Guardian Childcare & Education St Kilda South

(Formerly Tree House)

Guardian Childcare & Education St Kilda South is a beautiful, sprawling Centre with a wrap-around playground, a water play area, natural play structures, and a range of age-specific areas for children to explore and learn.

The light-filled Centre is built around a 200-year-old Moreton Bay Fig Tree, which is the stunning backdrop to our free flowing indoor/outdoor program. The children and our families adore this big beautiful piece of nature that forms the heart of our Centre, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to teach the children about the environment, sustainability and co-existing with nature.

Guardian St Kilda South offers a leading Kindergarten Program, led by our university-qualified teachers which helps prepare our older children for the exciting transition to school. This program is in addition to the amazing learning experiences our dedicated Educators and Teachers prepare for children of all ages – from six months to six years.

We are proud to have a culturally diverse team and therefore celebrate a variety of cultures and holidays throughout the year. In addition to events, our community-minded Educators and Teachers organise regular visits to our neighbouring Guardian Centres, which creates strong bonds between the children.

In addition to visiting our neighbouring Centres, the children at Guardian St Kilda South get out and about on regular excursions into the local community. We visit locations such as Prahran Markets, Booran Park, St Kilda Adventure Playground and St Kilda and Elwood Primary Schools, which form a big part of our transition to school programs.

Guardian St Kilda South have a dedicated on-site cook, Chelsea, who prepares delicious and nutritious meals each day – with seasonal ingredients as the main attraction. Having over 10 years of commercial experience, Chelsea is passionate about sharing new recipes with the children and fellow Guardian cooks in the community. To further explore food at the Centre, our Educators host hands-on cooking classes for the children to expand their knowledge and taste buds!

Begin the adventure at Guardian St Kilda South today by booking a tour to explore the Centre, or chat with our team of Educators to learn more about our approach to high-quality care and education.

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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.

  • From 7:30am

    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.

  • From 7:30am

    Breakfast time where families are welcome to stay and enjoy breakfast with the children.

  • Morning

    An opportunity to play and discover with open-plan play in family groups and multi-age groupings.

  • 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.

  • Morning tea

    An opportunity for children to come together for a healthy snack, often they help prepare their food alongside our carers and chef.

  • Mid-morning

    Individually tailored to your child’s needs and curiosity the planned experiences continue, this includes both indoor and outdoor programs.

  • Lunch

    Another nutritious meal expertly prepared by our chef. Families are invited to join the children for meals and excursions if they wish.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • End of day

    Your child is encouraged to grab a light snack as 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 Hours

Open 7:30am to 6:30pm
Monday to Friday

Fee Information

Age Group Daily Fee
0-24 Months $169.00*
24-36 Months $169.00*
Over 36 Months $167.00*

*Price before the government rebate. To calculate what Child Care Subsidy you might get back, click here.

Our Educators

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

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 St Kilda South

Guardian Childcare & Education St Kilda South is built around a historically significant tree. This Morton Bay Fig tree is around 200 years old and has been a place of gathering for children and families for generations. At Guardian, we acknowledge the history and traditions of those who have come to this site before us, including the Boonwurung People. We also acknowledge that the presence of this tree is the reason this site was available for the centre to be built around. 

This leads us to feelings of respect, appreciation and responsibility towards nature, which guides our practices and is ever present in our educational program. Our centre runs a wonderful excursion program with regular visits to the supermarket, library, local primary schools, cafes, beach, the list goes on. 

Our centre has a dedicated on-site chef who prepares fresh, locally sourced food with a large emphasis on a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, legumes and seeds. We also provide necessities such as nappies, sunscreen and bedding for nap times. 

The first five years of your child’s life are incredibly important when it comes to social and emotional development, and setting them up with a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. That’s why at Guardian we’re focused on teaching children how to learn versus just ticking a box.   

Our world-class curriculum is delivered by qualified teachers through exciting and engaging play-based experiences, including a leading Kindergarten Program for our older children. We combine this with the highest quality care, and communicate it all back to you so you can see how your child is growing and developing every day.     

Our Centres inspire curiosity, foster creativity and support discovery with a variety of sensory-rich and sustainable spaces designed for early learning that encourage your child to think, question and do amazing things. All of the classrooms and outdoor areas are filled with the best natural, open-ended materials to inspire your child to be brave, curios and imaginative in their learning. 

Our close partnership with families allows us to offer a range of additional benefits to the learning and childcare experience for the children in our St Kilda South childcare centre. We pride ourselves on the support we offer families and want to help make it a little easier to balance all those daily commitments, through initiatives such as:  

  • Designated drop off and pick up zones to assist with those busy mornings and afternoons. 
  • Casual care days where possible to help you manage the unpredictable nature of work life and home life.   
  • Assisting you with government subsidies and entitlements to help you make the most of the financial support which may be available.  
  • Our family communication app StoryPark to keep you informed throughout the day with photos, videos and updates about your child  
  • We hold parent and educator sessions to keep you informed of your child’s individual progress.  
  • Providing your child with unexpected benefits such as exposure to a range of cultures and languages via our diverse and multi-cultural educator mix.   

Guardian Childcare St Kilda South is an early learning centre that services a number of local areas, including: St Kilda, Prahran, Richmond and Malvern. 

Reviews (14)

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    E Clarke

    - 8 months ago

    My children receive high quality nutritious meals, and have been so happy here. Fantastic educators who care so much and go above and beyond for my family. The place ... Read More

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    Amber Bramdaw

    - 9 months ago

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    Mariah Ware

    - 10 months ago

    My daughter has been attending Guardian St Kilda South since she was 4 months old, the educators made it so easy for me to return to work. Being a first ... Read More

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    Adeline Watbot

    - 11 months ago

    My first child has attended this centre, and my second son is now. We can't be happier with the quality of the learning, the great natural spaces, the open door ... Read More

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    Michele Ribeiro Soares

    - 11 months ago

    I have my 2yo daughter here since last year. It makes me so happy every day that she arrives at the centre smilling. She adores her teacher and her room. ... Read More

  • A

    Anne Koopmann

    - 1 year ago

    We could not be happier with this center. From day one we have loved coming here. Our son is so happy every morning when he walks through the door. Lots ... Read More

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    Rebecca Sanders

    - 1 year ago

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    Sanders Family

    - 1 year ago

    We're absolutely loving this centre. It's out 3rd try finding a centre for our daughter and we're so relieved to have found such a great place for her. The carers ... Read More

  • S

    Stephanie Collins

    - 2 years ago

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    Estefania M

    - 2 years ago

  • M

    Maria Jansson

    - 3 years ago

  • M

    Maria Coulter

    - 3 years ago

    Fresh food prepared daily. Definitely recommend this.

  • M

    Michelle Catanese

    - 3 years ago

    I think it's a great centre, lots of outdoor play, creativity, education and natural play. The staff is friendly and my daughter always goes with a smile on her face, ... Read More

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    Andrew Pantelis

    - 4 years ago

    Couldn't be happier with this centre, I can see my little boy advancing in areas we can't do at home. He loves it here, as do we.

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.

Book a Tour Enquire Now