Our Mentone East Centre
Our purpose-built Mentone East Centre
Bayside Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Mentone East is a family-owned and operated early learning service located in the bayside Melbourne suburb of Mentone, directly opposite Mentone Park Primary School.
Our close proximity to the school provides a significant advantage for families and children. It supports a smoother and more confident transition from early learning into primary school, helping children feel familiar with their surroundings as they move into their next stage of education. This location is also highly convenient for families with both school-aged and early childhood-aged children, making daily drop-off and pick-up simpler and more time-efficient.
Located in a quiet and safe street, our centre offers plenty of on-site parking and easy access to Lower Dandenong Road and Nepean Highway, ensuring convenience for families commuting from surrounding areas.
Our purpose-built centre features six spacious rooms, thoughtfully designed to support each stage of early childhood development:
- One Nursery room for our youngest learners, offering a calm and comforting space for early bonding and exploration
- Two Toddler rooms, encouraging curiosity, independence, and active learning
- One Transition room, supporting children as they move confidently from toddlerhood into kindergarten readiness
- One Three-Year-Old Kindergarten room, fostering social skills, creativity, and early learning foundations
- One Four-Year-Old Kindergarten room, preparing children for school through a rich blend of play-based and intentional learning experiences
To further enhance children’s learning and wellbeing, our centre also offers three separate outdoor play areas, providing ample opportunities for physical activity, exploration, and connection with nature.
Our team of passionate, qualified, and dedicated educators are committed to nurturing each child’s individual strengths, interests, and developmental needs.
We value every child as a capable learner and work closely with families to create meaningful learning experiences that support growth, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.
We are open Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 6:30pm, operating 52 weeks per year to support the needs of busy families.
Join our welcoming community and experience a caring, supportive, and enriching environment where your child can learn, grow, and thrive.
Book a tour today — we would love to welcome your family to our centre.
Care for Toddlers
Our Toddler rooms at Bayside Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Mentone East provide a warm, engaging, and supportive environment where children are encouraged to explore, communicate, and develop independence with confidence. Educators build strong relationships that support toddlers as they navigate this exciting stage of rapid growth and discovery.
A Supportive & Engaging Learning Environment
Our two Toddler rooms are designed to promote curiosity, movement, and exploration while maintaining a strong sense of safety and belonging. Educators provide predictable routines and a calm structure that helps toddlers feel secure as they gain confidence in their abilities.
Individualised Routines & Emotional Support
Toddlers are supported through individual routines that reflect their changing needs, including rest, meals, and self-care. Educators respectfully guide children through emotions, emerging independence, and social interactions, helping them develop self-regulation and positive relationships with others.
Play-Based Learning & Exploration
Learning for toddlers is play-based and hands-on. Experiences such as sensory play, music, movement, language-rich interactions, outdoor exploration, and creative activities support physical development, early communication, problem-solving, and social skills. Educators intentionally extend learning by responding to children’s interests and emerging capabilities.
Working in Partnership with Families
We believe families play a vital role in their child’s learning journey. Through ongoing communication and collaboration, we work together to support each toddler’s development, ensuring a positive, confident, and happy early learning experience.
Care for Babies (Nursery)
At Bayside Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Mentone East, our Nursery provides a nurturing, calm, and home-like environment where babies feel safe, secure, and deeply cared for. Our approach is grounded in attachment theory, with a strong focus on emotional wellbeing, responsive caregiving, and building trusting relationships during the earliest and most important stage of development.
A Safe, Calm & Nurturing Environment
Our Nursery is thoughtfully designed to be warm, peaceful, and welcoming. Educators create a soothing atmosphere where babies can explore, rest, and engage at their own pace. Daily routines such as feeding, sleeping, and nappy changing are unhurried and respectful, viewed as meaningful moments for connection, communication, and learning.
Respectful, Individualised Care
We recognise that every baby is unique. Our educators closely follow each child’s individual routine, including sleep patterns, feeding preferences, comfort needs, and cultural practices. By working in partnership with families, we ensure consistency between home and care, supporting a gentle and reassuring transition into the Nursery environment.
Early Learning Through Play
Babies learn through sensory-rich, age-appropriate experiences that support early physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Through music, movement, tactile play, outdoor experiences, and responsive interactions, educators follow each baby’s cues and interests, supporting curiosity and secure attachments.
Partnerships With Families
We value strong, respectful relationships with families and believe open communication is essential. Educators share daily updates and collaborate closely with families to support each child’s wellbeing and development during these foundational years.
Transition Group (Toddlers to Kindergarten)
At Bayside Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Mentone East, our Transition Group is designed to support children as they move confidently from toddlerhood into kindergarten readiness. This program provides a supportive bridge between early exploration and more structured learning, helping children develop independence, emotional confidence, and a strong sense of belonging.
A Purposeful & Supportive Learning Environment
The Transition Group environment encourages children to explore, make choices, and engage in group experiences while still valuing play as the foundation for learning. Educators create predictable routines and a calm structure that help children feel secure as they adjust to new expectations and responsibilities.
Building Independence & Confidence
Educators focus on developing essential self-help skills such as toileting independence, handwashing, mealtime routines, and caring for personal belongings. Children are supported to express emotions, manage transitions, and build resilience, fostering confidence and emotional wellbeing.
Play-Based Learning with Intentional Teaching
Learning experiences are carefully planned to extend children’s thinking and curiosity while remaining child-led and engaging. Through storytelling, music, sensory exploration, early numeracy and literacy experiences, and creative play, educators support children to develop problem-solving skills, language, and emerging learning dispositions.
Preparing for Kindergarten
Our Transition Group gently prepares children for the expectations of kindergarten by encouraging participation in small-group experiences, turn-taking, listening skills, and cooperative play. Educators work closely with families to ensure continuity of learning and a smooth, confident transition into the kindergarten years.
Partnerships With Families
We value strong partnerships with families and maintain open communication to support each child’s developmental journey. By working together, we ensure children feel supported, capable, and ready for the next stage of their early learning experience.
Kindergarten Program
At Bayside Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Mentone East, our Kindergarten programs are flexible, child-focused, and thoughtfully designed to balance play-based learning with intentional teaching. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we view children as capable, confident learners and use the learning environment as the third teacher. Open-ended materials, natural resources, and meaningful experiences encourage curiosity, independence, and creativity.
Our indoor–outdoor program allows children to move freely between spaces, engage in small-group learning, and extend their thinking through exploration. Weekly programs are planned in response to children’s interests and developmental needs and are shared with families to support continuity of learning at home.
Preparing Children for School
Across both kindergarten programs, our curriculum is intentionally aligned with the Five EYLF Outcomes, supporting children to:
- Build a strong sense of identity
- Connect with and contribute to their world
- Develop wellbeing and resilience
- Become confident and involved learners
- Grow as effective communicators
Through thoughtful planning, strong educator-child relationships, family partnerships, excursions, and our close connection with Mentone Park Primary School, we ensure every child is well-prepared for a successful transition to school.
Three-Year-Old Kindergarten
Our Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program focuses on building a strong foundation for learning by nurturing children’s confidence, curiosity, and sense of belonging.
Educators support children to:
- Develop social skills, friendships, and emotional awareness
- Build early language, communication, and listening skills
- Explore early literacy and numeracy through play
- Strengthen independence through daily routines and self-help skills
Learning experiences are intentionally designed to introduce group participation, turn-taking, and collaborative play while maintaining a strong play-based approach. Children are encouraged to explore, ask questions, and express themselves creatively through art, music, movement, and storytelling.
Excursions and community experiences are gently introduced to help children become confident learners beyond the centre, supporting their understanding of the world around them.
Four-Year-Old Kindergarten
Our Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program is designed to prepare children for a confident and successful transition to primary school—socially, emotionally, and academically.
Educators intentionally support children to:
- Develop independence, responsibility, and self-regulation
- Strengthen early literacy and numeracy skills
- Build problem-solving, critical thinking, and resilience
- Engage in sustained learning, group discussions, and collaborative projects
Children participate in more structured learning experiences while play remains central to the program. Educators carefully observe and respond to each child’s strengths and interests, ensuring learning is meaningful and purposeful.
A strong relationship with Mentone Park Primary School supports a smooth and positive transition to school. Children benefit from school-related excursions, visits, and shared experiences that help them feel familiar, safe, and confident as they move into their next stage of learning.
