Reach out and make an appointment to visit our beautiful kindergarten.
About Us
Operating since 1952, Helen Paul Kindergarten provides quality early childhood education through its three year old and four year old group kindergarten programs.
Our primary focus is the wellbeing of every child. We are dedicated to creating a happy, safe and secure environment for every child. We provide our children the attention they need to grow and develop into happy, healthy people and be confident for school.
Helen Paul Kindergarten offers children a positive, stimulating and supportive environment in which to learn. Our kindergarten is regularly upgraded with equipment and resources to enhance the children’s varied interests. We also optimise our program activities by utilising local facilities including the adjacent park, sports oval and scout hall. Helen Paul Kindergarten is a community run kindergarten with strong ties with the local community and schools including Hampton Primary School, Moorabbin Primary School, St Marys Primary School and St Joan of Arc Primary School.
Our highly skilled team ensure that the educational programs are delivered in a warm and nurturing way that addresses the individual needs of each child and their unfolding identities. We are committed to providing programs that allow children to learn through play by engaging in experiences that are relevant and challenging for them. We are proud to be a SunSmart and nut free kindergarten and follow a healthy eating policy.
Helen Paul Kindergarten is delighted to have achieved the rating of exceeding the National Quality Standard for its service through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) Quality Assessment process.
Our History
In 1952, during the “baby boom” that followed the end of World War II, the kindergarten on the corner of Ludstone Street and Chislehurst Road, in the middle of a new housing commission area, could not cope with the increasing number of pre-schoolers. The Department of Health Supervisor, Miss Helen Paul, advised the committee to establish another kindergarten. In gratitude of the great interest she took in the establishment of this kindergarten, they asked her permission to name the new kindergarten after her.
In 1985, after 38 years of operation, Helen Paul Kindergarten became incorporated as an Association. Over the years the program has been adapted to meet changing community needs. However, the tradition of placing the children at the centre of the kindergarten’s programs and policies continues as strongly as ever.
Our Teachers
PAUL | 4YO Teacher "I am always intrigued by the way children develop their connections and understanding of the world, each in their own unique way."
NAOMI | Director and 3YO Teacher "Children's literature, nature based play and how environments are set up continue to be of great interest to me, especially in terms of how this effects children's play."
JENNY | Educational Leader and 4YO Teacher "Building strong relationships with children and their families is the key to a child’s wellbeing and learning while at kinder. I love for families to be part of the program, sharing their skills, time and knowledge of their children."
LUCY | 3 & 4YO Assistant "Everything you need to know about life you can learn at kinder: being kind to each other, sharing, taking turns, asking if our friends are OK, looking after the environment and having fun."
ANNE | 4YO Assistant " I love watching and facilitating the growth and development of the children, especially sharing my interest of stories and singing."
HOLLIE | 3 & 4YO Assistant "I especially enjoy cooking with children, working on big floor puzzles, playing ball games on the grass and reading stories to them."
LESLEY | 3YO Assistant "Working at Helen Paul Kinder is always fun and every day is rewarding in some way. I feel very lucky to have a job that I enjoy so much."
IMOGEN | 3 & 4YO Assistant "Building strong relationships with not only the children but also the families is very important to me as it creates a trusting and safe environment for all; I believe this is my calling!"
Statement of Philosophy
Helen Paul Kindergarten values continuous learning. We recognise that learning is a lifelong endeavour for our children, families and team, and we work to build the time, space and the relationships to create a community where learning is valued.
We understand that wellbeing is central to learning. The emotional wellbeing of our children, families and team is important. A positive, welcoming learning environment is created through a relaxed atmosphere where humour and mistakes are shared.
Our practices are informed by documents such as the Early Years Learning Framework, The Victorian Early Learning and Development Framework, The Early Childhood Code of Ethics and the Unicef Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Children learn best when their decision making is supported, their ideas and questions are valued and their experiences are interesting and playful with the opportunity to take risks. We value sustained and purposeful play with a focus on the learning that occurs in this play, rather than a focus on a set outcome. An indoor/outdoor program promotes these goals.
The natural environment and its importance are evident in our programs. A living, thriving, environment with plants, animals and access to the world beyond our kinder gates supports the children to develop a connection with the natural world. We aim to create a love, understanding and respect for the importance of a healthy ecosystem and the part that sustainability plays in achieving that.
Our curriculum is informed by the practices of emergent curriculum, where the many delightful and unexpected learning opportunities are rich in potential for further investigation. We believe this best supports individual learning styles and children’s sensory needs. Through this, we support the development of creative thought, social skills and independence. Emergent curriculum supports the development of the whole child in the context of the social and cultural environment they grow up in and encourages collaboration. We are guided by evidence-based practices to support children’s learning.
We value our connections to the wider community, recognise the importance of our role within it and support our children to be active participants. Through teamwork, we aim to build a thriving and sustainable community at HPK.
We recognise the importance of opportunities for calm and stillness, so the children have time and space to gaze, wonder and reflect. We balance this with new ideas, stimulating experiences and inviting materials that inspire and engage the children’s hearts, minds and bodies.
It is important to us that all children experience times of happiness and a love of learning.