s artist in residence program features famous artists for the children to research and understand. Children enjoy painting, sculpting, and collage experiences.

Music program: children explore cultural music as part of their project work, movement and dance, and discuss how it makes them feel.

Sports program: the centre works in partnership with families and Fun Fit Kids to  promote a fundamental movement skills program with the children aged 2 years and above. They also work in collaboration with the NSW government’s Munch and Move initiative. 

Yoga and mindfulness: this is an embedded practice to support a child’s wellbeing, and can boost emotional and physical wellbeing as it helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression in children.

Cooking classes: the educators seek to motivate and nurture children’s relationship with fresh healthy produce through a range of intentional cooking experiences, including their garden to class room program where they grow and cook their own produce.

School readiness: to help support and transition children at this significant milestone, the centre offers a play-based curriculum that sets them up for lifelong learning.

At Explore & Develop, the educators understand that it takes time for children to grow, and they believe that children should have the opportunity to develop at their own rate, in an unrushed environment.

The play-based curriculum and the supporting environments work together to create curious children that learn as they explore, discover, make, create and imagine. 

The children are cared for in the following rooms:

6 weeks – 2 years

The educators aim to develop a strong partnership with families and to follow each child’s individual routine. The safe homely environment is nurturing, caring and warm, which helps children feel a sense of security and confidence.

2 years – 3 years

The educators offer an environment that is stimulating, inviting and challenging for the toddlers. They understand that the emotional well-being of the children in this group requires consistency and flexibility to support development in all aspects of learning. The children are provided with endless opportunities to support their growing independence.

3 years – 6 years

The centre’s preschool program provides children with tools to support learning once they begin formal education. Catering for a variety of individual needs, the educators seek to build the foundations for literacy and numeracy skills, motor coordination, physical development, social and emotional development, exploration and discovery. The tailored ‘Transition to School’ program is supported by all of the centre’s educators, and sets children up for a lifetime love of learning.

At Explore & Develop, the professional, dedicated educators aim to give every child a great start in life. The centre sees their educators as a vital asset to the business, and ensures they have many opportunities for professional development to constantly develop their skills.

Relationships with families are key for the educators at Explore & Develop, as they recognise that families are a child’s first and most influential teacher. The centre is also a charity partner with Tresillian, a not-for-profit organisation that assists close to 60,000 Australian families to gain confidence as parents and to teach them routines in breastfeeding, sleep, settling and nutrition.

A key difference at Explore & Develop services is that each one is individually owned and operated by franchise owners. For families, that means they can feel secure in the knowledge that the person managing the service is the owner.

I have over 17 years’ experience within the Early Childhood Education and Care sector, and am a mother of two daughters. I am highly experienced and passionate, and my goal is to provide an environment where the needs of the children are the priority. My aim is to provide a place where children and families feel they belong, and feel secure and comfortable in the learning environment.

I own two Explore & Develop services. I have been providing education and care to the local community since 2006 with long-term educators who are committed to building warm, respectful, responsive relationships with the children, building upon the diverse cultural backgrounds of each child, whilst promoting the individual child’s sense of identity. As the Approved Provider and Nominated Supervisor, I am in the service daily. Outside of work, I love to bake and spend time with my family.

Irene Vidaic, Owner/Operator, Explore & Develop Parramatta