Goodstart Early Learning Brighton - North Road

🎨🌻 A creative day of art and gardening! The children enjoyed a still life art activity inspired by the artwork of Van Gogh and the beautiful sunflowers the children have been growing.

Can you see stunning sunflowers? 🌻💛

Strong relationships are the foundation for confident, curious learners 💛

Goodstart’s key educator approach ensures every child is known, supported and feels safe - through consistent, nurturing connections with educators and meaningful partnerships with families. These bonds help build wellbeing, resilience and a true sense of belonging from day one.

Discover how this approach supports your child’s learning journey: https://brnw.ch/2

A huge thank you to one of our Centre-dads for organising a visit from our local firefighters!

The children loved exploring the fire truck, learning about the equipment firefighters use, and hearing important fire safety messages, including what to do in an emergency and when to call 000.
One of the highlights was watching Miss Lauren demonstrate the fire hose!
We were so proud of how respectfully the children listened, asked questions, and engaged throughout the visit.

What a wonderful way to begin our "People in the Community" month. Thank you again the firefighters for sharing your time and knowledge with us! ❤️🚒

At the beginning of June we celebrated Matariki which is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster. Its appearance in the winter sky marks the Māori New Year (Te Mātahi o te Tau).

Kindy children had a special visit from our respected Maori community leader ‘’Megan” generously shared her significant Matariki tradition. She explained how connection of human beings with a broader community is so important in Maori culture. This broader community extends from land to the sea and to the sky.

Our kindergarteners were excited to hear her experiences and linked it closely to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures that they have been learning each day!

Did you know we invested $65.5M into our social purpose last year, a 14% increase on the year before? 👏 At Goodstart, we're proud of the impact we have on children, families and communities. As a not‑for‑profit, every dollar we earn is reinvested to improve outcomes – from high‑quality learning and educator development to extra support for children who need it most.
Because when we put children first, the impact goes further 💛

Sensory fun in the Nursery!
🫧 Bubble wrap provided a wonderful opportunity for our babies to explore touch, sound and movement through play.

🔍 Sink or Float? 💦

Our Kindy children became little scientists as they predicted, tested and discovered which objects sink and which float! Through hands-on exploration, they developed curiosity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills while having lots of fun. 🌊🧪

🌿 NAIDOC Week 2026 | The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy 🖤💛❤️

A few weeks ago, our children yarned about NAIDOC week. Through meaningful play, storytelling and creative experiences we celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Throughout the week we have:
🎨 Created artworks inspired by Aboriginal symbols, colours and Country.
📚 Shared stories that celebrate connection to land, people and culture.
🦘 Explored Indigenous symbols and animals through hands-on learning and discussion.
🖌️ Worked together on a collaborative outdoor art project, recognising the importance of community and shared stories.
🌱 Used sensory play to explore native animals and landscapes while encouraging curiosity and respectful conversations about caring for Country.

These experiences support children's understanding of belonging, respect and appreciation for the world's oldest continuing cultures. We are proud to provide opportunities for children to learn through play, ask questions, share ideas and build connections with First Nations perspectives.

Thank you to our families for supporting us as we celebrate NAIDOC Week and continue embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into our everyday learning.

Happy NAIDOC Week! 🖤💛❤️

The research is clear 📚 reading aloud is one of the most powerful things we can do for our children.

When we read with a child, we’re doing far more than sharing a story. We’re building the foundations for language, confidence, curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.

Decades of research shows that children who are read to regularly:

💛 Build stronger language skills
Hearing rich varied language in books exposes children to far more words than everyday conversation alone. This growing vocabulary helps them understand, communicate and make sense of the world.

💛 Develop early literacy skills long before they learn to read
Through stories, children learn how books work – that print carries meaning, that pages turn left to right, and that stories have a beginning, middle and end. These early understandings make learning to read feel familiar and exciting.

💛 Strengthen phonological awareness
Rhymes, rhythms and playful sounds help children hear the building blocks of language.

💛 Grow their comprehension and thinking skills
Talking together about a story, predicting what might happen, wondering how a character feels, and connecting events to real life helps children develop memory, problem-solving, and higher-order thinking.

💛 Experience connection, comfort and joy
Shared reading fosters calmness, closeness, and moments of joint attention. These warm interactions support a child's sense of security and belonging.

Most importantly, children who experience positive, engaging reading moments from a young age are more likely to develop a genuine love of books - something that matters even more than early literacy skills alone.

Reading is simple, joyful, and sets children up for success in school and life.

Here is a list of some of our favourites below 👇