Our Centre

Celebrating over 50 years of quality Early Childhood Education to families in Tamworth.

Nurturing, Educational, Family and Community Centred.

St Mark’s Preschool and Long Day believe in working collaboratively with children, families, and the wider community to develop the attributes, dispositions and skills required for successful and meaningful school readiness preparedness and an enduring passion for learning. This is achieved through the establishment and maintenance of respectful, trusting relationships with educators and other children.

These relationships allow children to develop a sense of identity, embrace strengths, cultural, family, and personal values that make them unique and special. From this emotional base, children have the foundational social and emotional development they require to develop a growth mindset, and the learning dispositions required, to transition to formal schooling and embrace a life-long journey of growing and learning.

Possum Room

Possum Room is our 4-5 school readiness room. This room has 4 permanent educators daily with a maximum of 25 children. The curriculum, experiences and opportunities afforded to the children in this room builds on their existing knowledge, strengths and skills through a lens of preparing them for formal learning.

Through a wide variety of play-based, concrete experiences, activities and resources, children are exposed to pre-literacy, pre-numeracy and STEAM concepts that provide a foundational basis for future learning. They are provided opportunities to refine and practice skills like turn-taking, waiting, listening, speaking in front of peers, and transitioning from one experience to another.

A variety of intentional and spontaneous experiences are provided daily to ensure children develop strong social, emotional, and mental wellbeing. As they progress through the year, there is an even greater emphasis on those skills and attributes that are helpful for transition to school, including excursions to some of the local feeder schools to have a look around.

Turtle Room

The Turtle room is our 4-year-old room. There are 3 permanent educators in this room each day with a maximum of 20 children.

Through repetition, practice and scaffolding by educators, children develop, extend, and enhance the fine and gross motor skills like running, skipping, climbing, tearing, scrunching, opening lids and containers, etc. These are essential in preparing children for the more complex tasks such as cutting, holding a pencil, writing, etc.

This room also focuses on building those wellbeing dispositions like emotional regulation, resilience, persistence, collaboration, and self-help skills, equipping them with the skills to navigate friendships and develop independence. There is always so much going on, especially in the messy play, art and sensory experience areas. They sure do have a messy, fun, turtley awesome time!

Bilby Room

Bilbies are the youngest in our centre, typically 3 years old. We have 3 permanent full-time educators in this room every day with a maximum of 17 children. The focus of this room is to promote a sense of belonging for each child through secure attachments with other children and familiar educators, and the establishment of routines that promote independence and autonomy.

Opportunities for uninterrupted play, diverse experiences, and resources allow children to explore aspects of identity, culture, and the world around them. Children’s voices, ideas and values influence the daily program, allowing children to engage, learn and develop at their own pace.

There is a big focus on imaginative and real-world play and many opportunities to sing, dance and express themselves through the arts.