We Review Endeavour Early Education, Concord

With a scarcity of childcare places across the Inner West, many families have to settle for what they can get rather than what they really want. So it’s always exciting when a new centre opens up, particularly one with a proven track record of providing quality care and education.

Last weekend we attended the grand opening celebration of Endeavour Early Education, at 173–175 Majors Bay Road, Concord, an attractive modern, light-filled environment. At this fun, bustling event, the enthusiasm of the children and parents who attended was clear.

Brand-new centre Endeavour Early Education, Concord caters for children aged 0–6 years. The centre’s operating hours are 7 am–6 pm, well suited to parents who work longer days. There are three separate rooms for the various age groups represented: 0–2 years, 2–3 years and 3–6 years.

Endeavour Early Education has been around since 2015. Their thriving centres in Dural and Kariong, on the Central Coast, have a strong reputation for their nurturing care, organic nutrition, education and a safe, stimulating environment. The brand’s philosophy is simple: to provide for the whole child. This Whole Child program is at the core of everything at Endeavour Early Education, enabling children to feel accepted, secure, free to imagine and explore – in other words, setting them up for the best possible start in life.

On touring Endeavour Early Education, Concord, we were pleased to find that the internal space receives loads of natural light. Warm, natural materials are used throughout, with occasional splashes of their brand colour orange. There are delightful homely touches too, like the oversized mismatched cushions, comfy beanbags, teepees, brightly coloured woven rugs and gorgeous soft lambskins in the babies’ sleeping space. Overall, the internal space felt inviting – and for a young child, probably quite enticing too!

Across the three rooms, opportunities for experimentation, exploration and imaginative play are abundant, with dolls, home play, dress-ups, sensory toys, musical instruments, reading nooks and more. There is a room dedicated to bottle preparation for the babies, and 2–3 year olds and the 3–6 year olds have separate toilet and handwashing facilities. It’s quite evident that the centre is highly organised with plenty of storage, clear labelling and signage.

We felt the outdoor space was exceptionally well designed, providing a clear delineation between play areas for the centre’s youngest and the busy older children and many possibilities for active play and discovery. The fenced area for the little ones (0–2 years) has a sandpit, cubby house and seating. The large outdoor area for children aged 2 years and up encourages children to get close to nature, with raised garden beds for gardening activities, a mud/dirt play area, a water play area with a pump and rocky creek bed and seating for outdoor educational experiences.

In addition, there is an elevated cubby house with a ladder, rock climbing holds and two slides – a very popular feature among the children. There are other climbing experiences too, including a net and a hill with climbing holds and an in-built slide. The big sandpit, filled with construction and other equipment, was another favourite spot. There are also paths encircling the play area for riding tricycles or pulling trolleys and stepping stones.

The outdoor area is well protected from the sun with three shade cloths. It has a range of ground coverings, including rubber soft fall, synthetic grass and bark chips. The garden beds use timber sleepers and native planting. Early Endeavour Education incorporates recycled resources wherever possible and promotes sustainability across all activities.

We chatted briefly with several of the staff on the day and were impressed by their friendly, helpful and professional manner. Their love of nurturing and educating children really shone through.

Centre Director Mariem Terry says: ‘Endeavour is so much more than just child care. We cater for the whole child in an inclusive and nurturing environment. All of our educators have a genuine love for what they do.’

A structured School Readiness program, Endeavour Academy, is of course in place to prepare children for their transition to big school. Extracurricular programs at Endeavour Early Education Concord include Mandarin language education with Mandarin Stars, multi-sports and fitness with Ready Steady Go Kids, and music therapy with Nordoff Robbins, giving children various opportunities to further develop their skills and interest.

Nutrition is another very important part of the program at Endeavour Early Education. The children grow their own organic fruit and vegetables on-site and, when they are ready, they cook and then eat them (with the help of the centre’s chef), encouraging them to feel excited about trying new foods.

Endeavour Early Education Concord can be easily reached by foot, car or bus. There is a car park underneath the centre with lift access into the internal space. The centre has systems in place for secure entry.

To find out more about the centre or enquire about enrolments, visit the website or phone 0