Little Scholars’ Government Approved Kindergarten Program is the perfect way to help your child prepare for prep and everything that transition entails. As a parent, you have probably given considerable thought to where to send your child once they’re ready to take that next step. Consulting primary school rankings is one way that you can arm yourself with the information required to do the very best by your daughter or son.
Checking primary school rankings is only one part of the puzzle when it comes to choosing educational options. You may also want to consider the following:
Little Scholars would recommend getting as much information as you can as early in the process as possible. Booking a tour to see the school and the learning in action will allow you the opportunity to truly get a feel for the culture of the place.
With that in mind, comparing primary school rankings can be a good way to gauge how the school approaches literacy and numeracy, as well as the access that it has to educational resources.
Here are the primary school rankings for educational establishments that surround our seven centres. Using this information as part of your decision, in consultation with your Little Scholars teachers, could help you make the choice that will shape your child’s educational journey.
Our George Street campus is located right in the heart of the city, providing easy access to Roma Street Transit Centre and the George Street Bus Depot. It’s only 300 metres away from the Queen Street Mall and it’s very close to some of Brisbane’s best schools.
Primary School Rankings as determined by state overall scores:
The gorgeous Little Scholars School of Early Learning Campus in Ashmore is firmly ensconced in the fabulous surrounding bush environment. This brand new centre boasts state of the art facilities presented in a calming, relaxing design that showcases the great work that goes on there.
Primary School Rankings for nearby schools:
Huge learning spaces and the promise of before and after school care (including vacation care) make our Little Scholars Deception Bay campus an attractive option for many families. There are a number of great schools nearby that you may be interested in for your son or daughter’s prep years (and beyond).
Primary School Rankings for nearby schools:
The Little Scholars School of Early Learning in Nerang is the newest member of the Little Scholars educational family. Their vision for the lucky students who attend is to arm them as much as possible with the skills they need to get ahead in today’s modern world; a great place for preparation for primary school! \
Primary School Rankings for nearby schools:
The Little Scholars School of Early Learning in Redland Bay is the glittering jewel in the crown of bayside life for local families. This centre provides state of the art educational programs, specialised teaching and plentiful resources to the students.
Primary School Rankings for nearby schools:
The picturesque Stapylton campus of Little Scholars has been awarded a 6 star Eco Estate rating. The good works of the staff have ensured that attendees of Little Scholars are primed and ready to support their environment in the years to come.
Primary School Rankings for nearby schools:
The Yatala campus of Little Scholars School of Early Learning offers premium educational opportunities in an expansive, responsive setting. The indoor / outdoor program takes advantage of the space and incredible design on offer to students.
Primary School Rankings for nearby schools:
Have further questions regarding primary school rankings and preparing your child for school? Get in contact with Little Scholars to discuss how to best move your child from childcare to kindergarten to prep. It doesn’t have to be a scary time – you just need the right support.
An easy transition from kindy to prep is crucial for your child’s well-being.
We can help your child make this big step. Our kindy program goes beyond academic preparation. We take your child’s well-being seriously, talk to us now.
When you work in Brisbane City, it’s often the case of having to drop your child at a suburban childcare centre early in the morning to get to work on time. Days are long, and the distance can be a tad inconvenient. Imagine being able to say goodbye to the hindrances of suburban childcare? Brisbane City offers quality early learning options and here are some great reasons why you should consider it.
Instead of spending your commute time sitting on your own in traffic, on a bus or train, think about how much more time you’d have to really connect with your children if they shared the trip with you each day. There’s nothing so chatty as a toddler in the car – Brisbane’s famous for its long commute times, use that time to talk to your little person!
There’s nothing worse than having to commute an hour or more to a sick child who needs you. With Little Scholars city campus in George Street, a mere ten minutes away from your office building, you can be with your child in no time. With very easy drop off and pick up, and a parent’s breakfast station (with coffee, we understand the importance of morning coffee!) you can pop them into their city childcare centre and even visit at lunch if you want to be sure they’re having a wonderful day!
When you work in the city, the commute time and horrible traffic means it can often be around 6 pm or later when you get to your children in the suburbs. Childcare in Brisbane City, on the other hand, will have you finishing at 5 pm and picking up your children at 5.10 pm; this means more family time and shorter days. Make it even easier on yourself and order from the Little Scholars Take Home Dinner Menu so you don’t have to worry about the children’s dinner when you get home.
When you’re so close to your children’s childcare in the city, it’s so much easier to attend special family days, for example, Little Scholars Father’s Day. You can even drop in for a lunch date to celebrate a birthday. Your children will be so pleased to see you, and you’ll no longer have to live through the parent’s guilt of not being able to attend. Using childcare in Brisbane City that’s close to your office means taking one hour of your time instead of two, three or more.
There are so many exciting things to do with children in the city; you don’t have to wait for the weekend to do them! Our Little Scholars Childcare Brisbane Campus, means you can finish work early, collect your children and take them to explore city favourites like QAGOMA Children’s Art Centre or the Queensland Museum. Work and childcare in the city opens the doors to so many fun opportunities and quality family time. Learn more about the best parks in Brisbane for toddlers and little ones.
Working in the city doesn’t have to be such a strain on family life; make it work for you and your family and consider the benefits of childcare in Brisbane City.
Find out more about Little Scholars’ city childcare in Brisbane or contact us to book a tour of our campus.
Whether you’ve been offered a new position with your dream company or you’re simply looking for the best ‘childcare near me’ in your area, there are a number of factors that require careful and deliberate consideration. Just because it’s urgent doesn’t mean you need to settle for the low bar of “childcare centre near me” – in every area across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, there are childcare centres that go beyond supervision and into education – so, no matter how quickly you need to find a centre, it’s worth comparing the options near you.
Selecting the best childcare Brisbane option for your family is not to be taken lightly. If you are hoping to ensure that your child or children receive the best possible care in the best possible centre, this is a decision-making process that you should begin as soon as you can.
You may be thinking of a childcare centre close to home or close to where you work (and there are benefits to both ideas). With that in mind, here is a brief guide to choosing the best childcare near your work or home.
Perusing a website is a great starting point to selecting the right childcare centre for your family but it doesn’t give you a complete and accurate picture of the philosophy, atmosphere and methodology behind an early education centre. You must visit the facilities to see the learning in action.
Your best option is to secure yourself an individual tour as opposed to being on a group. Questions and concerns can get lost in a crowd and a big group of adults can be a distraction to the children’s learning so you won’t get to see them properly engaged (or not, as the case may be).
You might want to ask the following questions on your tour of a childcare near you:
Other questions may naturally arise during the course of your tour. Pay careful attention to what the children are doing and how their educators are interacting with them. Consider how you would like your child to be treated and see if you can imagine them in this particular space.
We have 14 early learning campuses across the Gold Coast, Redlands and in Brisbane
Your child must have a CRN (customer reference number) with Centrelink in order for you to receive the Childcare Subsidy. You also must have completed your Childcare Subsidy Assessment. You can find further information on that topic here.
Once your centre has your CRN and you are registered with Centrelink for the childcare subsidy then you can leave it in their hands. Subsidy payments will be made directly to the centre according to the rate of subsidy you are eligible for.
Once you have chosen the perfect childcare either near your work place or close to home, there will be a range of enrolment steps you have to go through. A typical enrolment process will include:
It is vital to work with your child and their future educators to create as smooth a transition into childcare and early years learning as possible. This will be dependent on your child’s personality and their prior experience with learning outside of the home.
Your centre should (and make sure you ask this on the tour) have an orientation system in place wherein you spend some time with your child in their learning environment. You might stay for an hour and then leave briefly to see how they go. This is a process that should be tailored to your family’s individual needs – be wary of centres trying to force you out the door before you feel comfortable!
Beyond the orientation program, there are a few things that you could do to ease this transition process.
Finally, ask others for their opinion. Try local Facebook groups, friendship circles and family to see what they have heard about your chosen centre. Check for testimonials that speak in an honest, genuine way about how childcare has enriched the lives of families just like yours.
Choosing the best childcare centre near you is no easy feat. There are so many variables to consider and so little time to make big decisions in! After all, this is your baby. You don’t want to trust your beloved child to just anyone.
If you’ve Googled “childcare near me” talk to Little Scholars School of Early Learning before you settle on a childcare centre. Our commitment to Brisbane, Redlands and Gold Coast families is to provide more than “just supervision” – we go beyond “childcare” – we even go beyond the EYLF guidelines for quality early education.
We believe that these formative years are the building blocks for your child’s whole life and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Yes, we offer childcare near you, but we offer so much more than that. Just because you urgently need a place for your child, doesn’t mean you need to compromise on care.
Your child doesn’t just deserve the closest childcare to you but the best one. Little Scholars provides the resources and opportunities for your child to flourish
A return to work after having children isn’t all that bad – in fact, there are some pretty good reasons why it could be the best decision you’ll make! Of course, as many mothers experience, mummy guilt will be in full force, but hopefully, these benefits will help you see past that guilt so that you can genuinely look forward to putting your career hat on again.
Just imagine being able to have real adult conversation and drink your coffee in peace – without it going cold. Being able to have a chat on an adult intellectual level is extremely refreshing. No doubt your children will be on your mind at some point in the day which is why you can login to Kindyhub to see what they’ve been up to!
It makes sense, less time with the children at home means your house is likely to stay a lot tidier and you won’t have to clean as often. If mess and clutter does appear, use some nice baskets to quickly throw the clutter into and deal with it on the weekend. Now that’s got to be a huge win, right?
It’s not uncommon for some mothers to feel they lose a bit of themselves when they are home raising a family. They go from being a career woman with ambition to a stay at home mum who finds it hard to focus on her own passions amongst nappy changes, playtime, tantrums and making meals. Of course, every woman is different but many women certainly do regain a sense of purpose and identity when they return to work.
There’s no doubt about it, returning to work after a long period spent at home with your children isn’t easy but, it can be made easier. If you work in Brisbane City, Little Scholars city childcare means you can enjoy quick lunchtime visits to curb the ache!
Looking at the same four walls at home day in and day out can be debilitating for some. Returning to work can mean having the chance to listen to your own music in the car (not The Wiggles), talking to different people every day, looking at different walls and looking out different windows. They say a change is as good as a holiday and returning to work is no different.
As a stay at home mum, having limited opportunities for intellectual stimulation can lead to discontent and restlessness. Although reading books, listening to podcasts or meeting up with friends can be a good way to give your brain a workout, they’re often not the same as getting back into work and doing something that you enjoy and do well.
Going from a stay at home mum to a working mum now juggling two roles, you may think that you’re failing in so many ways. The truth is, going back to work will have your children seeing another side of you and admiring the new you at the same time. You’ll truly become supermum in your child’s eyes if you order their favourite from the takeaway dinner menu, too!
As a mum, you’ll always be your own worst critic but when it comes time to return to work, why not look at the positives and remind yourself that you’re doing it for you – and a better you means you can be a better person for your kids.
Time to return to work? Contact us to arrange a tour!
Make going back to work easier for yourself and your little one. With convenient locations and speciality services Little Scholars will ease the mental load so you can enjoy your return to work.
Thinking of bushwalking in Brisbane with little ones in tow? There are great tracks that are closer than you think. Taking young children bushwalking can be an excellent way to contextualise the great learning they do about nature with actual immersion in a natural setting. Outdoor nature play features heavily in the Little Scholars curriculum design – so much so that you might be surprised by what your young children will be able to teach you!
Little Scholars would like to remind readers of the policy of ‘leave nothing and take nothing.’ Natural environments should not be disturbed and animals should be left well alone. Here are some easy nature walks on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane that toddlers can do as well!
There are a number of easy, short tracks that little legs will find somewhat manageable. Ensure that you bring appropriate clothing, sun protection and the obligatory snacks that must accompany any outing with small children!
This track is only 1.6km return and can be found in Springwood National Park. There is a beautiful outlook to Currumbin Creek that will prompt many discussions of environmental concepts like water flow and erosion. Kids can even safely swim depending on the time of year you go!
Again, you’ll find this track manageable as it is a mere 1.6km return. You can head to the lookout at Kings Beach where you will have the opportunity to learn about the Indigenous heritage of the beautiful surrounds.
Natural Bridge in the beautiful Springbrook National Park is a very easy 1km circuit that includes a glow worm cave (best viewed in the evening) and waterfall. If you know where to look, you may also get a glimpse at a trap door spider so hold little hands and avoid touching muddy embankments! You will find a lot of stairs on your walk, so it’s not suited to a pram but still an easy walk for kids of all ages.
The morbid name does not represent the wonderful experience that awaits your toddler! Brisbane bushwalking for kids is well represented by a number of tracks that differ in terms of difficulty and duration. There is also Indigenous artwork along the way to inspire and promote discussion. Take your swimmers as the track offers plenty of shallow water creeks in which little ones can paddle.
This south side Brisbane location boasts a number of tracks as well as family-friendly facilities designed to promote engagement with nature. There are a large number of animals in this area as well – perfect for the eagle-eyed toddler.
Freshwater National Park on Deception Bay Road is a hidden gem for parents of nature loving little ones. Besides the very easy walk through a forest of beautiful grass trees, Freshwater National Park is home to a reclusive koala population, lizards, birds and wallabies.
Cedar Creek, with its deep and shallow swimming options, meanders its way through 11 different picnic spots, ideal for families to spend a leisurely afternoon. The once popular Cedar Creek Falls now lie on private property but there are still ample opportunities enjoy a little bushwalking in Brisbane’s outer west. If your little one is all about the exploring rather than the walking, Cedar Creek offers plenty of exploration opportunities with a little bit of exercise thrown in!
Kindergarten and early learning programs that feature nature play prepare our children to embrace sustainability and foster a healthy respect for the environment. Take the lessons of your Little Scholars’ classroom into the great outdoors this weekend. At Little Scholars, we believe sustainable living, bushwalking and immersing children in the natural environment is an important element of their education and development. Learn more about our unique curriculum here.
Our innovative programs not only promote values around conservation and sustainability, but also pique your child’s interest in the natural world. Your child doesn’t need to be a budding scientist (although we’ll always encourage children to pursue an interest in science) to benefit from keen observation skills and natural curiousity. A fundamental interest in the natural world and “how things are” is the foundation for a life time of learning. As early educators, we believe that this is invaluable to little minds. All of our centres feature a comprehensive nature based curriculum – with Yatala currently trialling a cutting edge program for little scientists and nature lovers. Read about our nature walk in Yatala here.
Put away your canning equipment and bags of sugar, my friends. There’s a new jam in town at Little Scholars and its name is chia. Yes, by using the gelling power of these tiny little seeds we can transform a few cups of ripe fruit into a low-sugar, spreadable, spoonable jam in about 20 minutes.
If anything is a superfood, it’s chia seeds. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, rich in fiber and protein, and — most important for our jam-making purposes — they turn any liquid into a thick gel. That’s right — chia seeds will absorb several times their mass in liquid, creating a jelly-like substance in the process.
When making fruit jam with chia seeds, the seeds do all the work. Instead of cooking fruit down, relying on pectin, and adding sugar to help it set, like traditional jam, all we need to do is mash up some fruit and stir in a few tablespoons of chia seeds.
Getting rid of visible chia seeds:
If you’d prefer not to have visible chia seeds in your finished jam, puree the jam in a blender or with an immersion blender. If you’d like to keep a somewhat chunky texture, blend just a portion of the jam with the chia seeds, then stir it back in with the rest of the jam.
Navigating your child’s early years requires access to reliable, evidence-based information. To support your journey, we have curated a comprehensive directory of the best Australian resources for parents. From government-approved childcare guides to expert insights on developmental milestones, these trusted websites provide the essential tools you need to foster your child’s growth and well-being within the Australian early childhood education framework.
Startingblocks.gov.au is a new, family friendly resource available to help new parents answer child care questions and better understand the benefits of early childhood education and care. It offers helpful tips for parents on early childhood development and what to look for to ensure their child gets a quality care and learning experience. Starting Blocks is brought to you by ACECQA.
Raising Children Network is the complete resource for Australian parents, taking you from pregnancy to newborns to teenagers. We offer evidence-based content you can trust on hundreds of topics about raising children and looking after yourself as a parent.
You can find information and activities specific to your child and family, based on age, relationship, location and activity preferences. Tips and information on supporting your child’s early learning and development through play, care, encouragement, numeracy (read & count) and literacy (talk & listen) or sort by age to find content relevant to your child.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies is a national research and information agency on children and families in Australia. Includes research, publications, online library, and further links and resources for professionals.
The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) is a national collaboration of eminent experts disseminating knowledge about problems and solutions to issues affecting children and young people.
As Australia’s peak national non-government cancer control organisation, Cancer Council Australia advises the Australian Government and other bodies on practices and policies to help prevent, detect and treat cancer. Cancer Council Australia launched the national SunSmart Schools program in 1998. The program has grown rapidly and there are now more than 2500 SunSmart schools and 3500 SunSmart childcare centres across the country.
The Centre for Community Child Health is an internationally recognised centre of excellence supporting and empowering communities to continually improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of children and their families, now and for the future.
The Department of Social Services is responsible for helping to support Australian families and children. The Families and Children section of this website provides detailed information on the various forms of assistance available including programs, services, benefits and payments.
The Department of Human Services is responsible for the development of Australian Government service delivery policy and offers a range of social, health and other payments and services. Support is available through Medicare, Centrelink, the Child Support program, CRS Australia and Australian Hearing. You can go directly to the Medicare program or the Centrelink program.
The Department of Health is responsible for supporting better health and active ageing for all Australians. Information is available on a wide range of conditions and diseases, education and prevention, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues and topics relevant to ageing and aged care.
Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) is a national forum for promotion of early intervention for infants and young children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families, including workshops, seminars and conferences to facilitate quality service provision.
Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) is a not-for-profit, peak membership organisation representing the voice of parents and early learning providers. ELAA represents over 1200 early childhood services, including stand-alone kindergartens, cluster managers, integrated services, long day care centres, local government, government and independent schools, and before and after-school care providers, and provides a range of resources, advisory, training, and advocacy services.
Family Assistance Offices have been set up in Medicare offices and Centrelink Customer Service Centres across the country, offering a range of payments to support families with their work and family responsibilities. It gives Australian families better access to government services. Instead of going to different agencies to get family assistance, families are able to get all their payments from just one place – the Family Assistance Office. Financial assistance includes the Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate and Baby Bonus. The Family Assistance Program is the responsibility of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Good Beginnings builds better outcomes for children in vulnerable communities through effective early intervention programs. Good Beginnings provides free early childhood and practical parenting programs for children and families across Australia, based at their Early Years Centres or home visits.
The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association provides support, advice and advocacy for parents in isolated communities. It is a voluntary national parent body dedicated to ensuring that all geographically isolated students have equality with their non-isolated peers, of access to an appropriate education.
Mychild is Australia’s online childcare portal containing information for families, carers and providers. The website provides information about children’s early learning, care and wellbeing. It includes information on different types of childcare, how to access help with the cost of childcare, a searchable database of local child care services, other relevant links and support.
The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute is dedicated to finding ways to prevent and treat conditions affecting babies, children and adolescents, helping them lead happy, healthy lives. The Institute has close partnerships with the Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne.
The National Out of School Hours Services Association (NOSHSA) is a network of all Australian State and Territory Out of School Hours Services Associations. These organisations promote provision of Out of School Hours Services and act as a united voice to advocate both to Government and the community for excellence in service provision.
An independent, non-profit research and development organisation focused on supporting parents through the development of resources, programs and policies based on scientific evidence.
Playgroup Australia is the national peak and administrative body for playgroups in Australia.
The Raising Children Network Website provides centralised, Australian-focused, evidence based information for parents and carers of children from birth to fifteen years of age. It also provides information for those who work with parents.
The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) is the national non government peak body in Australia representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
Separation anxiety is normal in the early weeks, so don’t worry if your child seems upset at first. While there’s no magic formula to make separation anxiety miraculously disappear, there are a few tips that can certainly help:
Why you feel upset during a toddler tantrum (and what to do about it).
For more information on parenting visit KidsInTheHouse.com
Bees are the darlings of the insect world and this weeks marks the launch of our Stingless Bee program at Little Scholars Ashmore and Little Scholars Yatala
Stingless native bees enable children to safely explore, engage, learn and experience close up the social behaviours of the bee, an awareness of the impact of human activity on the environment and the interdependence of living things.
As an added bonus the bees will pollinate the gardens and your school will be aiding the conservation of the native bee. The keeping of stingless bees is easy and does not require any special expertise , equipment or licence. The hive needs to be located in complete shade, the bees will forage in the garden darting back and forth laden with pollen.
This is a great program to have and to teach our Little Scholars and encourage them to have respect for our environment by understanding how important our bees are for pollinating Australia’s wild flowers and their small size enables them to reach pollen in tiny flowers that bigger bees cannot reach.
These captivating and useful insects are the subject of a new wave of beekeeping. Thousands of people are new converts to keeping these bees as pets, for small-scale home honey production and for pollination.
Without native bee’s, lots of our native trees which can only be pollinated by little bee’s, could not survive and would not be here so… lets give our native bees a big cheer!
Our bee’s have settled in very nicely and we have created the most amazing environment for them.
While bees won’t show you love in the same way a dog or cat would, they have the added bonus of being low maintenance, supplying you with honey, pollinating your flowers and vegie garden and helping to save the the planet. Native Bees are a small, black and stingless so great to have with children around, plus having no sting means our Little Scholars can harvest the honey themselves without getting hurt. They produce around 1 litre of delicious honey a year that tastes a little more tangy than store brought honey with a hint of lemon or eucalyptus..
Anyone can have a native bee hive. All you need, apart from the hive, is a nice place in full shade to place the hive with a flight path that is free from any obstacles including trees, branches and spider webs.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
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