Our public preschool

National Quality Standard

The National Quality Framework (NQF) is a national system that sets standards to make sure early childhood education and care services, like preschools, provide high-quality learning and care for children. It acts as a benchmark to help services improve and maintain great practices in areas such as health and safety, learning programs, relationships, and the learning environment. By following the NQF, our preschool ensures that every child receives safe, supportive, and enriching education and care, helping them to grow, learn, and succeed.

• National Law and National Regulations
• National Quality Standard
• Assessment and Quality Rating Process
• National Learning Framework

The National Quality Framework (NQF) sets a benchmark for quality education and care services to ensure the best outcomes for children. It focuses on seven important Quality Areas that guide how early learning services like our preschool support children’s development:

1. Educational program and practice – providing meaningful learning experiences that help children grow and learn.
2. Children’s health and safety – keeping children safe, healthy, and well cared for.
3. Physical environment – creating a safe, welcoming, and stimulating space for children to explore.
4. Staffing arrangements – having skilled and caring educators to support children’s needs.
5. Relationships with children – building positive and respectful connections.
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities – working closely with families and the community to support children’s learning.
7. Leadership and service management – strong leadership that ensures quality education and care.

These seven areas help services provide the best care and education, ensuring children have positive experiences and develop the skills they need for the future.

Through an Assessment and Rating process, all services are assessed against these seven quality areas. Our service rating can be verified through the national register.

Broken Hill Public School Preschool known as Central Preschool

Broken Hill Public School Preschool, known as Central Preschool, provides an inclusive environment for all staff, children and families. Our preschool provides programs, information and resources that reflect diversity and the multicultural nature of our community. In line with the department’s equity strategy, public preschools give priority of access to disadvantaged children within the local community.

Our Beliefs

The Principles, Practices and Learning Outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia: Belonging, Being and Becoming, and the National Quality Framework, are the foundations of our teaching and learning.

We acknowledge the uniqueness of each child and their family. We understand that they may come from various family units and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and with varying abilities, diverse learning needs, interests, strengths, and experiences. Strong partnerships are formed by working closely with the school community (including but not limited to the community liaison officers, community language teachers, Schools as Community Centres, the Kindergarten staff and executive team), other professionals (including the school counsellor and the Learning and Support Team) and outside agencies. We value the importance of forming strong and positive relationships with our families and the children. We understand that by working together with all stakeholders, we create a positive, safe, caring and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and where children are provided with the best early learning opportunities.

At our preschool, we are committed to creating a nurturing and safe environment for all children, in alignment with the Child Safe Standards as outlined in "Implementing the Child Safe Standards: A Guide for Early Childhood Education and Outside School Hours Care Services." We recognise every child's right to feel safe and valued within our community.
To uphold these standards, we implement policies that promote child safety and wellbeing. As stated in the guide, “services must create a culture of child safety and embed child safety in the everyday practices of the service.” Our staff undergo regular training to ensure they understand and adhere to these principles, fostering vigilance and responsiveness.
We encourage open communication with children, families, and the broader community, creating an inclusive atmosphere where concerns can be raised and addressed promptly. In line with the guide’s emphasis on “empowering children to participate in decisions that affect them,” we prioritise building trusting relationships that allow children to express themselves freely and confidently.

Our curriculum educates children about their rights and empowers them to recognise safe and unsafe situations. By embedding these principles into our daily practices, we aim to cultivate a preschool environment where children thrive academically and socially while feeling secure and protected.

Together, we strive to ensure our preschool remains a safe haven for all children, where their voices are heard, and their safety is our utmost priority. As highlighted in the guide, “the safety and wellbeing of children is everyone’s responsibility,” and we are dedicated to fulfilling that responsibility with care and commitment.

Broken Hill Public School Preschool (Central Preschool) welcomes participation from every family and the wider community. We acknowledge that we meet daily on traditional lands of the Wilyakali people and pay our respects to elders past and present. We promote understanding and respect for the heritage of our land and seek to promote a future where all cultures are valued and respected.

Children learn and develop best when exploring their world through stimulating and challenging play where each learning space is equally valuable in supporting children's learning. Our indoor and outdoor environment provides learning opportunities for all children. Our service is committed to the EYLF learning outcomes, principles and practices. This provides the foundation for our daily practice, reflection and commitment to ongoing improvement.
We believe preschool provides the foundation of children's learning, social skills and understanding of the world. This promotes life long learning, happiness and skills for successfully participating in the community to their full potential.
Our program is based on emerging topics that interest and are initiated by children. It is developed and executed between all educators in a collaborative and community driven way. Educators and families are actively encouraged to collaborate regarding programmed activities, policies and practices in regular networking, planning and reflection meetings.
Each child is responded to with care, compassion and sensitivity. Vital components of our practice are building strong relationships with children and being supportive of building their skills and strategies for sustaining friendships with others.
We value the uniqueness of each family, and the rich opportunities families provide for our curriculum. Celebrating differences and similarities helps us recognise the diverse values and needs of everyone involved in our service.
Within a secure, warm and loving environment, children require both acceptance and challenge. Children are given positive guidance within the bounds of age-appropriate acceptable behaviour. Our service models fairness, equity and social justice for all.
The importance of staff and their ability to implement philosophies, ethical behaviour and practices is fundamental in providing the highest quality of care and education. This can be ensured by professional learning for all educators. We work closely with other Early Childhood services, school nurse and health care providers along with the broader schooling sector, to assist in the improvement of daily service delivery and support individual children’s care and learning.
The Australian Code of Ethics for Early Childhood guides our work with all children and their families at Central Preschool.

Welcome to our Preschool

Our preschool

Our preschool is a fun and caring place where young children learn and play to get ready for big school. We follow a five-day fortnight roster, which means children come to preschool three days one week and two days the next week. This way, every child gets time to learn and grow each week. The preschool team works hard to make sure every child feels happy, safe, and excited to learn.

We give every child the start in early childhood education. At our preschool, children explore, ask questions and grow in a safe and caring place. Our friendly team helps each child learn and feel good through fun, hands-on play that builds confidence and curiosity.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to our preschool. Contact us to talk to our team, book a tour or join our waitlist.

Preschool days and hours

Our preschool is open for 6 hours a day, on the same days as all NSW public schools. To learn about our preschool hours, please contact us.

Fees

We do not charge fees to attend our preschool. NSW public preschools are funded by the NSW government.

Attendance

Public preschools enrol children for one year only, the year before they start school.

Children can enrol from the beginning of the school year if they turn 4 years of age before 31 July that year.

Meals

Children bring their own meals and snacks to preschool. For more information, please contact us.

How to enrol

Unlike NSW public schools, there are no intake areas for public preschools. Enrolment is on application only.

Enrolling in a preschool within a school does not guarantee a place at that school for Kindergarten.

Our preschool staff

Principal: Mr J. Thomas

Assistant Principal: Mrs J. Mateer

Teachers: Mrs J. Nicholls, Mrs K. Paine

Preschool Learning Support Officer , Ms A. Zammitt