The PEC Story
Corrimal Early Learning by Play Explore Create is a family-owned and operated childcare centre. Centre Founder Alison and her family have been involved in developing the centre philosophy, building design and education program. As a family owned and operated centre, we dedicate our full attention and focus on our centre’s children and families.
Our Centre founder, Alison, has over 28 years of experience in teaching and education. She brings extensive leadership experience, including a five-year tenure as a School Principal with the Department of Education and Training, Victoria, reflecting a strong foundation in both educational practice and organisational leadership.
Alison holds a Master of Educational Administration (MEA), a Bachelor of Education (Special Education), a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary), and a Graduate Diploma in Early Education and Care. Her Master’s dissertation involved original research into the use of Visual and Performing Arts to enhance student engagement in learning.
Supported by her family’s longstanding involvement in early childhood education, she draws on a rich foundation of collective knowledge and practice. Together, this depth of expertise informed the establishment of their first Early Learning Centre in Melbourne in 2022, reflecting a strong commitment to quality education and care.
A strong family connection brought Alison and her family to the Illawarra region, and we are excited to introduce our distinctive approach to early childhood education to the Wollongong community.
Vision
Our vision is to nurture confident, resilient children within a high-quality environment that is safe, secure, and healthy. With an authentic commitment to each child and their family, we foster learning through a calm and predictable environment and an engaging arts-based approach. This supports the development of essential skills and critical thinking, preparing children for school and a global future.
Underpinning our philosophy are the core values of Trust, Respect, Diversity, and Creativity. We foster Trust between families and educators, demonstrate Respect for children and team members, embrace and celebrate Diversity and individuality, and encourage Creativity through play and problem-solving.
At Corrimal Early Learning, we recognise that the foundations for lifelong learning and thinking skills begin from birth. While meeting the requirements of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework, our focus is on intentionally supporting children’s development, independence, curiosity, and cognitive growth through rich, responsive learning experiences.
Learning through play and fun
Children learn best through play that is engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable. The intentional integration of music and movement, visual arts, and drama into learning experiences supports neurological development, engages both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and strengthens social and cultural connections. The arts are central to our learning approach: Play, Explore, Create.
Children are naturally curious, optimistic, and eager to learn. Our educators support child-led inquiry, encouraging exploration, experimentation, and discovery. This approach enables children to build knowledge, develop key concepts, and deepen their learning over time.
Our educators are skilled in intentional scaffolding, thoughtfully selecting and organising learning environments and resources to encourage independence, exploration, and choice. We support the development of social and communication skills through modelling, guided interaction, extension of learning, and opportunities for peer collaboration and practice.
Collaboration and community
“It takes a village to raise a child.” Guided by this philosophy, we work in close partnership with families to support each child’s learning, development, and wellbeing, while also providing meaningful support for parents in their role as their child’s first and most important educators. Through strong, consistent, and nurturing relationships, we foster children’s confidence, sense of security, and overall wellbeing.
We also recognise that community involvement enriches children’s learning and outcomes. Strong connections to place, culture, and community help children develop a deeper sense of identity and belonging. Collaboration with children, families, and team members is central to our practice and underpins everything we do.