Kelso Children’s Centre

Our Early Learning Environments

Kelso Children’s Centre in Bathurst is designed to be a home away from home that encourages every child’s exploration. Our resource-rich early learning environments have been carefully designed to immerse your child into a world of exploration, curiosity, and learning.  

Each learning space extends onto our beautiful outdoor environment, which encourages endless ways and opportunities for play. Our outdoor environments include climbing equipment, vegetable garden, bike track, established shaded trees, sandpits and a mud kitchen for children to safely develop their strength, balance, and self-confidence through play. 

Our indoor learning spaces offer a variety of engaging resources including a sensory space, creativity space, role play corner and cooking corner, all carefully designed for children to learn and grow. We have a focus on quiet spaces for children, as well active areas for climbing, riding and gardening.

Longstanding team of Educators and Teachers

At the heart of our Kelso child care centre in Bathurst is our longstanding team of early childhood educators and teachers with some team members at the centre for over 20 years.

Our team of passionate and qualified early childhood teachers and educators are dedicated to ensuring every child feels safe, nurtured, and inspired throughout their early education journey.

Health and Nutrition

We provide children with nutrient-rich, unprocessed, and seasonal whole foods – that have been created to please even the fussiest of eaters. For variety, our menu rotates every four weeks, with our cook catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child.  

Here at Kelso early learning centre in Bathurst, we believe that by encouraging active participation in food preparation (such as growing & harvesting the fruit and vegetables, preparing, and helping cook the meal) – children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating.  

At our Kelso child care centre in Bathurst, we recognise the importance of play in a child’s learning and development journey. Our team tailors play-based learning activities in line with national standards, specifically the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), helping prepare them for kindergarten and school readiness.

We also offer the following enriching learning experiences:

• Real Life experiences: Children participate in fun and exciting experiences such as woodworking, harvesting the veggie garden, caring for our worm farm and basic cooking skills. 
• Sustainability Program: All age groups participate in sustainability projects that help children embed sustainable practices into everyday life. Children learn about recycling, conserving water, growing food and the importance of looking after and protecting our planet.
• Cultural Program: Children learn about Indigenous culture and stories guided by community members.
• Community engagement activities: We often have visits from local community librarians, local police, and other community services in Kelso and Bathurst to help familiarise the children with their local community. 

At Nurture One Kelso early learning centre in Bathurst, your child will benefit from the NSW Start Strong program as part of our enhanced learning program. Our Preschool program will support your child’s learning, development, and well-being for now, at school and beyond. We tailor our Preschool program across:

• Numeracy
• Literacy
• Emotional and Social Development
• Self regulation
• Healthy minds and bodies

The added benefits of our Preschool (NSW) program include:

• Extended 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

Larissa Seymour

My name is Larissa Seymour and I am the Centre Manager at the Kelso Children’s Centre.

I believe in the importance of consistently ensuring a warm, caring and inclusive environment, where we work in partnership with families to develop an interest based program for the children. I have developed an understanding of children and families from our community and strive to ensure the provision of high quality care to children and their families.

I believe it is vital to engage broader community resources in supporting the introduction and establishment of children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds into the childcare centre. Appropriate, multicultural resources have regularly been a feature of our planning and programming.

At our Kelso centre in Bathurst, we apply a collaborative change approach, where children, parents and educators are regularly engaged in consultation and the identification of collaborative learning objectives.

Our families have invested extraordinary trust in us. I believe that this trust carries the responsibility to ensure that the learning environments are of the highest quality. I am committed to an ethos of ongoing quality improvement.

Rooms

Our Kelso child care centre in Bathurst provides care for the following age groups:

Facilities

Our service provides the following facilities:

• Nappies included
• Breakfast
• Morning tea
• Lunch
• Afternoon tea
• Late afternoon tea
• Sustainability program
• Veggie garden
• SMART Interactive Whiteboard
• In-house cook
• Fully air-conditioned
• Large, natural play environments
• Early Childhood Teacher
• Excursions

A centre tour is a convenient way to experience the centre of your choice and meet with our qualified educators at a time suitable to your family schedule. Nurture One also offers the virtual tour option in all our centres. Click here to book a tour online.

On the day of the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to 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.

Nurture One’s Family Support team will add your child’s name to our waitlist if one of our 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 the availability, and you will receive a text message confirming if you’re still happy to remain on the waitlist each month. If you would like to get 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 Nurture One 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 centre together for a Stay and Play session, and easing into new routines at home.

Click here to read more tips about how to make the transition easier for your child.

Most of our Nurture One child care and early education centres offer the following:

• Nappies and wipes
• Sunscreen and hats
• 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, spare socks and a plastic bag for wet clothes.

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, spare socks and a plastic bag for wet clothes.

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.

Nurture One 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, Nurture One 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 the need for families to provide documentation.