It’s very rare a kindergarten or childcare centre starts as an amazing success. In fact, you would likely find most started out with their own apprehension and challenges, amongst the obvious excitement. Behind centres and kindergartens that have proven to be successful, you will always find a vision – what they dreamed of bringing to the early childhood education sector; and you will find a story – the journey they took to get to where they are now.

For us, it started with a vision of wanting more children to enjoy the magic of music. 

Through my own personal and professional journey, I understood how powerful music is for children’s development and wellbeing, so in 2004 I founded Bonkers Beat in Brighton, Victoria. The experience seeing children transform and shine through their discovery of music inspired me to do more. In 2009, Bonkers Beat Music Kinder opened — the very first kinder in Australia to incorporate music into its every day curriculum. The results for children continued to be astounding, and I knew I had to share my approach to early childhood education using music and wellbeing far and wide. From here we received numerous awards from the Government and saw our own NQS Rating soar. All the while, other centres and kindergartens across the country took on the Bonkers Beat programs and training for their services too. Just over 10 years since opening the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder we have achieved more than I would’ve imagined.

This experience has allowed me to help other services to support their own vision to improve children’s lives. I am so privileged to be a part of many centres’ stories!

Of course, this journey we are all on continues, no matter where you are in your own centre’s timeline, new or established, thriving or pushing through. The journey of providing children with the best start in life will evolve and change, just as the sector does.

 A successful service must know how to adapt while remaining true to their vision. The best thing we can all do is future-proof ourselves. How? By ensuring we and our teams know what is proven for children to flourish in life. If our services can continue to focus on what is best for children’s outcomes, we are on the right track. For me and countless other services, incorporating music and wellbeing into centres curriculums in a way that is married to the NQF has been able to achieve just that.

In our upcoming 7 Steps webinar event on Wednesday 8 September, we will share practical, usable tips for you to implement immediately in your own early childhood service. We will cover topics such as:

•         Leadership
•         Occupancy
•         A & R Visits
•         Embedded Music and Wellbeing
•         NQS Ratings

We would love you to come along so we can help you as you continue on your own journey. To register, click HERE.
While everyone’s story will be unique, sharing with and supporting one another can be powerful. 

Together, let’s grow and stay true to our visions while giving children the very best chance to thrive in life.