Expanding early years’ services in Beaumaris
Jack & Jill Kindergarten and Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse
We're committed to providing early years’ facilities to meet the needs of our community both now and into the future.
Almost 80% of Bayside families choose community kindergarten for their three- and four-year-old children’s early education. The Beaumaris area is projected to have a shortfall of community kindergarten places soon, with more demand expected from the introduction of additional free kinder hours.
Currently, Beaumaris community kindergartens are all single room and without expanding facilities, local children may not be able to access community kindergarten places close to home in coming years.
This is a challenge we need to address across Bayside. We have increased early years’ service capacity in the north of Bayside, with the recently redeveloped North Brighton Children’s Centre – which includes two kindergarten rooms, maternal and child health services and occasional care under one roof, and expanded Hurlingham Preschool into a two-room early year’s facility. In central Bayside, the Fern Street Children’s Centre – also including maternal and child health and a community shared-use room – will open in January 2024.
During 2023, we have been focusing on opportunities in Beaumaris to improve our services in the south of Bayside.
What we’re doing
Through our Early Year’s Infrastructure Plan, we’re working to ensure Beaumaris residents have continued access to early year’s services including community kinder and maternal and child health services. Community-run services, such as Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse are also highly valued for the social connections and wellbeing benefits they provide and are being included and considered in our plans.
Initial feasibility studies across the area have found that the Jack & Jill Kindergarten and Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse site on Grandview Avenue has good potential for integration and enhancement to meet future needs.
Other Beaumaris sites have also been explored, however, present greater constraints such as vegetation overlays and high-value trees, underground services, and the inability to expand without encroaching into public open space, as well as land-locked single titles of land.
What are the options?
Redevelopment of the Grandview Avenue sites could provide local families with an accessible, fit-for-purpose children’s centre, more kindergarten places, a maternal and child health service, and a multi-purpose space for the provision of Playhouse services.
All potential redevelopment opportunities would ensure the continuance of Jack and Jill Kindergarten and Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse, while respecting the mid-century heritage of the existing building and the local character.
Initial scoping with an architect has found that the combined Grandview Avenue sites could accommodate three independent program rooms with large storage rooms, maternal and child health services and on-site parking, as well as expansive outdoor play areas.
Options for use could include shared and/or independent use of program rooms.
If the redevelopment of the Grandview Avenue site did progress, it also opens possibilities for the maternal and child health services currently operating from the Olive Philips Kindergarten site on Bodley Street, Beaumaris, to relocate to Grandview Avenue. This could enable consideration for Olive Phillips Kindergarten to operate two program rooms and further increase three- and four-year-old kindergarten provision in the Beaumaris area.
Working with community
Meetings with the Jack & Jill Kindergarten and Beaumaris Children’s Playhouse committees have discussed priorities and aspirations and reconfirmed the importance of ensuring safe and accessible spaces for the continued operation of these services.
We will continue to meet with service providers to explore opportunities and progress plans that will deliver the best outcomes for Beaumaris and Bayside families. This will include continuing to develop concept plans for the site, as well as looking at alternate options.
Next steps
No decisions have been made regarding this project. We are still in the early phases of working with stakeholders including the Kindergarten and Playhouse committees to ensure that all future current and future needs are met.
If redevelopment plans for the Grandview Avenue site were to progress, this would occur no earlier than 2025, subject to funding and planning approvals. As with other recent development projects, we will work with stakeholders to ensure that services are able to operate from alternate sites during any construction period.
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More information
Fiona Campbell
Family Services Coordinator
03 9599 4403