SDN Paddington

“I am very passionate about creating an environment that is consistent and predictable for all children to feel safe and secure, so that their learning happens instinctively.”

My qualifications and experience 

I have a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education from Macquarie University, graduating in 2000. 

I started at SDN in January 2002 and have been in a Centre Director role ever since then. I first joined our SDN North Parramatta centre (now closed) and spent some time at SDN Pyrmont, before joining SDN North Sydney in August 2005.  

I was Centre Director at SDN North Sydney for 17 years before transitioning to the Centre Director role at SDN Paddington in 2022.  

What I'm most passionate about in my role 

I am passionate about creating an environment that is consistent and predictable for all children to feel safe and secure, so that their learning happens instinctively. 

Children, families and potential staff are welcomed into our SDN village with open arms and greeted with warmth and genuine kindness.

What I love about working with SDN 

Over the 20 years that I have been with SDN, I have valued the incredible support that I get from all sections of the organisation that help me to do my role to the best of my ability.  

I also love the incredible team I work with everyday who treat each other like family and where you can hear genuine laughter coming from the staff room almost every lunch time.

A little bit more about me 

My husband and I are huge movie buffs and enjoy a good movie; whether it is at home or at the cinemas. However, since our daughter’s birth in 2017 and coupled with COVID, we haven’t had the pleasure of going to the movies as much as we would like to.... so, bingeing on drama series is one of our favourite pass times now! 

Growing bodies need movement and exercise. Growing minds need stimulus and exploration. Growing hearts need opportunities to play and mix with others.

At SDN we know that the best thing we can do for your infant or toddler is to support them to grow and develop in safe, unhurried, nurturing and challenging environments.

Because infants and toddlers are naturally curious, our centres have well-equipped indoor and outdoor areas that will keep your child moving and give them daily opportunities to explore their limits and grow their abilities.

Your child is unique and so we will devise a learning and development program within our curriculum pillars, based on what we know about your child’s interests, learning and development. Because they will always be changing and growing, we consistently review the program to ensure we are keeping up with your child’s development, providing them with the best learning opportunities.

Read more about our practice with children here.

Get more than school-ready, get life-ready 

Getting school-ready is a journey. It begins with your child’s very first day at our welcoming early education and care centres and continues with our dedicated preschool program.

Developed by university-trained early childhood teachers, our preschool program focuses on the whole child. Children learn to make friends and work together, while gaining the skills and independence they need to thrive through the big transition to school.

Our preschool program follows an evidence-backed, play-based learning approach. Children have fun and follow their curiosity, while we weave in vital skills and learning outcomes.

SDN uses Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework to explore a diverse curriculum from science to social justice. Our days are predictable but flexible, blending structured and spontaneous learning, free play, movement and quiet time.

Our curriculum pillars are:

Our centres have a transition to school program where our teachers and educators work together with local schools to prepare your child for a smooth transition, and support families through the process.

Read more about our preschool program here.

Families in our urban-based centres often call our outdoor areas their “green oasis”.

SDN's outdoor spaces provide opportunities for children to enjoy themselves and have adventures. They’re safe environments for children to run, jump and yell, make mud cakes, and use their energy.

Outdoor spaces provide more than physical benefits. Even though you may think that children only play outside to have fun, they're also improving their thinking, social, and emotional skills. When they’re playing outside, they’re inventing games, learning about the world at their own pace, and figuring out social customs like turn-taking.

These are just some of the reasons SDN invests in developing new, award-winning outdoor spaces with natural designs that inspire children’s curiosity, physical play, and social play.

The traditional owners of the Paddington area are the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

SDN Paddington officially opened on 29 November 1924. Then known as The Eastern Suburbs Day Nursery, it was run out of The Grange in Heeley Street – a colonial style villa built in 1868 and originally named Olive Bank Villa – purchased for £2,000 thanks to local fundraising and donations from Paddington, Waverley and Woollahra councils. At the time, Paddington, like many of Sydney’s inner suburbs once home to grand residences on large estates, had been subdivided into rows of terrace houses crowded with working families in need of child care services.

In 1969, a new nursery school building was added, thanks to fundraising by the nursery’s committee, particularly Mr and Mrs Supple, who held weekly dances at Paddington Town Hall for many years. SDN Paddington has recently undergone extensive renovation to meet the needs of children, families and staff.

Since its beginnings, SDN Paddington has undergone many changes and has always maintained and reflected a strong connection with the families of this vibrant and diverse community.

To read more about SDN Paddington's history here. 

From 1 July 2024, our fees will be $228 per day for children under three years old and $208 per day for children three years and over.

SDN Paddington also offers half day sessions. Half days are $137 for 0-3 years and $125 for 3-5 years, from 9am to 2pm.

The majority of families in our centres do not pay the full daily fee because they receive Child Care Subsidy (CCS) from the government.

The subsidy you may receive through the CCS will depend on:

• Your combined family income
• The number of hours you work, study or participate in recognised volunteer work. This is called the ‘activity test’. If your child is in the year before school, if you are on a very low income, or if you are on parental leave, you will not have to pass the activity test to receive some CCS.

Your child will need to meet immunisation requirements and you will need to meet residency requirements to be eligible to receive the CCS.

You can also calculate what your out-of-pocket child care costs will be on the government’s Starting Blocks Child Care Subsidy Calculator.

NSW Start Strong funding - Additional Preschool Fee Relief

On top of any CCS you may receive, the NSW Government is providing additional fee relief:

• If your child turns 4 years old or before 31 July 2024, is enrolled in a preschool program at an eligible long day care service and doesn’t receive preschool relief (also called start strong funding) from another preschool, you will receive up to $2,110 in fee relief.
• If your child is 3 years old and not yet 4 years old on, or before 31 July in 2024, is enrolled at an eligible long day care service and doesn’t receive preschool relief (also called start strong funding) from another preschool, you will receive up to $500 in fee relief.

Find more information about the Start Strong program here. If you’ve read this information and you’re still unsure about what you’ll pay, please call us on 1300 831 445 or book a centre tour. We’re happy to answer your questions.

0-2 Babies

• Change of clothes x2
• Hat – sun safe  
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Shoes and Socks
• Comforter – soft toy/blanket/dummy
• Bottles and milk formula/breast milk
• Blanket / Cot sheets

2-3 Toddlers

• Spare underwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat – sun safe
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Drink Bottle
• Comforter – for rest time
• Blankets

3-5 Preschoolers  

• Spare underwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat – sun safe
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Drink Bottle
• Blankets