Welcome to Early Learning
Welcoming girls and boys from two years of age to start their learning journey with us, our Early Learning Centre (ELC) in Perth is located on MLC’s beautiful campus in the suburb of Claremont. It focuses on preparing children to become active participants as they make sense of the world around them. This is achieved through a dynamic and diverse curriculum of play-based learning and an introduction to essential skills in numeracy and literacy across all age groups. Our experienced educators are qualified to the highest standard of care and extremely passionate about what they do, so your child is able to feel happy, safe and supported.
Due to its position on the MLC campus, our Early Learning Centre is ideally located in Perth for families with children already attending the College or Christ Church Grammar School (CCGS) in Claremont. This allows many of the children to build friendships with their peers prior to starting formal school. The Toddlers, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten children all enjoy the wonderful benefits of being part of the MLC Community and accessing the wider College facilities.
Being part of our large school means the College Executive Leadership Team has oversight over the ELC. Our Early Learning Team work with the College Principal, Ms Rebecca Clarke, and the Deputy Principal ELC-Year 6, Mrs Kylie Cross.
Our educators meet regularly with our families and communicate through the OWNA Childcare App. This allows us to share photo snapshots and information about your child’s learning throughout the day. Our curriculum starts at 6.30am and ends at 6.30pm*. Delicious and nutritious meals are provided for our Toddlers and Pre-Kindergarten children, with dinner offered at an additional fee.
*In 2025, the operating hours will be 7.00am to 6.00pm
Our Philosophy
Keeping to the underpinning values of the Early Learning Years Framework (ELYF), we follow a play-based learning philosophy with a holistic, child-centred focus. We aim to give our children agency and rich learning environments to investigate, interpret, question and connect with the world around them.
We understand that the first five years of a child’s learning journey are imperative to their future success. Therefore, we offer a safe place to learn, play and grow. We are guided by the belief that children are competent and capable learners who make sense of their surroundings through wondering, research, inventing and exploring.
Our Early Learning Centre holds equity, inclusion and diversity in high regard as we strive for children to become active citizens in this ever-changing world. MLC respectfully honours all cultures that make up our wonderful community and are grateful for the rich perspectives and knowledge shared, which we embed in our curriculum and environments.
Our goal is to create genuine and respectful partnerships with families. We honour parents as their child’s first teacher and value their input in decision making. We recognise that it is essential to foster warm, respectful and nurturing relationships with children and their families to understand, scaffold and support their individual learning journeys.
Our Rooms
In the Early Learning Centre, our engaging rooms are designed for the specific age groups of children. For our Toddlers, the room has a ratio of one staff to four children. Our two Pre-Kindergarten rooms have a mixed ratio of one staff to five and one staff to 10, and our Kindergarten rooms have a ratio of one staff to 10 children.
All rooms in our ELC are led by a university degree qualified Early Childhood Teacher and Diploma qualified educators. Each room comprises well-appointed, outdoor undercover areas and large indoor play spaces. To find out which room your child should enter within our ELC based on their date of birth, click here.
Bush and River School at Our Early Learning Centre in Claremont
All students that attend MLC’s Early Learning Centre participate in our Bush and River School program on the foreshore of Perth’s Swan River in Claremont. This is conveniently located at the base of our campus. An incredible river and bushland space provides diverse and varied learning opportunities that promote our children’s sense of identity. They become connected with the natural landscape and develop their skills of cooperation, connection and wonder.
Children are supported to have freedom and autonomy in their explorations, with weekly sessions that include storytelling, music, games and sensory activities. These activities help our students to build a strong relationship with the natural environment and outdoor classroom they are in. There is no additional cost to families for the Bush and River School.
Music and Language
Musical Me!
Music is very much a part of MLC’s DNA. At no additional cost, we offer a music program taught by the exceptional staff from the MLC Music Department. The program runs from Toddler classes right through to Kindergarten classes.
Djinda Strings
Our Djinda Strings program is an optional instrumental music lesson conducted once a week for children from three years of age. This class provides the opportunity for our children to develop their violin, cello or piano skills with specialist tutors during individual lessons. It is offered to students up to Year 12.
*Please note there is an additional fee for this program
Mandarin Stars
MLC has a strong association with languages and our Early Learning students are no exception. For no additional cost, all children participate in our Mandarin Stars program. This is a weekly introductory session involving music, puppets and songs that provides our youngest learners with the opportunity to develop their Mandarin skills as they progress through the Junior Years.
Early Learning Incursions and Excursions Across Perth
Incursions and excursions are always exciting and lots of fun for our children. Being able to experience hands-on activities that relate to the learning that takes place in the classroom solidifies their knowledge. Some of the Early Learning incursions and excursions across Perth include:
- MLC Bush and River School
- Regular visits to different areas of the College grounds, such as the Library, Gymnasium, Oval, secret garden and Junior Years Dance Studio.
- Visits to AQWA, Perth Zoo and Landsdale Farmyard.
- Ongoing excursions to, and visits from, the residents at St Louis Retirement Village with all age groups.
- Incursions from Minibeasts and Insects, Ocean Discovery, Farmyard Animals, Nature-based Mud Gully, Hospital Familiarisation Program and Bubble-ology.
Expression of Interest
Register your interest for our Early Learning Centre.
