KU Learning and Development

The 2026 KU Annual Conference is underway! We’re exploring the theme of ‘Dancing with Possibility’, celebrating the rhythm of connection, creativity, and care that educators bring to their work every day.

Staff are engaging in inspiring professional learning, focused on the power of playfulness, reflective practice, and practical strategies to elevate their work with children and families.

With keynote speakers Toni and Robin Christie (Childspace Early Childhood Institute, NZ) and workshops from leading pedagogical specialists, Louise Dorrat, Catharine Hydon, Fiona Harris and Nick Summerfield, it’s a day filled with ideas, energy, and collaboration.

Our commitment to high‑quality early childhood education is reflected as we learn, share, and grow, together.

Interested in joining KU? Explore roles at https://www.ku.com.au/careers

We are delighted to announce that KU has been recognised as an Employer of Choice in The Australian Business Awards for the 10th year in a row. This recognition reflects our deep commitment to supporting our ECE professionals in their growth and impact.

At KU, professional learning is the cornerstone of our practice. We offer ongoing opportunities to engage with the latest research and sector-leading practice through high-quality, evidence-informed courses and events, delivered by respected leaders in early childhood education and care. This investment into cultivating best practices ensures the quality of our programs and into your own professional and personal growth.

We offer a wide range of professional learning courses and events to KU staff with both in-person and online offerings. Our 2026 calendar is coming soon - stay tuned!

Happy Teacher’s Day! A huge thank you to all the teachers who work so hard to support the learning, development and wellbeing of children each day.

Join us in expressing our gratitude!

To find out more visit www.aitsl.edu.au/worldteachersday

The 2025 ECA National Conference in Perth this week has been a fantastic event with insightful presentations and opportunities for networking and reflection with peers in the sector.

In attendance from KU Children’s Services, were Christine Legg, KU Children’s Services CEO; Natalie Grenfell, General Manager, Inclusion Programs; Susan Whittle, Victorian State Manager, Victorian Inclusion Agency; Laure Hislop, Learning and Development Practice Facilitator; Fiona Harris, Learning and Development Practice Facilitator; Peturi Charoenkitti, HRIS Consultant and Project Coordinator; and Megan Dodds, Director of KU Corrimal East Preschool and finalist in the 2025 HESTA Early Childhood Education & Care Awards!

The launch of our new edition of Guiding Children’s Behaviour was a great success! The new edition supports a holistic approach for service teams to understand and respond to children's behaviour in Early Childhood Education settings. It dives further into current and leading research and shares practical tools to support early childhood professionals in understanding and guiding children’s behaviour.

Thank you to everybody who dropped by the KU stand and said hello! And congratulations to our raffle winners!

It's been an honour to be a silver sponsor again for this year's ECA Conference, which provides a platform for professional discourse relevant to the rights, wellbeing and early education of young children. Looking forward to next year already.

Happy Early Childhood Educators’ Day! A huge thank you to all the early childhood educators who work so hard to support the learning, development and wellbeing of children each day.

Join us in expressing our gratitude!
To find out more visit www.EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay.org.au.

We are having a fantastic time at the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIA) conference ‘Landscapes of Collaboration: New Possibilities for Education in Complex Times’ in Adelaide. KU is proudly a sponsor of this years’ event.

The conference explores theory and practice with hope in today’s complex times, with keynote speeches from Elena Maccaferri – Pedagogista and Consuelo Damasi – Atelierista. There are numerous opportunities to thoughtfully reflect on insights from speaker colleagues from Reggio Emilia and and engage with educational encounters and experiences.

It's all happening at the 2025 KU Annual Conference! Here at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney, we're exploring the concept of ‘Kaleidoscope of Perspectives: Embracing the Diversity of Early Childhood Education’. Staff are attending engaging sessions led by esteemed pedagogical companions including Keynote speaker Dr Billy Garvey (Guiding Growing Minds), and workshop presenters Karen Hope, Catherine Lee, Clare Comedoy, Beth Macgregor, Kirsty Liljegren and Kelly Goodsir.

Participants will gain insight and strategies from various speaker to embrace diverse perspectives, enhance educational settings, build inclusive relationships and challenge and refresh pedagogical approaches.

Katrina Hendry (Director KU West Pymble Preschool) and Jackie Staudinger (Director KU Macquarie Fields Preschool) are also sharing stories from their careers, reflecting on their practice and experiences through a shifting lens and responding with fresh perspectives.

With opportunities to network with colleagues, we're fully immersed in learning and teamwork.

Interested in working with KU? Explore the career opportunities here: https://www.ku.com.au/careers

Explore the KU Learning and Development courses available to the public here: https://bit.ly/43R6GYP