SDN Pyrmont

SDN Pyrmont is lead by a team of two highly experienced Centre Directors. Claire and Rachel work collaboratively, having successfully shared the Centre Director role at SDN Pyrmont since 2019.

Meet Rachel & Claire

"I love working with the wonderful team, children and families at SDN Pyrmont. Our centre community has a true village feel and it is an honour to be a part of that."

My qualifications and experience

I have a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) from Macquarie University (2006).

I joined SDN as the full-time Centre Director at SDN Pyrmont in October 2014. After returning from parental leave in 2019 I moved to part-time, sharing the role with my amazing Co-Director Claire.

I have been working in Early Childhood Education and Care since 2004. I began as an unqualified educator working in a number of services whilst completing my degree. I have since worked primarily as an Early Childhood Teacher and Room Leader across all age groups, before moving into Educational Leader and Centre Director roles.

What I'm most passionate about in my role

I am very passionate about children’s literacy and fostering a love of books in young children. I have a large collection of children’s picture books at home which continues to grow. I also have a strong passion for social justice and inclusion.

What I love about working with SDN

I love working with the wonderful team, children and families at SDN Pyrmont. Our centre community has a true village feel and it is an honour to be a part of that.

The best thing about our centre is our qualified team. I have the pleasure of supporting a team of incredibly passionate educators from diverse backgrounds, including several who have worked at the centre for many years. I strongly believe that relationships are at the core of everything we do in early childhood.

The SDN Pyrmont team invest so much into building positive and trusting relationships with the children and families who go to our centre. It is the strength and quality of these relationships that make our centre so special. For many children and families, our centre is like a second home, and we are like an extended family.

A little bit more about me...

In my spare time, I love exploring different parks and playgrounds with my husband and young daughters. I’m always on the hunt for good parks attached to a café with good coffee. As a primary school aged child.

I remember announcing that I wanted to be a preschool teacher and I have never once changed my mind!

Meet Claire

"I believe the first five years of life are vital to a child’s development and that all children deserve to have the best start."

My qualifications and experience

I have a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) (Birth-12) from Macquarie University.

I started working at SDN in January 2017 when I initially took on a parental leave cover as Centre Director at SDN Surry Hills.

Why I love working at SDN

I love that SDN supports all families, particularly those experiencing challenges, and I like that SDN services are inclusive and are there to support all children.

One of the best things about SDN Pyrmont is the relationships the children are able to build– with each other, with their educators, and with the community.

What I'm most passionate about in my role

I believe the first five years of life are vital to a child’s development and that all children deserve to have the best start. This is why I feel so passionately about high-quality early childhood education and care.

A little bit more about me...

In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family, especially taking my daughter on adventures outside to explore.

Growing bodies need movement and exercise. Growing minds need stimulus and exploration. Growing hearts need opportunities to play and mix with others.

At SDN we know that the best thing we can do for your infant or toddler is to support them to grow and develop in safe, unhurried, nurturing and challenging environments.

Because infants and toddlers are naturally curious, our centres have well-equipped indoor and outdoor areas that will keep your child moving and give them daily opportunities to explore their limits and grow their abilities.

Your child is unique and so we will devise a learning and development program within our curriculum pillars, based on what we know about your child’s interests, learning and development. Because they will always be changing and growing, we consistently review the program to ensure we are keeping up with your child’s development, providing them with the best learning opportunities.

Read more about our practice with children here.

Get more than school-ready, get life-ready 

Getting school-ready is a journey. It begins with your child’s very first day at our welcoming early education and care centres and continues with our dedicated preschool program.

Developed by university-trained early childhood teachers, our preschool program focuses on the whole child. Children learn to make friends and work together, while gaining the skills and independence they need to thrive through the big transition to school.

Our preschool program follows an evidence-backed, play-based learning approach. Children have fun and follow their curiosity, while we weave in vital skills and learning outcomes.

SDN uses Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework to explore a diverse curriculum from science to social justice. Our days are predictable but flexible, blending structured and spontaneous learning, free play, movement and quiet time.

Our curriculum pillars are:

Our centres have a transition to school program where our teachers and educators work together with local schools to prepare your child for a smooth transition, and support families through the process.

Read more about our preschool program here.

Families in our urban-based centres often call our outdoor areas their “green oasis”.

SDN's outdoor spaces provide opportunities for children to enjoy themselves and have adventures. They’re safe environments for children to run, jump and yell, make mud cakes, and use their energy.

Outdoor spaces provide more than physical benefits. Even though you may think that children only play outside to have fun, they're also improving their thinking, social, and emotional skills. When they’re playing outside, they’re inventing games, learning about the world at their own pace, and figuring out social customs like turn-taking.

These are just some of the reasons SDN invests in developing new, award-winning outdoor spaces with natural designs that inspire children’s curiosity, physical play, and social play.

The traditional owners of the land around Pyrmont are the Cadigal People of the Eora Nation, who named the point ‘Pirrama’ which means ‘rocking stone’. The area was named Pyrmont by John Macarthur in 1806 when it was noted that the natural water springs of the area looked like the German spa town of the same name.

SDN Pyrmont opened on 23 August 1993 in the old Pyrmont Public School (1884 -1933), a building designed in the Victorian Italianate style by the NSW Schools Architect.

Within the first year the children enjoyed a puppet show, a trip to the zoo and Powerhouse Museum, visits from Sydney firefighters and a mobile animal petting zoo, and the newly formed parent committee organised SDN Pyrmont’s first birthday party.

Since its beginnings, SDN Pyrmont has undergone many changes and has maintained and reflected a strong connection with the families of this vibrant and diverse community.

Read more about SDN Pyrmont's history here. 

From 1 July 2024, our fees will be $195 per day for children under three years old and $181 per day for children three years and over. 

SDN Pyrmont also offers half day sessions. Half days are $117 for 0-3 years and $109 for 3-5 years, from 9am to 2pm.

The majority of families in our centres do not pay the full daily fee because they receive Child Care Subsidy (CCS) from the government.

The subsidy you may receive through the CCS will depend on:

• Your combined family income
• The number of hours you work, study or participate in recognised volunteer work. This is called the ‘activity test’. If your child is in the year before school, if you are on a very low income, or if you are on parental leave, you will not have to pass the activity test to receive some CCS.

Your child will need to meet immunisation requirements and you will need to meet residency requirements to be eligible to receive the CCS.

You can also calculate what your out-of-pocket child care costs will be on the government’s Starting Blocks Child Care Subsidy Calculator.

Low Income Access program

This centre is part of SDN’s low income access program which reduces fees and makes SDN more affordable.

The lower fee reduces the gap between the daily fee and the amount families can claim back through the government’s Child Care Subsidy.

To be eligible, the child’s primary care giver must hold a valid income health care card or pensioner concession card and enrol their child on days that include a Monday or Friday if a space is available on those days. The subsidy covers each child for up three days a week.

NSW Start Strong funding - Additional Preschool Fee Relief

On top of any CCS you may receive, the NSW Government is providing additional fee relief:

• If your child turns 4 years old or before 31 July 2024, is enrolled in a preschool program at an eligible long day care service and doesn’t receive preschool relief (also called start strong funding) from another preschool, you will receive up to $2,110 in fee relief.
• If your child is 3 years old and not yet 4 years old on, or before 31 July in 2024, is enrolled at an eligible long day care service and doesn’t receive preschool relief (also called start strong funding) from another preschool, you will receive up to $500 in fee relief.

Find more information about the Start Strong program here. If you’ve read this information and you’re still unsure about what you’ll pay, please call us on 1300 831 445 or book a centre tour. We’re happy to answer your questions.

At SDN we want to ensure that all families have access to high quality, inclusive education and care as we provide at SDN Pyrmont. That’s why we offer the opportunity to enrol for occasional care at this centre.

Families in flexible care have the opportunity to take a full or a half-day place and must make at least one booking every 8 weeks.

Occasional care bookings are taken subject to availability on the day and you can book occasional care for either a full day or a half-day.

Half day fees will be $117 for children under three years old and $109 for children three years and over.

To find out more call us on 1300 831 445.

0-2 Babies

• Change of clothes x2
• Hat – sun safe  
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Shoes and Socks
• Comforter – soft toy/blanket/dummy
• Bottles and milk formula/breast milk
• Blanket / Cot sheets

2-3 Toddlers

• Spare underwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat – sun safe
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Drink Bottle
• Comforter – for rest time
• Blankets

3-5 Preschoolers  

• Spare underwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat – sun safe
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Drink Bottle
• Blankets