gum tree cottage class room


Epping’s Pre-school where children play, grow and learn together 

Gum Tree Cottage Pre-School

  • All fees are due in advance, fortnightly or monthly. Our 2026 full fees will be $124.00 per day.
  • Our Pre-school is approved under Federal Government guidelines to provide you with full access to all childcare fee subsidies currently available and offers Child Care Subsidy (CCS) fee relief administered by Services Australia (Centrelink).
  • For further information regarding out of pocket expenses you can use the Fees Estimator at startingblocks.gov.au or you can get more personalised facts about CCS from the Department of Human Services (DHS) on 13-61-50. 
  • Fees are payable for 48 weeks of the year including public holidays, sick days and general absenteeism, including parents and school holidays.
  • Please pay fees by the internet Direct Bank Deposit. Credit / debit card payments are not accepted. No printed invoices will be issued, as all families will receive by e-mail, fortnightly Centrelink Family Statements of Entitlements of their accounts.
  • Additionally, Gum Tree Cottage Pre-school does offer to all enrolled families option of receiving Pre-school’s fee reduction through the NSW Government Start Strong Fee Relief program being part of the NSW Governments’ Start Strong Affordable Pre-school initiative.

Daily Activities

At Gum Tree Cottage Pre-School, all children participate in regular developmental programs as well as being offered opportunities to develop early literacy and numeracy skills. Our Pre-school provides a light, spacious, friendly environment, well equipped with toys and apparatus for indoor and outdoor experiences.

During the day, an educational program is provided, giving children the opportunity to make progress in various areas of development.

Your child’s day will typically include:

  • A time where he or she is given free choice of activities. Please note that some experiences will be set up with specific goals in mind for each child to extend their development in particular areas, and to encourage their interests and enjoyment within the program.
  • Small group times where children engage in specially prepared experiences.
  • Expression sessions, including music, drama and dance.
  • Meal times, sleep and rest time.
  • Especially dedicated School Readiness Program for Koalas throughout September to December.

Call us today on
(02) 9873 2615

to arrange a private tour around our caring Pre-school!
It can be arranged any weekday morning preferably around 9 and 10 am.

Food, allergies, asthma

If your child has any food allergies, or suffers from asthma or diabetes, your child will not be able to commence attendance until required mandatory documentation of Plan of Action are provided. Furthermore, as a condition of enrolment, you will be asked to actively participate in the development of a risk minimising plan for your child.

Please be aware that Gum Tree Cottage is a nut free Pre-school.

Events and Celebrations

Throughout the year we celebrate and hold a number of events such as: Welcome BBQ, Easter Picnic, Mother's, Father's and Grandparents' Days, Family Disco, Pre-school Graduation ceremony and Christmas Concert. Additionally we hold events which arise throughout the year via the children's interests or home cultures of the families from year to year.

Meals parents provide

Please send a healthy Morning Tea in a small container with your child's name on it e.g.: vegetable sticks, cheese, fresh or dried fruits, plain crackers. 
 
Parents are required to provide a nutritious Lunch in a clearly labelled (non-insulated) container. It is a requirement that we store all children's lunches in the fridge. We are happy to re-heat lunches if needed so we do ask that no insulated containers are used for your child's lunches please. Also, if your child has both heated and cold items in their containers, please make sure these are stored in a way that makes the cold items easy to remove before heating. Thank you. Your child’s left-over lunch will be kept in their lunch box, so you are aware of what they have consumed. Please do not feed your child with leftovers as they are not refrigerated.
            
Additionally, parents are also asked to send for their child Afternoon Tea. Here are some helpful websites for families about healthy eating. Please visit the following websites for some healthy lunch/snack ideas for your children: www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au or www.essentialbaby.com.au
          

Parents' Involvement

We welcome and strongly encourage parents to be active participants in our Pre-school. We believe that by developing partnerships with families we can create the optimum learning environment for their children. 

Ways that you may be able to contribute:
 Bringing skills to the Pre-school to share with children e.g.: cooking, music, sewing, woodwork, artwork, etc.
 Notifying staff of other people with skills who could come to Pre-school e.g.: hairdresser, artist, police officer, etc.
 Providing magazines, computer paper, boxes, and other interesting “junk” from home.
 By being interested in your child’s news about Pre-school and helping them feel good about themselves.

Furthermore, we would like to inform you that Gum Tree Cottage Pre-school adopts an Open-Door Policy. It means that family members are welcome to visit the Pre-school at any time.