Open 6:30am to 6:30pm
Monday to Friday
Guardian Childcare & Education Preston
- Incredible learning programs where children aged six-weeks to six years learn and discover through play.
- Highly experienced Educators and degree-qualified Teachers support children to grow and thrive.
- Safe, secure environments that support children’s social and emotional development.
- High-quality two-year Kindergarten program that prepares children for school with the benefits of long daycare. Plus get up to $2,050 for 3 and 4yr olds in fee support on top of the Childcare Subsidy to help with the cost of kindergarten.
Come and see the Centre for yourself, meet the team and have all your questions answered. Book a tour today.
Our centre has been recognised as ‘Exceeding’ the National Quality Standard. This is the highest rating you can receive from a regulatory authority assessment and we are proud to deliver an exceptional service to the children and families who attend our centre.
Hours
Mon to Fri 6:30am to 6:30pm
Address
418 Murray Road
Preston,
VIC,
3072
Welcome to our Centre
Guardian Childcare & Education Preston is a beautiful Centre in a heritage-listed mansion, and features the building’s original façade, thriving gardens, a huge grapevine, music classes, and a range of learning spaces and play areas, filled with high quality resources.
- High quality learning programs to inspire curiosity, creativity and a sense of belonging
- Indoor learning spaces and outdoor play spaces, all filled with fun, play-based educational resources
- Nutritious meals and snacks are prepared fresh, on-site by our amazing Cooks and Chefs
- Nappies, SPF 50+ sunscreen, high-quality formula, and bed linen all provided
Meet our Centre Manager
Rhythm of The Day
With endless possibilities, there’s never a dull moment at Guardian and no two days are the same. Here’s what a day at Guardian might look like. Please note, this will vary depending on centre opening hours.
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Morning
Handover time with children, families and our friendly Educators. There’s a chance to share what’s important for the day and any news from home.
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Morning
Breakfast time where families are welcome to stay and enjoy breakfast with the children.
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Morning
An opportunity to play and discover with open-plan play in family groups and multi-age groupings.
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Morning
Planned experiences. This is where the Guardian difference comes to life. Alongside our Educators your child’s exploration leads to learnings in numeracy, literacy, language, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, social skills, technology, creative arts and much more.
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Morning tea
An opportunity for children to come together for a healthy snack, often they help prepare their food alongside our carers and cook.
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Mid-morning
Individually tailored to your child’s needs and curiosity the planned experiences continue, this includes both indoor and outdoor programs.
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Lunch
Another nutritious meal expertly prepared by our cook. Families are invited to join the children for meals and excursions if they wish.
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Afternoon
If your child wants to, or needs to sleep, it’s time to rest and recharge. For children who don’t need to rest the planned experiences continue, in most cases outdoors.
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Afternoon tea
Another chance for the children to come together and re-fuel in small groups or with siblings. There is also an opportunity to rest or play together and reflect on the day.
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Pick-up
As you arrive to pick up your child, there’s a chance to speak with our Educators and share news about the day. Our Storypark App also allows you to stay in touch 24/7 wherever you are.
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End of day
Your child is encouraged to grab a light snack before they leave the centre. We’re mindful of how routines vary, throughout the day if we notice your child looking tired food will be provided.
Helpful Information
Opening Hoursexpand_more
Good to Know - What to Bring expand_more
What we Provide
- Nappies and wipes
- Bed linen
- Guardian hat
- SPF 50+ sunscreen
- High quality baby formula
- All nutritious meals and snacks
What to Bring
- Water bottle
- Spare change of clothing, labelled
- Soft toy or comfort blanket for nap time
- Baby's bottles for formula or breastmilk
Our Educators expand_more
Our team of Educators are committed and passionate about ensuring your child will be safe, nurtured and cared for every day. At Guardian, children are encouraged to engage in interest-led play that creates learning and meaningful experiences.
Our Educators seek to optimise diverse learning opportunities and implement the Curriculum as framed by the Early Years Learning Framework.
You and Your Child expand_more
All Guardian Centres provide a Centre-to-Family communication platform so families can maintain contact with their children’s experiences through photos, stories and learning outcomes.
Our Centres use Storypark and each family is provided with a secure login to access on their computers, mobiles or apps.
More about Guardian Preston expand_more
Guardian Childcare & Education Preston is located in a heritage listed mansion, with original Victorian era frontage and an updated interior. We often receive feedback that our beautiful old building feels home-like, which helps to support children settling into the service. Outside we have generous spaces for each age group. Our babies enjoy an undercover decking space and sandpit oasis in their yard. For the kinder children, a large U-shaped yard houses a tanbark climbing space, sand pit, mud pit, water tanks and edible gardens.
The doors are open in each room throughout the year regardless of weather, and the children are encouraged to move between the indoor and outdoor environments. This allows them to experience different spaces, promoting a sense of community between neighbouring rooms and encouraging socialisation and exploration.
Each day we provide the children with breakfast, morning tea, a cooked lunch, afternoon tea, and an evening snack. The meals contain a variety of flavours, colours and textures, encouraging the children to try new things from a young age. Many different cultures are reflected in our meals, and our seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables provide nutrition and great taste.
Our child care centre is very active in the local community and hold a number of family and community events each year, from family meet and greet evenings and centre open days to family social nights, play days in the park, and visits to the local school and nursing home. We welcome families to contribute their ideas, skills, hobbies and interests to our programs. Not only does this help to bridge the gap between home and child care, but it also supports the children’s confidence, independence and relationships.
Our educators work very closely with families, ensuring that communication is open at all tims. We are always available to talk about your child’s progress, achievements and learning at the centre, and can touch base with you during the day for reassurance that your child is in safe and capable hands.
Guardian Preston has a fully-funded Kindergarten Program run by degree qualified teachers. Our focus in the kinder program is developing the children’s social and emotional readiness; as well as teaching them important life skills. Our kinder programs incorporate a school readiness program that aids in the transition from kinder to school.
At Guardian Preston your child will be in environment designed to inspire curiosity, foster creativity and support discovery. Their early learning will be facilitated by educators and a curriculum that supports them in developing the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
A love of learning. Confidence. Curiosity. Guardian Preston is a place for early learning where children can thrive. At Guardian Preston we:
- Believe early learning should be fun. Through play, a child’s curiosity and imagination come alive as they explore and understand their world at their own pace.
- Put children at the centre of their growth. Play-based experiences and structured learning support the development of language, literacy and numeracy skills as part of the Altona North Kindergarten Program.
- Make sure you love coming to Guardian as much as your children. You’ll meet a team of educators passionate about your child’s learning and development at every age and stage.
We have a large team who together have created a wonderful community with our families and children over the years. This makes our childcare centre feel like home when you arrive, with laughter and constant chit chats with families a point of pride for us.
Children are provided with a wide range of resources and materials to inspire their learning and development. We focus on real-world, ‘open-ended’ materials that encourage creativity, problem-solving and physical development. This type of play launches children into an environment where the learning opportunities are endless.
We’re also dedicated to health and wellbeing at Guardian Preston. The health, safety and wellbeing of our people – big and small – is always our highest priority. We know parents are busy, so our policies – whilst grounded in safety – also consider life’s practicalities.
In addition, educating children about the importance of healthy eating and wellbeing is an important part of early childhood development. We believe in providing a positive eating environment that reflects dietary requirements, cultural and family values, and promotes lifelong learning for children.
Areas that this Centre services expand_more
Guardian Preston services a number of local areas, including: Coburg, Heidelberg, Bellfield, Thornbury, Northcote, Regent and Reservoir.
Begin the Adventure at Guardian
To explore the centre, chat with our team of Educators and learn more about our high-quality curriculum, book a tour now.