Fern Bay

Tillys Play and Development Centre Fern Bay was established in 2019 and includes two nursery rooms for children aged 0-2, two toddler rooms for children aged 2-3 and two preschool rooms for children aged 3-6. Each room provides a sense of Belonging where the children’s interests, ideas and voices are implemented to ensure each child is engaged in their experiences and play with their needs and goals in mind. Our spacious natural outdoor environment promotes learning and our spaces are a reflection of home. The outdoor play space is fitted with vast gardens to explore, slides and climbing equipment, vegetable gardens and quiet spaces. The large play environments ensure that their are a variety of spaces which cater for all children aged 0-6 years. The centre has it’s own kitchen where meals are prepared fresh daily by our centre cook.

At Tillys Fern Bay, we are committed to building bright futures for all children through the delivery of child-centred, play-based and Reggio Emilia-influenced early education and care. Utilising a curriculum founded on these principles allows children to become active participants in their own learning journey and extend their learning based on their individual strengths and interests.

Building a sense of community is an important element of our approach to early education and care at Tillys Fern Bay. We believe educators, parents and the surrounding communities are co-collaborators in nurturing each child’s creativity and curiosity. As such, we encourage open and constructive communication between parents and educators, as well as with our sister Tillys centres and our local Port Stephens Community. Our centre is located across the street from the local Primary School which enables us to have close connections with the school for our Transition to School program.

At our annual awards ceremony on Saturday 3rd February, celebrating our educators for 2023, Tillys Fern Bay and it’s educators were nominated as finalists and won a number of awards for their excellence and dedication to Early Childhood Education and Care. These include:

0-2 Room of The Year Finalist – Rock Pool

3-6 Room of the Year Winner – Pelican

Pedagogy and Practice Award 2-3 Finalist – Emily Howell

Pedagogy and Practice Award 3-6 Finalist – Keisha Jones

Trainee of the Year Practical Finalist – Jodie Lovett

Support Person of the Year Finalist – Rebecca Fomm

3-6 Programmer of the Year Finalist – Keisha Jones

Educator of the Year Winner – Emily Howell

Educational Leader of the Year Finalist – Emma Tisdell

Commitment to Team Culture Winner – Fern Bay for Outdoor Team Collaboration

For more information on Tillys Play and Development Centre Fern Bay or to enrol, please complete the enquiry form below or contact:

Ph: 49201125