If you’re looking for a wonderful preschool for your child on the North Shore, our North Shore Preschool Guide is a great place to start your search! It showcases a range of amazing preschools across the North Shore, all with different philosophies and values. Read on for key information about each preschool, with details of how you can book a tour to explore further.
Click on the links below, to quickly go to the full listing in our North Shore Preschool Guide:
- Forestville Montessori School, Forestville
- Gowrie NSW Shirley Road Preschool, Crows Nest
- Pymble-Turramurra Pre-school, Turramurra
- Sydney Grammar School St Ives Preparatory, St Ives
- Three Bears Kindergarten, Hornsby
- Willoughby Community Preschool Inc, Naremburn
Prefer a childcare centre? Take a look at our North Shore Childcare & Early Learning Centre Guide too!
VIEW THE NORTH SHORE CHILDCARE GUIDE
Lower North Shore Preschools
Willoughby Community Preschool Inc

Willoughby Community Preschool
About Willoughby Community Preschool
Willoughby Community Preschool Inc. is a long-standing institution within the Willoughby/Naremburn community, providing education and care for children aged three to five years for nearly half a century. This North Shore Preschool is a community based, not-for-profit, long-day care preschool, which requires and highly values the involvement of its parent community. The Preschool has been assessed as “Exceeding” according to the National Quality Standard.
The Preschool prides itself in being a Little Scientists House. This award acknowledges their commitment to inquiry-based STEM learning and daily scientific research with the children, documenting the progress and attending ongoing professional development programs with Little Scientists Australia. They participate in the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) programme for four-year-old children (year before school), integrating the Japanese language learning and technology.
Languages spoken by educators: English, Mandarin, Italian, Japanese and Korean. Their educators are highly skilled and passionate about learning and share their special interests of music – teaching the children the ukulele; fine arts, and nature including sustainability, gardening, growing vegetables and tending to their native bees.
Want to know more? Access their Virtual Tour here. Contact their Director to book a tour in person.
- Ages: 3-5 years
- Meals: Bring your own recess & lunchbox
- Hours: 8am-4pm
- Fees: 3 day group (Mon, Tues, & Wed) or 2 day group (Thurs & Fri). 9am-3pm, $84 per day, or 8am-4pm $106 per day.
Contact Willoughby Community Preschool
- Address: 7-9 Central Street, Naremburn, NSW, 2065
- Email: director@wcp.org.au
- Phone: (02) 9437 4260
- Website: wcp.org.au
Gowrie NSW Shirley Road Preschool

Gowrie NSW Shirley Road Preschool
About Gowrie NSW Shirley Road Preschool
Shirley Road Preschool is Gowrie NSW’s first preschool service and is a quality, not-for-profit preschool located in Crows Nest Uniting Church on Shirley Road.
Shirley Road Preschool has a long-standing history within the Crows Nest community, opening on 1 February 1972. Today, over 40 years later and under the Gowrie NSW umbrella, Shirley Road Preschool is flourishing, with a reputation for excellence. They cater for over 45 families, their children aged 3 – 5 years. They believe that every child brings with them unique strengths, capabilities, culture, interests, knowledge, ideas and experiences… and that every day is filled with possibility and chances for discovery.
- Ages: 3-5 years
- Meals: Bring your own recess & lunchbox
- Hours: 8.15am-3.45pm
- Fees: Attending 2 days (3-4 year olds): Free, unfunded day 3: $87, unfunded day 4: $83, unfunded day 5: $77.
Contact Willoughby Community Preschool
- Address:Cnr Shirley Road and Nicholson Place, Crows Nest 2065
- Email: enrolments@gowriensw.com.au
- Phone:(02) 8594 4200
- Website: Gowrie NSW Shirley Road Preschool
Upper North Shore Preschools
Sydney Grammar School St Ives Preparatory
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St Ives Preparatory
About St Ives Preparatory
St Ives Preparatory offers a unique five-day Preschool programme for deeply curious boys who are driven by special interest and a thirst for understanding.
Their Preschool provides opportunities for richer learning, where boys will make discoveries and develop theories, while they build competencies in literacy, music, creative arts, science, physical education, and numeracy.
Their programme connects the pedagogical practices of the first years of formal schooling with holistic play-based learning, supporting the development of learning dispositions including curiosity, creativity, commitment, cooperation, confidence, enthusiasm, imagination, reflexivity and persistence. These will become the foundations for education at Grammar.
Come and visit the Preschool at St Ives Preparatory. To make a booking, or to find out more, call 8302 5200.
- Ages: 4-5 years
- Meals: Bring your own recess & lunchbox
- Hours: 8.00am – 2.30pm, Monday – Friday, with after school care available until 6pm
- Fees: $26,727 per annum
Contact St Ives Preparatory
- Address: 11-21 Ayers Road, St Ives, NSW
- Email: stivesenrolments@sydgram.nsw.edu.au
- Phone: (02) 8302 5200
- Website: sydgram.nsw.edu.au/st-ives
Pymble-Turramurra Pre-school

Pymble-Turramurra Pre-school
About Pymble-Turramurra Pre-school
Pymble Turramurra Pre-school, fondly known as Handley Avenue, is a community based, not-for-profit North Shore Pre-school which has achieved a reputation on the North Shore for excellence in early childhood education since its establishment in 1962.
The Pre-school provides a fun and engaging play-based learning environment that is complemented by the unique natural outdoor environment. Children are offered a range of activities to support development of their practical school readiness skills and to equip them with foundations they will draw on for the rest of their lives. The highly qualified and experienced staff nurture the individual needs of each child and play a pivotal role in facilitating the warm, welcoming and inclusive community spirit that the Pre-school is well known for.
Want to know more? Call or email the Pre-school to request a tour.
- Ages: 3-5 years
- Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday from 9am – 3pm (3-day group) & Thursday & Friday from 8:30am – 4pm (2-day group).
- Meals: Bring your own recess & lunch
- Annual Fees: Click here to view full fee schedule.
Contact Pymble-Turramurra Pre-school
- Address: 21 Handley Avenue, Turramurra
- Email: info@pymbleturrapreschool.org.au
- Phone: (02) 9449 1445
- Website: pymbleturrapreschool.org.au
Three Bears Kindergarten

Three Bears Kindergarten
About Three Bears Kindergarten
At Three Bears Kindergarten they aim to create an atmosphere that helps all their families and children feel welcome, respected and able to share their values and ideals. Their program is planned to promote the inclusion and participation of all children regardless of their circumstances or abilities. Their aim is for every child to experience learning which will build success for them in the future.
Three Bears is a well established, privately owned centre with just 29 children attending each day. Their setting is warm and comfortable inside and they are very proud of their large, natural outside area.
Want to know more? Call them on (02) 9987 4025 to organise a tour.
- Ages: 3-5 years
- Meals: Bring your own recess & lunchbox
- Hours: 8.30am – 4.30pm
- Fees: $89 per day
Contact Three Bears Kindergarten
- Address: 4 Railway Parade, Hornsby
- Email: threebearskindy@yahoo.com.au
- Phone: (02) 9987 4025
- Website: threebearskindy.com.au
Forestville Montessori School

Forestville Montessori School
About Forestville Montessori School
Looking for an educational preschool program for your child? Ignite your child’s natural curiosity, independence and joy for lifelong learning at Forestville Montessori School. Your child will be offered hands-on, self-paced, collaborative learning. They play to your child’s innate strengths – regardless of their age or ability, without competitive pressure. Teachers cultivate thinking outside the box, expanding their horizons, taking them beyond accomplished.
Forestville Montessori School offers many extracurricular activities, including swimming, surfing at Manly Beach, Judo, Table Tennis, Bowls, Taekwondo, Netball, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Dance, AFL, Suzuki music classes, Japanese, Seed to Plate Kitchen Garden Program, visual arts.
Want to know more? Book a tour and see their classrooms in action!
- Ages: 6 weeks – 12 years
- Meals: Bring your own recess & lunch box
- Hours: 7.30am-5.30pm
- Fees: 3 day program from $128 per day (8.30am-5.30pm)
Contact Forestville Montessori School
- Address: 1 Angel Place, Forestville NSW 2087
- Email: alena.s@forestvillemontessori.nsw.edu.au
- Phone: (02) 9452 2044
- Website: forestvillemontessori.nsw.edu.au
VIEW THE NORTH SHORE CHILDCARE GUIDE