Little Earth Montessori Panmure

If you're looking for a serene environment that cares for and stimulates your toddler's learning and wellbeing, this is the place to enrol them. As a paediatric occupational therapist I have visited many many centres: Little Earth is my absolute local favourite.

It has to be said that the centre is well above the average Childcare centre. My daughter has been attending here for 8 months and I feel compelled to write this review for other parents. The key things that made me feel confident to send my daughter here in comparison to the four of the centres I viewed were: 1. Peaceful vibes - when you walk in you can feel that it is a relaxed environment there is calmness, it's not noisy, the kids are not screaming and yelling, they are calm and doing activities together or alone. It's also cosy, there's something comforting about the space. I think it also helps that the rooms are carpeted, because there's less reverberated sound. At the other centres I visited they had polished concrete or hardwood floors and there was a lot of reverberated sound in the room which did feel stressful. It's an older centre but I think that's a plus because it's bigger and more spacious. 2) There is also space - the room is large with a high ceiling (it's not 20 kids crammed into a space just twice the size of the average living room). There is ample space between all the furniture and activities not crammed like in some other centres. 3) It's very clean and well-organised. 4) Teachers - because of the calm environment the teachers can speak in a normal volume and normal tone of voice. They do not have to raise their voice or speak in a commanding tone which I observed at all the other centres I visited. There also seem to be more teachers, and the teachers are not overwhelmed because they do not operate at the legal minimum standard of 1 to 10 ratio. As with most ECE teachers I can also see that the teachers are attentive patient and kind to the children and also to the parents. One day when I accidentally forgot her school bag and lunch rather than me having to drive home and back the teachers were able to accommodate and provide lunch for her as a one-off which was a big help to me that day. 5) Centre Leadership - The centre manager when my daughter started was Sumanthy who was very experienced and warm and kind, after she retired the Centre Manager is Hazara, who is patient kind and intelligent and very caring towards the children and it's very clear that there is strong and good leadership at this Centre. 6) Air quality and outdoor space - the centre is on a back road, so the backyard is away from arterial roads there is no traffic sound or smell. There are nice tall trees for shade, real grass and dirt (not artifical grass). A bigger outdoor play space than other centres and wide open to the sky and nature. They also have a garden and grow some veges at the centre which I think is fantastic. 7) There are a wide variety of activities and learning much more than what I can provide for them at home. There is lots of learning about the natural world, different cultures and languages, numbers, the alphabet, reading, writing, maths, art, and other sensory play and Montessori activities. I highly recommend this centre to other parents.

Leo had a wonderful time at the Little Earth Montessori, filled with laughter, learning, and new friendships. Leo felt happy and safe, thanks to the caring and dedicated staff who supported him every step of the way. Their warmth and enthusiasm made his daycare experience truly special. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped him thrive and made his time at Little Earth Montessori so memorable.