Childcare options in Amberley

A privately owned centre which embraces Montessori learning.

Our philosophy is developed from the OAK TREE, an image with a strong foundation being the ROOTS.

The sturdy TRUNK represents strength, binding the tree together, leading into the

BRANCHES being our teachers and environment which provide the link to the

LEAVES which represent the learning outcomes for children.

ACHIEVE

To have pride within, to love to learn, to persist, to be creative, to problem-solve, to challenge, to be independent, to value and believe in ourselves and each other, to enjoy, to DREAM.... and to be the very best that we can be.

RELATIONSHIPS

We aspire to be Positive, Professional, Reciprocal, Caring, Honest, Trusting, Collaborative, and to have Open Communication, Freedom of expression, to have Responsive Relationships with our Community and a strong sense of Belonging within it, Fostering a Community of Learners within our preschool.

RESPECT

To have Respect: For each other, for oneself, for our environment and all that is in it, to Appreciate, to Beautify, to be inclusive of all. We Respect and Nurture individualism and development of the whole personality.

Vision Statement

To empower each individual to achieve a sense of belonging, develop independence and confidence, and to strengthen their journey by creating a natural love of learning, in a safe, secure, loving environment.

Amberley Community Prep School welcomes children aged 3 – 6 years and caters for a small group size of up to 20 children and 3 teachers.

The Prep School programme builds on children’s independence and allows time and space for self-directed learning.  Our project-based environment challenges children to tinker, negotiate, problem solve, test their bodies, make mistakes and persevere. The Prep School teachers are passionate about providing one-on-one or small group times to work at projects that pertain to current interests and abilities.

The environment is prepared each day with experiences that support and nurture children's relationships. Resources are widely available for children to access as needed to build independence in their mahi.   

We are passionate about ‘transition to school’ and work closely with our 8 feed-in schools in the district to create personalised pathways for children. Activities that assist children to prepare for school are threaded throughout free play and teacher led experiences.

Bloomfields Preschool is a welcoming place of laughter, learning and discovery.  

Children love to explore and can learn so much from discovering the wonder of the natural world around them.  That’s why we have established Bloomfields – to provide the highest quality of childcare and preschool education for children in a rural setting. 

We believe in creating positive memories and nurturing a love of nature that will last a lifetime. That’s why our biggest classroom is our backyard. 

Bloomfields is located on rural land, 5 minutes inland from Amberley, nestled between farmland with Mt Grey and the Three Deans as our backdrop. We have more than one hectare of space, including an extensive play garden and a number of animals for children to interact with and care for.     

Our purpose-built Centre has been thoughtfully designed to promote creativity, curiosity, adventure and many learning opportunities.   

It is surrounded by animal paddocks and an extensive play garden featuring vegetable plots and fruit trees, large sandpits, a mud kitchen, a dry river and forest area. We also have a native planting area that attracts caterpillars, insects, birds, butterflies and bees. This is situated in front of a spacious window seat so children have a good viewpoint to see everything happening.     

We have created a warm, calming space that flows freely to and from the outdoors. Our classrooms are designed to cater for different age groups and developmental levels, with excellent teacher to child ratios:  

6 months - 2 years (ratio 1:4)       

2 - 3.5 years (ratio 1:7)       

3.5 - 6 years (ratio 1:9)  

We also have an art room providing extra space for children to get creative – and messy!  

Mindful of the extremes of our weather here, we have a fire in one of the classrooms and underfloor heating throughout the Centre, as well as air-conditioning in the summer.   

A modern, commercial-grade kitchen means we are able to produce well-balanced, wholesome home-cooked meals and snacks for the children.  

We know that – whatever the weather – children love the great outdoors, so have designed a wrap-around veranda for children to play under cover. This is also an area for children aged over two to dine in the warmer months.