Waratah 1

Tillys Play and Development Centre Waratah 1 was established in 2007 and has been renovated to create an outstanding long day care service. Waratah 1 is a 55 place early education and care centre catering for children aged between 0-6 years. It is located a short 15 minutes from Newcastle and is conveniently situated close to public transport hubs and local community services. The centre works closely with our larger Waratah 2 centre and have created a great partnership with them.

The play rooms at Waratah 1 have been purposefully designed to capture the natural light and air flow. Each room encompasses an organically bright space full of stimulating resources and play areas for growth and learning. Our centre features one 12 place nursery room for children 0-2 years, a 15 place room for children aged 2-3 and a 28 place preschool room for children aged 3-6, as well as expansive outdoor play spaces with natural shade.

Our centre is a Level 3 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) centre receiving our accreditation with Stem Detectives in November of 2018. We are committed to having a whole centre approach to STEM learning and acknowledge the many ways children learn.

Our 3-6 room runs a comprehensive preschool program for children which incorporates the Government’s Early Learning Languages Australia Program as well. The centre has an integrated Transition to School Program which has been developed in conjunction with our team of University trained Early Childhood Teachers and the local schools in the area, to assist children to develop the vital skills to ensure the smooth process of transitioning on to primary school.

We acknowledge that the indoor/outdoor environment is the third teacher and a vital resource in a child’s daily learning. We pride ourselves on our natural environment which incorporates both natural and man-made structures. Our children love climbing the rock wall, sliding down the slide and steering the wheels as they use their imagination in play on our tree fort. A beautifully green playground that offers a balance between sun and shade encourages exploration and discovery.

Our friendly professional team of teachers and educators strive to build upon connections with children and families. Our families are our community and hold a wealth of knowledge and resources that we welcome at our centre.

At our awards night for 2020, Tillys Waratah 1 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:

3-6 Room of the Year Winner – Sunflower Room

Pedagogy and Practice Award 0-2 Finalist – Kyah Barnes

Pedagogy and Practice Award 2-3 Finalist – Samantha White

Pedagogy and Practice Award 3-6 Finalist – Hannah Gerathy

Support Person of the Year Finalist – Kel-lea Howatt

Outstanding Outdoor Environment Finalist – Waratah 1

Programmer of the Year Winner – Hannah Gerathy

10 Years of Service – Jillian Donald

10 Years of Service – Kathryn Lewis

Educator of the Year Winner – Hannah Gerathy

Commitment to Critically Reflective Practice Award Finalist – Kris Bignall

Whole Service Commitment to Excellence Award Finalist – Waratah 1