Explore & Develop

Welcome to Explore & Develop Artarmon – Dickson Avenue

Scroll down to learn more about our service.

Monday – Friday 7.30am – 6.00pm
60 Dickson Avenue Artarmon 2064
02 7238 8858
dicksonave@exploreanddevelop.com.au

High-quality education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years

We are a child-safe organisation

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Alison

Owner

of Explore & Develop Artarmon – Dickson Avenue

Alison brings over 30 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, with the last 19 years dedicated to successfully leading Explore & Develop Artarmon – Campbell Street, the only Exceeding-rated centre in Artarmon.

Features

In-house cook
Intergenerational program
Nappies, wipes, bottles and formula provided
Multi-lingual educators
On-site undercover parking
Family owned and operated
Local excursions
Inclusive, anti-bias curriculum

Our approach

Our vision is to create a high-quality early childhood environment that continually grows and evolves, positively impacting the lives of children, families, educators, and the wider community. Our philosophy supports this vision by drawing on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Australian National Law and Regulations, and our commitment to professional ethics and our Reconciliation Action Plan. Through these guiding principles, we strive to foster an environment that values diversity and promotes inclusion and social equity.

  • The incredibly helpful and hands-on owner Alison & her team of amazing educators have made the transition for my 18m old seamless. As a (slightly) anxious first-time mum, the E&D Artarmon Dickson Ave service has eased my worries tenfold, right from the initial enrolment stage, to orientation & play dates. I know my baby will be loved and nurtured to grow and thrive in this clearly high-quality service- I have no hesitation in recommending the centre to any/all parents in the area who want a trustworthy group of passionate early childhood professionals, who already feel like an extension of our family. We toured the Campbell Street location when I was pregnant, and we were already so impressed by the care and environment there. As soon as we learned about this new location, we knew we wanted to put our names down—and it has absolutely lived up to our expectations. The service has been fantastic from the start. Our daughter genuinely loves going each day, which says everything. The educators are warm, attentive, and truly wonderful with all of the children. You can see how much they care, and it gives us so much confidence as parents. What really stands out is how well the team works together. There’s a strong sense of collaboration, and it creates such a positive and nurturing environment. We also love that play-based learning is at the heart of everything they do—it feels thoughtful, engaging, and perfectly suited to helping the children grow and thrive. We couldn’t be happier with our experience so far and feel so lucky to be part of this beautiful community.

    Current Family at Dickson Ave
  • Thank you Alison & Lillian again for your time on the tour — it was lovely meeting you. I was genuinely impressed by how thoughtfully everything has been planned. Every question I asked had clearly been considered in depth. Alison, I really appreciated how you spoke about each of your staff members — your passion for the centre and your team truly shows. Lillian, your detailed and thoughtful responses gave me great confidence in how well you know the centre inside and out.

    Family who toured both of our Artarmon centres

Are you interested?

Enquire now

Learning Environments

Nursery

0 – 2 years Blue Gum & Gum Nut

In our two small babies’ rooms, we adopt a primary caregiving approach that prioritises following each child’s individual routine, respecting their rights, and fostering safe and secure attachments. Our flexible environment allows children to move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces, encouraging them to engage in a variety of play-based experiences. We have two small babies’ rooms where we care for up to 12 children aged between 6 weeks and 24 months.

In our two small babies’ rooms, we adopt a primary caregiving approach…

Toddlers Room – Acacia

All ages

Our early childhood educators develop a curriculum that emphasises hands-on learning, supporting children’s sensory exploration and fostering their growing independence. Additionally, we place a strong focus on building early social skills through language development, positive communication, negotiation, empathy and self-expression. We have two toddlers’ rooms, each providing care for up to 15 children aged between 18 months and 2.5 years.

Our early childhood educators develop a curriculum that emphasises hands-on learning, supporting…

Junior Preschool Room – Banksia

All ages

In our Junior Preschool Room, we build on the foundations that nurture a lifelong love of learning for every child. This room caters to 20 children aged 2.5 to 4 years. The curriculum here adopts a deeper project-based approach, encouraging children to question, investigate and solve problems. Alongside this we support the development of self-help skills and foster growing independence.

In our Junior Preschool Room, we build on the foundations that nurture…

Senior Preschool Room – Banksia

All ages

Set within a literacy- and numeracy-rich environment, children are encouraged to take responsibility and actively participate in the life of the room. Our Senior Preschool Room accommodates 20 children daily, aged between 3.5 and 6 years. The curriculum emphasises deepening project-based learning with a strong focus on equity, inclusion, fairness and social justice. We also nurture key social and emotional skills such as curiosity, resourcefulness, independent thinking, problem solving, initiative and perseverance.

Set within a literacy- and numeracy-rich environment, children are encouraged to take…

Discovery Room – Lily Pily

All ages

This room is used for small group exploration in areas such as STEM, cooking, science and music. The children explore our 3D printer by designing and making things based on their interests. We explore real tools making robots and explore different types of machines. Our light box provides endless opportunities and our puppet place and open library has created a literacy rich space.

This room is used for small group exploration in areas such as…

Reviews

  • Grace Lee

    2 weeks ago

    Google

    All three of my children attend Explore & Develop Dickson Road, and I couldn't recommend it more highly. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the warmth of this centre, the educators genuinely know and love each child, and my kids run in happily every morning. We moved our kids to Explore in Develop in January, and we are so grateful to Alison, Holly, Josie, Riju and the entire team for creating such an exceptional centre. What sets this centre apart is the quality and consistency of the team. The educators take time to understand each child and the communication with families is seamless & outstanding. We always know what our children are learning, doing, and enjoying. There is a perfect balance between play, learning, and building independence, and I've watched each of my three children thrive in different ways at every age and stage. Alison, the owner, is an exceptional leader. She is genuinely hands-on, deeply invested in every child's experience, and always available to families. It's rare to find an owner so personally involved, and it shows in the quality of everything the centre does. As a parent, the peace of mind of dropping your children somewhere they are truly cared for is priceless. If you're touring centres in the area, put Explore & Develop Dickson Road at the top of your list. We feel so lucky to be part of this community!

  • Manasi Kogekar

    a month ago

    Google

    Our daughter has been at Explore and Develop for just a few months and we've already seen her flourish there under the care of Alison and her team of incredible educators. Everyone has gone out of their way to make both her and us as parents feel welcome. The team have expertly helped us navigate challenges around toilet learning and followed routines we've set at home. The educators are decidated to supporting our daughter to achieve her individual goals, suc as helping her with her Nepali language learning. I would highly recommend Explore and Develop to anyone looking for a caring, high-quality and welcoming centre.

  • Chris McGrath

    2 months ago

    Google

    We’re so happy we sent our daughter here. Since joining, she has really opened up and has thrived in the fun and loving environment nurtured by the campus leaders. Every day I pick her up, she takes me on a tour of the fun things she’s been doing that day, and barely wants to leave! This is a massive change from the poor experience we had at another center nearby, and we are so thankful to Alison and all of the educators.

  • Ria Wang

    2 months ago

    Google

    We honestly could not be happier with Explore & Develop Dickson Street. The educators are incredibly loving, warm, and genuinely care about the children as individuals, not just as part of a routine. You can feel the difference the moment you walk in. The environment is fantastic, especially the beautiful covered outdoor spaces that give the kids so much room to play, explore, and learn in all weather. It feels thoughtful, calm, and designed around what children actually need. What stands out most to us is Alison’s leadership. Time and time again, whenever there’s a choice between a business outcome and doing what’s genuinely best for the children, Alison has always chosen the children. That kind of integrity and care is rare, and it creates a culture that flows through the whole centre. Our little boy is now 16 months old and absolutely loves it there. Some afternoons he doesn’t even want to come home, which says everything. As parents, there’s no better feeling than knowing your child feels safe, loved, and happy. We’re so grateful to the entire team at Explore & Develop Dickson Street.

  • Taylor ODonnell

    2 months ago

    Google

    I cannot recommend this childcare highly enough! My first baby was 7 months old when she started and I was so nervous at the idea of her starting daycare. But she has built such incredible bonds with each of her educators and doesn’t even cry at drop off anymore! I am beyond thrilled at how happy she is there and I appreciate the extra mile the educators go to for her. Alison the owner is extremely hands on and makes me feel so reassured that my baby is in good hands. I love how outdoorsy the centre is as well, the kids spend the majority of the day in a covered outdoor area. I have only been there a few months but in this time alone, I have no hesitations recommending this centre to everyone and anyone.

Fees & Inclusions

The daily fees for 2026

u003cpu003eWe are an approved Child Care Subsidy (CCS) service, which means eligible families will receive three days per week of subsidised care.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eUse our u003ca href=u0022#u0022u003eCCS calculatoru003c/au003e for an estimate of your individual fees, or contact us and we’ll help you with it.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eOur 2026 fees are outlined below. Note these fees are before CCS, which will significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eOur service is also eligible for Start Strong Fee Relief, providing a further saving for families of 3- and 4-year-old children, in addition to CCS.u003c/pu003e

Nursery 0-2 years
$182/day
Early learning 2-3 years
$176/day
Preschool 3-5 years
$166/day

Our daily fee is all-inclusive, covering nutritious meals, snacks and drinks, nappies, wipes, sunscreen, bedding, educational programs and learning materials.

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Contact us

Monday – Friday 7.30am – 6.00pm
60 Dickson Avenue Artarmon 2064
02 7238 8858
dicksonave@exploreanddevelop.com.au

High-quality education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years

We are a child-safe organisation

Read more