On Thursday, January 30th, we celebrated a significant milestone with the official opening of Ambrose Early Learning Good Shepherd Plumpton, our new preschool.
This marks the seventh preschool in the Diocese for Ambrose and Community Ventures, symbolising our steadfast commitment to the community and our dedication to providing high-quality education and care for all children.
Ambrose CEO Anthony Goonan expressed his excitement, saying, “It has been such a joy to finally see the rooms come to life with the sounds of children playing. From the initial blessing of the site by Bishop Vincent in June 2024, to the craning of the modular buildings onto the site, to the completion of the playground and room resources, it has been an amazing journey. Now, seeing the spaces filled with happy, smiling children ready to learn for life is truly rewarding.”
Ambrose has introduced Jade Hunn as the Service Director for Good Shepherd Early Learning. Jade brings over 25 years of experience in early learning environments, including 17 years as an Early Childhood Teacher and leadership roles. She has worked in various settings, primarily in Western Sydney, and also in the remote setting of Norfolk Island.
Jade is enthusiastic about contributing to the Plumpton community and she is confident in the exceptional quality of care the service provides, praising her team: “Our team have a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to educating and caring for all children, including those who require additional support. Our team have exceptional communication skills, are creative thinkers, are adaptable to new learning and go above and beyond to ensure our relationships are well established with all of our stakeholders.”
“Our service is special because of our hyper-personalised approach to supporting all of our families. We tailor to individual needs of each family providing them with the support they require.” Jade said.
Situated on the grounds of the Parish of the Good Shepherd Plumpton, the new facility offers beautiful garden beds, climbing equipment, bike tracks, a large sandpit, and more, all designed to inspire imaginative play and countless games. The spacious indoor rooms are brimming with new resources and toys and has dedicated spaces for children from 2 to 5 years.
The Principal of Good Shepherd Primary, Anita Knezevic, has shared her enthusiasm about the collaboration explaining the physical environment creates the bridge between the Early Learning Service to Good Shepherd Primary School, “We know when the preschool children can see what other students at ‘big school’ are doing, it becomes what is known rather than feared.”
“Any time we can make a smooth and seamless transition from Ambrose Early Learning to Good Shepherd Primary School it assists to build safe and familiar contexts for parents and their children.” Anita said.
Jade echoed these benefits, stating, “When early learning is co-located with a primary school, children benefit from a smoother transition to primary school, have improved access to support services, develop a sense of belonging to the school community, have enhanced opportunities for collaborative learning between early childhood educators and schoolteachers. This ultimately leads to better overall development and wellbeing for the child.”
To best support families, Ambrose Early Learning Good Shepherd Plumpton operates as an extended-hours preschool, open from 7am to 6pm. It offers flexible sessions designed to reduce families’ out-of-pocket with access to Federal Government Child Care Subsidy.
Limited spaces are still available in 2025. For more information visit www.ambrose.org.au/early-learning-good-shepherd-plumpton
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