First Steps Learning Academy

11/03/2026

Join us for a free Mums & Bubs Session and meet Mums in the local community.

At First Steps Learning Academy Barden Ridge, we cater for children 0-5 years of age in a safe, inclusive, welcoming, fun learning environment.

27/05/2025

📚On Wednesday 21st May the children here at FSLA Barden Ridge took part in National Simultaneous StoryTime.
National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is an annual event that celebrates storytelling and literacy by sharing a picture book by an Australian author across the country at the same time. Now in its 25th year, NSS brings children together in schools, libraries, homes, and childcare centres to enjoy the magic of a shared story. It promotes a love of reading, supports early learning, and helps children build language, imagination, and emotional understanding, all while creating a sense of connection and community. 📚

19/05/2025

Happy Mothers Day to all our beautiful FSLA Barden Ridge mummies 🌸 beautiful afternoon spent making love hearts out of play dough, making pasta bracelets and making some yummy cookies 💝

14/04/2025

What a way to kick off the week!

Our amazing baby room educators have gone above and beyond to create some egg-cellent Easter-themed activities for our little bubs — and they’ve absolutely loved every moment!

It’s such a joy to see our babies exploring, discovering, and engaging in creative play that supports their development — all while getting into the Easter spirit.

A big shoutout to our educators for bringing such magic into the room this week. We’re so lucky to have someone who puts so much heart into making each day special!

11/04/2025

Easter Hat Parade Fun!
🎩🐣🐰

What a wonderful afternoon we had at the local public school’s Easter Hat Parade! The children were full of excitement as they proudly wore their creative and colorful Easter hats, joining in the festive fun with smiles all around. 🌈👒

One of the highlights of the day was getting to meet the Easter Bunny in person—what a treat! 🐰 The children were absolutely thrilled and loved every moment of the magical visit. ✨

To top it all off, the school generously gifted each child a bag of Easter eggs to take back with us. 🍫 Needless to say, the Easter treats were a huge hit at the centre and were enjoyed by all.

A big thank you to the local public school for hosting such a joyful event and making it such a memorable experience for our little ones! ❤️

11/04/2025

09/04/2025

The Warin Room Had a Very Special Visitor!

This week, the Warin Room was buzzing with excitement as we welcomed a very special guest — Healthy Harold!

Our favourite giraffe rolled in with his big smile, ready to teach us all about staying healthy. The children were absolutely thrilled to interact with Harold in a fun, hands-on learning experience.

Healthy Harold’s visit wasn’t just exciting — it was also incredibly valuable. Through engaging stories and interactive lessons, the children explored important topics like:
• Healthy eating and nutrition
• Friendship and emotional wellbeing
• Staying safe in different situations
• The importance of physical activity

Harold has a unique way of connecting with young learners, making complex topics simple, relatable, and fun. His visit helps lay the foundation for lifelong healthy habits and supports our ongoing wellbeing curriculum in such a memorable way.

Thanks for visiting, Harold — we can’t wait to see you again next year!

02/04/2025

Exploring Road Safety: A Fun and Educational Excursion!

On the 20th February our 3-5 room had an exciting opportunity to go on an excursion focused on road safety! This outing was inspired by our parent feedback surveys, where road safety was the most suggested topic for learning outside the classroom.

The children had a fantastic time exploring real-life traffic situations, learning how to safely cross roads, recognise different signs, and understand the importance of pedestrian safety. Through hands-on activities and engaging discussions, they gained valuable knowledge in a fun and interactive way.

A big thank you to our families for your input—we love incorporating your suggestions into our program to create meaningful learning experiences for the children. Stay tuned for more adventures ahead!

17/03/2025

At ages 4-5, children are experiencing big emotions as they navigate the world around them. Teaching them about their feelings—and that all emotions are okay—helps them develop essential life skills. Here’s why emotional learning is so important for young kids:

1. Builds Emotional Awareness

2. Encourages Healthy Expression

3. Strengthens Social Skills

4. Reduces Tantrums & Frustration

5. Boosts Confidence & Self-Acceptance

By teaching 4-5-year-olds about emotions in a supportive way, we help them develop resilience, empathy, and confidence. Through books, conversations, and play, we can empower little ones to understand and manage their feelings—setting them up for emotional success in life!

How do you help your child talk about their feelings? Share your favorite tips! 😊😢😡🤭😴😬🥴🫣🤗🥶🥵

17/03/2025

The ocean is a magical place full of fascinating creatures, and introducing 2-3-year-olds to under-the-sea animals is not just fun—it’s also highly beneficial for their development! Here’s how learning about marine life can support young children’s growth:

1. Expands Vocabulary & Language Skills

2. Encourages Curiosity & Cognitive Development

3. Supports Sensory & Motor Skills

4. Fosters a Love for Nature & Conservation

5. Makes Learning Fun & Engaging

By exploring the wonders of under-the-sea animals, toddlers build essential skills while having fun. Whether it’s through books, play, or hands-on activities, learning about ocean creatures opens up a world of discovery for little learners!

What’s your child’s favorite sea animal? Let’s dive into learning together! 🐙🦑🪼🦐🦞🦀🐡🐠🐟🐬🐳🐋🦈🦭

06/03/2025

🌟 Celebrating Our Amazing Team at First Steps Learning Academy! 🌟

At First Steps Learning Academy, we believe that our success begins with the dedication, passion, and hard work of our incredible staff. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce our Staff Recognition Program! 🙌

Every month, we want to take the time to celebrate the outstanding contributions of our team members at each of our centres. Whether it’s going above and beyond for our students or supporting their colleagues, we truly appreciate everything they do to make First Steps Learning Academy, a special place for learning and growth.

A huge congratulations to our Employees of the Month for January! 🎉 Your hard work, commitment, and positive energy truly make a difference in the lives of our children and families.

We are so proud of all of our amazing employees and look forward to continuing to recognise and celebrate their efforts! ❤️

27/04/2023

Dear Families,

Please view the below information regarding the CCS: Balancing deadlines approaching.

Families must confirm what they earned in 2021–22 and 2020–21 by 30 June to avoid losing CCS or incurring a debt.

At the end of each financial year, Services Australia compares a family’s income estimate with their actual income to check they got the right amount of CCS. This process is called balancing.

Families need to confirm their income for balancing to occur. There are deadlines for families to do this.
The end of financial year marks two important deadlines for families:
• first deadline for confirming 2021–22 income.
• second deadline for confirming 2020–21 income.
If a family misses the first deadline, their CCS will stop.

If a family misses the second deadline, they will lose their CCS eligibility and may have to repay any CCS they got for that financial year.

How to confirm income
Confirm your income by:
• lodging your tax return, or
• telling Services Australia that you don’t need to lodge, even if you’ve already told the Australian Taxation Office.

If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out to your Centre Director or click the link for Child Care Package. https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-package

Learn more about the balancing process on the Services Australia website. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/balancing-child-care-subsidy?context=41186

If you have any questions concerning your account please seek your local First Steps Learning Academy.

The Child Care Package is helping parents and carers who rely on subsidised child care to work, train, study or volunteer.

27/04/2023

Dear Families,

Some recent updates have occurred in regard to CCS with a new Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Calculator which assists you with finding, what your new subsidy will look like from 10th July 2023.

Childcare Subsidy Calculator:
Families can now use the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Calculator at StartingBlocks.gov.au to see what their subsidy rates may be from 10 July.

Most families will get more subsidy. Some families previously not eligible will be able to get it.

Use the following link to see how your subsidy can change.

If you have any questions please reach out to your local First Steps Learning Academy.

Information for parents about early childhood education and care, National Quality Framework (NQF) and National Quality Standard (NQS) service quality ratings

30/03/2023

Our Kirrawee centre has some tiny visitors this week right in time for Easter 🐣💜 We are so lucky to be participating in the ‘Chics R us’ program, allowing the children to watch the chicks hatch from their eggs and grow across 2 weeks. What a fantastic opportunity ! We love our new little friends ❤️

22/05/2022

First Steps Learning Academy Kirrawee

Our bright, colourful, neighbourhood Centre located in the heart of the Sutherland Shire only a few minutes’ walk from Sutherland North Primary School.

28/10/2021

Welcome to our Kirrawee Centre.

Our bright, colourful, neighbourhood Centre is located in the heart of the Sutherland Shire only a few minutes’ walk from Sutherland North Primary School.

With two large indoor learning spaces and a dedicated nursery area the environments reflects the strong family oriented nature of the suburb. Each room is filled with a wide variety of learning stations include puzzles, books, musical instruments, sensory play, home corner and dramatic play.

Our preschool children are immersed in age-appropriate resources and a balance of indoor and outdoor curriculum that encourages their social and emotional development.

Our centre is open Monday to Friday from 7.15am to 6pm. We have availability for 36 children, between the ages of 0-5years.

ENROL HERE -> https://firststepslearning.com.au/enrol-now/

18/10/2021

Enrol Now

03/09/2021

Beautiful new photos of our Barden Ridge Centre. A warm, inviting and fun environment for our little learners.