Goodstart Early Learning Canning Vale – Batman Road is our Joint State Winner in Western Australia, with a KindiCare Rating of 9.9, and not only does this centre have a super cool address, but it’s also a super amazing service!

Goodstart Batman Road is rated highly by families and the regulatory authority, and a lot of this centre’s success comes down to the enthusiasm and dedication of its Centre Director, Kenneth Leong and Assistant Director/Educational Leader, Sandra D’Rozario, who has been at the centre for 15 influential years. Together, Kenneth and Sandra are a dynamic duo who’ve worked incredibly hard over the years to bring their vision of providing the highest quality of education and care to children every day. And, of course, they didn’t do this alone. Goodstart Batman Road has an amazing team of passionate educators who work collaboratively with children, families and the community to deliver a child-centred program that caters to children’s evolving knowledge, strengths, ideas, cultures, abilities and interests. Kenneth explains that, “Children’s best interests are at the heart of all decisions made in the centre,” and a perfect example of this is the unanimous decision his educators made to work permanent shifts in each room. Kenneth says, “Consistent staffing arrangements across the centre, with fixed shifts, has helped to build consistency, predictability and familiarity during drop-off and pick-up for children and families. Families know who will be welcoming their child in the morning and saying goodbye at the end of the day, and they’re very grateful for this.” Goodstart Batman Road also offers staggered starts for all new families, and Kenneth mentions that, “For the first four weeks of commencement, children spend no more than four hours in the centre. “This enables them to build a bond with their educators, feel safe in the knowledge that their family will be back to pick them up in a short while, and this strategy has worked wonders in minimising the anxiety and stress that children and families feel when first enrolled at an early learning centre.” This staggered approach came about in responses to family feedback and staff reflection, and communication is a huge part of the centre’s high-quality practice. Parents have a real say in their children’s learning and development program, and because most families at Goodstart Batman Road have English as their second language, and the team comes from diverse backgrounds too, there’s a great effort to ensure everyone is understood and included. Kenneth says, “We make sure there is a minimum of one educator who can converse in Mandarin throughout the day, because many of the children speak this language at home, and we’ve also identified the different languages spoken by our educators.” He further adds, “We have educators who speak Portuguese, Spanish, Burmese, Punjabi, Karen, Tagalog, Cantonese, Hindi, Persian and Tamil, and this means many of our families can connect with an educator who speaks their language and shares their cultural background and beliefs.” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language and culture is also deeply embedded in this childcare community to foster a sense of inclusiveness and belonging, and Kenneth and Sandra make sure all members of their team feel welcome and have a sense of belonging. Every employee is made to feel heard, respected and cared for as a valued team member, and Sandra says, “Respectful, robust debates and open discussions are very welcome in our regular team meetings. “Everyone is free to have their say, whether they’re in a leadership role or a casual educator. We’re always reflecting on our practice, levelling up our skills, and striving to do our very best for the children.” The bar is set high at Goodstart Canning Vale – Batman Road as they ensure that children’s voices and rights are upheld and respected by all educators, from the time they commence employment. New recruits get 10 weeks for onboarding, instead of being quickly thrown in the deep end, and there’s no mystery in the way children are cared for and learn at the centre. Everyone understands the high-quality practices and high professional standards that are expected at this centre, and the team is thrilled to receive their 2023 KindiCare Excellence Award, which is a real testament to the effort they put in every single day, and decade!