Great Beginnings Gymea

Exceeding
NSW preschool
4.8 /5
46 reviews

Childcare and preschool in Gymea, NSW

Welcome to Great Beginnings Gymea. Our daycare and early learning centre is a convenient choice for local families in Gymea, Miranda, Kirrawee, Sylvania, Caringbah and Kareela. Great Beginnings Gymea offers long day care and a preschool program for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years, with extended hours to suit busy families. We are proudly rated Exceeding the National Quality Standards.

Our purpose-built child care and preschool centre in Gymea provides innovative early learning programs in a safe, nurturing and enriching environment. Our outdoor environments feature a herb and vegetable garden, worm farm, sensory garden, sandpit, mud kitchen and stage. Indoors, we offer natural and wooden resources, an interactive whiteboard, and felt board walls. Our dedicated team fosters a family atmosphere, knowing all children and families well. We support individual and group learning, focusing on self-help, confidence, social-emotional skills, literacy, numeracy, science, visual arts and sensory activities. We also offer a twice-weekly sports program, a weekly Dharawal Language and Culture program, and regular excursions to local parks, libraries, and schools. We offer a NSW Government-approved Preschool program delivered by qualified Early Childhood Teachers, preparing children for a smooth transition to school.

Why you’ll love Great Beginnings Gymea

Spacious outdoor environments

Dedicated educators and teachers

Chef-prepared meals

Nappies and wipes provided

Government-approved Preschool program

Family communication app

Extended/flexible hours

Incursions/excursions

Local school connections

Sports program

Vegetable garden

Worm farm

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Meet our Centre Manager

Cady

  • Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
“Children are empathetic and influenced by adults’ emotions, guiding my teaching style to support their emotional needs through cuddles, sitting with them, singing songs, and being available.”

I began my career in early learning in 2012 as a school-based trainee. I have been working at Great Beginnings Gymea since 2017, and I have loved every moment.

I cherish being part of children’s lives, helping them feel safe and watching them grow and learn. Children are empathetic and influenced by adults’ emotions, guiding my teaching style to support their emotional needs through cuddles, sitting with them, singing songs, and being available. I particularly love focusing on sensory play, believing it to be a wonderful way for children to explore, learn, and develop.

I believe children are capable learners. If we support them by allowing them to build self-help skills, learn through play and risky play, explore nature, and develop self-regulation, they will grow to be amazing friends, leaders, and people.

Our small, close-knit team at Great Beginnings has been together for a long time. All educators form strong bonds with the children, regardless of their room. We observe the children monthly and conduct a six-month developmental summary, setting goals to ensure continuous progress.

I value communication and trust. I maintain contact with families through posts, emails, and phone calls to reassure them and build strong relationships.

Our team at Great Beginnings Gymea early learning centre looks forward to meeting your family and embarking on your early education journey together.

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Our innovative early learning programs

At our early learning centre in Gymea, our experienced educators and teachers continually seek innovative ways to enrich your child’s education. Guided by the Early Years Learning Framework, we offer a variety of engaging and diverse learning experiences, including:

Sustainability

We have a herb and vegetable garden, fertilised by our worm farm and banana peel tea from food scraps. We recycle materials for various activities and care for silkworms to learn about their lifecycle. Our bird, Blue, is cared for by the children, who help with his water, food, and cage cleaning weekly.

Community engagement

We host regular visits from local guests in Gymea to help familiarise the children with their local community. We also often walk to the local park to play sports games, participate in Clean Up Australia Day, have picnics, and explore the area. Our preschool children also visit our local school as part of our school-readiness program.

Music and movement

Our evidence-based Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation (RAMSR) program is designed to develop fundamental skills that help support children’s self-regulation, memory, and concentration. It is an innovative approach to holistic learning, development and well-being in early childhood.

STEM

We encourage your child to ask questions, experiment, and problem-solve, all while engaging their natural curiosity. By fostering this inquisitive mindset, we help them develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

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Age-appropriate early learning

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(0-2 years)

Nursery

Our nursery room is purposely designed to make every baby feel safe exploring and discovering new things. Our spaces are filled with sensory experiences and activities to encourage intentional and responsive play-based learning. We focus on building secure relationships between children and educators, closely following home routines, and supporting each child in meeting their developmental milestones.

  Next: Toddlers
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(2-3 years)

Toddlers

Our toddler room is set up with intentional play-based learning in mind. Within the curriculum framework, play enables your toddler to develop fundamental skills for life-long learning. It also creates the perfect environment to socialise and form friendships. Our activities enhance language skills and promote collaborative group play, laying a strong foundation for their future learning experiences.

Previous: Nursery Next: Preschool
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Preschool

In our preschool room, our curriculum is tailored to accommodate your child’s individual learning and development needs, which helps boost their enthusiasm, motivation, and willingness to learn. Through structured learning experiences, our Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teachers and educators are committed to helping your child gain the necessary skills for a successful transition into school and beyond.

Previous: Toddlers  
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NSW Government-approved Preschool program

At our early learning centre, your child will benefit from the NSW “Start Strong” program as part of our enhanced learning program. We tailor our preschool program across numeracy, literacy, emotional and social development, and self-regulation. Led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher, our preschool program will support your child’s learning, development, and well-being for now, at school and beyond.

The added benefits of our preschool program include:

  • Extended long day care opening hours
  • Open all year round (excl. public holidays)
  • Programs developed and delivered by our Early Childhood Teachers
  • Exclusive music and movement program for self-regulation
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We’re all about healthy, nutritious eating

Thanks to the in-house chef at our Gymea child care centre, your child can expect healthy, nutritious, and yummy meals. We offer a rotating seasonal menu, providing breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and a late snack freshly made daily. Our menus are approved by Munch and Move. We cater to all dietary requirements, including halal.

What a typical day looks like for your child

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Arrival at the centre

Your child will be welcomed by our team of educators, who will ensure the morning transition from home to centre goes as smoothly as possible. On arrival, share information about your child’s specific needs for the day.

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Mealtimes

Our centre chefs prepare a nutritious menu for your child to sit down and eat. This is a great time for everyone to share stories from the day. Educators model healthy eating practices, social behaviours and support children’s growing independence with mealtime routines.

Previous: Arrival at the centre Next: Infant care
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Infant care

If you have an infant, we spend one-on-one time with them to establish a connection. Educators talk gently and respond to babies’ cues. We use songs, games, and conversations to strengthen relationships and build language skills.

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Play-based learning

Your child is naturally curious. They want to learn and explore, which is why we teach through play-based learning. It supports language, motor skills, memory, emotions and social relationships. Educators plan play-based learning experiences based on children’s interests and goals.

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Sleep, rest and relaxation

We match routines to your child’s individual needs. Opportunities for rest and relaxation help make them feel safe. Play-based learning experiences are provided for older children who no longer don’t sleep in centre.

Previous: Play-based learning Next: Heading home
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Heading home

As your child prepares to head home, this is your opportunity to speak with our friendly educators about your child’s day and everything they learnt. We look forward to welcoming you back tomorrow.

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Communicating with families

We prioritise clear and consistent communication with families to foster a strong partnership in supporting each child’s development. We ensure families feel informed, involved, and confident in their child’s early learning journey.

Our families love hearing about their child’s progress and the experiences they’re having day to day. We share these moments through centre newsletters, our Xplor App, one-on-one meetings, and at various centre events.

Fees

The Child Care Subsidy can reduce your daily out-of-pocket fee by up to 95% depending on your family’s entitlements.

  • Nursery0 – 2 years

    $191.00
  • Toddler2 – 3 years

    $177.00
  • Preschool3 – 5 years

    $170.00

Child Care Subsidy Estimator

Discover how much child care subsidy you may be entitled to by entering the fields below.*

1-4 days = full day session; 5 days = 10 hour per day sessions

CCS Estimator results

  • Estimated subsidy

    $0.00
  • Total fees

    $0.00
  • Out-of-pocket cost

    $0.00

*This estimator provides an estimate only and is based on the following assumptions:

  • Accuracy and currency of family income information entered.
  • Family CCS entitlements include 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. Please note your family may be entitled to less than 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight – if you are unsure we recommend you use the comprehensive CCS estimator in the link below.
  • Where 1-4 days of care is selected, full day sessions apply (being full operational hours of the centre, which can vary between centres).
  • Where 5 days of care is selected, 10-hour per day sessions apply (ie, 50 hours p/w to optimise 100 hours of CCS subsidised care across the fortnight).
  • Where a family’s CCS entitlements include less than 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight, please use the comprehensive CCS calculator as a guide via the link below.

For a more complete subsidy estimation, check out our comprehensive CCS calculator here.

Calculate my subsidy

Explore nearby G8 Education centres

Looking for other great childcare, kindergarten or preschool options? Discover more G8 Education centres near you!

Frequently asked questions

A centre tour is a convenient way to experience the childcare centre of your choice and meet with our qualified educators at a time that is suitable for your family’s schedule. Click here to book a tour online.

On the day of the tour, you can observe practices and interactions within the centre environment. You’ll be able to see all the rooms and playgrounds, ask the team members any questions you have in mind, and get all the information you need to make the best decision for your child.

Our Family Support Team will add your child’s name to our waitlist if one of our childcare centres is currently full in your child’s age group. We will then contact you as soon as a place becomes available.

We also do monthly check-ins to review availability, and you will receive a text message confirming whether you’re still happy to remain on the waitlist each month. If you would like an update at any point, you’re welcome to reach out on our Web Chat or give us a call.

Our Family Support team can also help you find more G8 early learning centres near you, with the same offerings at the Great Beginnings centre you are interested in that have immediate availability.

It’s common for a child to experience separation anxiety when they first start child care. When you’re getting ready to start child care, you can help your child overcome anxieties by visiting the child care service together for a Stay and Play session, and easing into new routines at home.

Read more tips about how to make the transition easier for your child.

Most of our child care and early education centres offer nappies and wipes, sunscreen and hats, as well as nutritious meals prepared by our in-house cook. Some centres also provide sheets and formula, so you may not need to remember to pack them.

For nursery children, be sure to bring: nappy rash cream, dummies, bottles and teats, comfort toys or blankets, three spare outfits and spare socks.

For toddlers and preschool or kindergarten-aged children, it’s best to bring: spare underwear, water bottle or sippy cup, sun hat, closed-toe shoes, two spare outfits and spare socks.

Plus, anything else your individual child may need, such as breast milk, a sleeping bag, a comforter or medication.

It’s best to speak to your centre of choice for a full list of everything included.

Great Beginnings uses Xplor Home as our family communication app. It is the best and easiest way to keep track of your child’s day.

After you enrol your child with the centre, you can utilise Xplor Home to book child care days, manage your account, receive the photographs that capture your child’s learning, learn about your child’s progress, as well as keep up-to-date with upcoming centre events and important information.

If your child shows signs of an infectious illness when they arrive at the centre or becomes sick during the day, you may be notified that you need to make alternative arrangements or pick up your child from the centre and keep them home until they are no longer infectious. While we understand that this can be inconvenient, Great Beginnings is committed to maintaining a healthy environment and reducing the risk of infection for all children.

Under the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), families are allowed 42 absence days per child, per financial year. These can be taken for any reason, including public holidays and when children are sick, without requiring families to provide documentation.

Contact us

We look forward to welcoming your family.