A territory winner for the second year running, Gungahlin Children’s Centre in the nation’s capital achieved a KindiCare rating of 9.5 this year and it holds an Exceeding National Quality Standards Rating from ACECQA.

The Gungahlin Children’s Centre is comprised of a dedicated team of early educators who provide education and care for children aged from six months to six years old. Director, Karen Gergely, has been at Gungahlin Children’s Centre since it opened nearly 20 years ago and says she has witnessed the evolution of a variety of creative spaces throughout the centre. “Public spaces celebrate and share children’s ideas, creativity and visual expression. “We believe that physical spaces influence our behaviours, creative responses and thinking. Every space in the centre is meaningfully presented and conveys a sense of aesthetic beauty, order and invitation to families, children and staff to enjoy and explore,” she said on the service website. Children at Gungahlin Children’s Centre benefit from specialist teachers in art and music along with dedicated studios to extend their imagination and creative expression. In the art studio children are provided with an ever-changing range of provocations, books, recycled materials and art supplies to ignite their imaginations and interests. The specialist art teacher says that studio sessions give children time and space to work through questions and challenges. “We focus on the process of art making and finding ways for children to explore materials and express their ideas visually.” Sessions in the sound studio offer another opportunity for children to explore their creativity and discover a love for making music. “Studio sessions engage children in a variety of music related experiences including introduction to a wide range of instruments and musical styles. Children enjoy weekly singing in unison and investigation of a physical environment that is designed to inspire a deep understanding of music as a language that tells many stories.” With consistently fantastic reviews from parents and an Exceeding the National Quality Standard Rating from ACECQA, twice in a row, it’s no wonder this service has emerged as a winner again this year.