DESCRIPTION
Blue Gum Community School is a small, community-based, not-for-profit Preschool and Primary School, positioned in the beautifully adapted and heritage listed home and gardens of Mount Errington, walking-distance from Hornsby centre. Before and After School Care and School Holiday Programs are also available.
At Blue Gum, the Preschool marks the beginning of a student’s journey. The school’s strengths-based approach, intentional valuing of community (the group), and Blue Gum’s firm belief in children’s strong capabilities, creativity and resourcefulness, shapes the learning program in both the Preschool and Primary School. From the age of three, students are invited into meaningful and engaging experiences every day – to learn, live and play. Students are encouraged to explore, investigate and engage with one another and the educators, as they develop a range of skills to work with ideas, materials and each other. From the Preschool through to the Primary School, the arts are integrated meaningfully into the programs, seen as crucial languages for supporting student’s ongoing theory making and research, acting as powerful companions to thinking, giving visibility to student’s thoughts and considerations as they consider concepts with others over time.
Blue Gum’s ethos is grounded in the Australian tradition of ‘a fair go’ ‐ a strong commitment to social justice, especially the right of each child to feel valued; develop a sense of belonging; and be equipped with the essential academic and interpersonal skills for success and a meaningful life with others. In this way, learning in all areas (e.g. literacy, mathematics, science, art, emotional regulation, self-help skills, communication, etc.) are integrated and naturally woven into a rich program of engagement, that responds to the ideas/concepts being explored by the students at any given time. In all aspects of the program, attention is given to developing greater understandings from multiple perspectives, highlighting the importance of listening to, and learning from, others. The program in Preschool is also guided by the regulated Early Years Learning Framework and influenced by other significant thinkers in Early Childhood and beyond.
I
We started at Blue Gum as one of the first students when it opened back in 2022. We were looking for a preschool which followed a child lead approach in their learning and a learning environment which encouraged exploration through everyday activities and items. The grounds are a beautiful historical home at the highest peak in Hornsby. They have kept the heritage of the home, and incorporated Montessori based play within the centre. From a music room, construction room, painting room etc. They offer preschool hours and the additional extended hours before and after, in addition vacation care is available for the kids (however if you don’t book you don’t need to pay like childcare). They assisted us in the transition to Kindy, which is extremely beneficial to his current enjoyment at school.