Castlereagh St, Sydney – Explore & Develop

Monday–Friday 7.30am–6.00pm

15 Castlereagh St Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 9119 4800 Enrolment enquiries: (02) 9119 4848

enrolments.cbd@exploreanddevelop.com.au

6 weeks to 6 years

We are a child-safe organisation

Meet the owner

Paul Ludlow

Paul Ludlow was inspired to create an environment for children and families based on what he would have personally wanted for his own children growing up. This philosophy ensures that every interaction and decision regarding the operation of the service considers not only the practical, but also what is in the best interests of all children and families. Paul’s extensive management and hospitality experience is evident in his approach with educators and families at Castlereagh Street. Paul is active in his local community, and volunteers his time at a local primary school where he was President of the Out of School Hours (OOSH) care program.

Features

On-site car parking

Nutritious varied menu from breakfast to dinner

Parent communication app

Individually owned and operated

School readiness curriculum

Language lessons

Sport programs

Local excursions

Our approach

Our curriculum caters for all age groups from babies to pre-school and includes a School Readiness / Transition Program and is guided by Australia’s National Curriculum, the Early Years Learning Framework.

We offer many opportunities for children to engage in additional programs such as Spanish and Mandarin lessons, Sporting programs and Excursion Program to many of the city’s amazing places of interest including Hyde Park, The Botanic Gardens, The State Library, Martin Place and The Opera House.

What we have seen on drop off, pick up and via Kinderloop along with the pace of her development indicates excellent care. The baking activity for ANZAC Day and crafts for Mother’s Day was special. I have nothing but praise for the professionalism and dedication of all carers I have interacted with. It was noticeable how quickly they all got to know our daughter’s personality.

Steven Baillie
I can tell the educators really care about the kids and they are so good at their jobs. I love the photo updates throughout the day. Keep them coming.

Chon Healey
Really happy with the standard of care and education Isobel receives. The educators are lovely, very friendly and seem to have the best interests of all the children front of mind at all times.

Going back to work has been so much easier when you know that your child is being well looked after and is having fun, which you can see in the photos and the updates.

Jo Higgins
Given our daughter’s diagnosis of Autism she has needed special care and attention and Explore & Develop have not only accommodated her with open arms but they have actively sought ways to assist her in the integration of her learning, development and achievement of her fundamental milestones. We are eternally grateful that Explore & Develop have given her the support, love and commitment to thrive in what has been a very challenging few years. We would highly recommend the centre, its management and the day care staff who have demonstrated a concerted and tireless effort in offering Saskia every opportunity to be a part of the wonderful and unique learnings on offer there.

Robert Migliore
As first time parents, it was a very difficult decision in choosing a centre to take care of our baby girl. Since our first day, your team has always created a caring and loving environment for Emelia to grow and develop. Although she may be young, she has always enjoyed the experiences she’s had during her time there.

Matt, Trish and Emelia Bogacz

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Learning Environments

Nursery

Birth – 2 years

Our aim is to provide a clean, nurturing and stimulating environment for our infants where our focus is on relationships, to ensure each child feels safe, secure and supported. We have two beautifully designed rooms, so that the younger babies and the older babies have their own spaces to explore. Age-appropriate resources, materials and equipment are provided to encourage children to explore and investigate using all their senses.

Our aim is to provide a clean, nurturing and stimulating environment for our infants where our focus is on relationships, to ensure each child…

Early learning

2 – 3 years

Our two Toddler rooms deliver the toddlers their own spaces to explore, discover, create and imagine through play-based learning. The environment and program is vibrant and flexible and responsive to the interests and abilities of each child and includes puzzles, literacy and numeracy activities, construction activities, creative arts, music and pretend play set-ups.

Preschool

3 – 5 years

Our Preschool room continues to provide a play-based developmentally appropriate program where children are learning important knowledge, skills and attitudes that will not only prepare them for school but for lifelong learning. Our ‘Transition to School’ program delivered by early childhood teachers focuses not only on the social, emotional and academic skills for children but also ensures children have the confidence and independence necessary to make a smooth transition to school.

Outdoor environment

We have created a number of varied play spaces that are natural and diverse, and include a variety of plants and shrubs. Each space not only provides opportunities for children to release energy and engage in physical activity, but also to explore, problem- solve and engage in creative expression. Some features for our infants and toddlers space include a glass-covered atrium where children can experience our sandpit, nature trail, teepee, timber boardwalk and soft, open space for tumble and ball play.

We have created a number of varied play spaces that are natural and diverse, and include a variety of plants and shrubs. Each space…

Rated 4.8 stars on Google

Brittney Heurtier

in the last week

We had the most incredible experience at Explore & Develop after relocating from Brisbane. Paul made the transition seamless with our enrollment. The warm welcome from Paul, the educators, children and their families ensured our son settled in very quickly. The curriculum, facilities and external excursions and are fantastic. I would recommend the centre to anyone looking for high quality and genuine care for your children in the Sydney CBD.
Annie Hugo

a month ago

Explore and Develop is a great centre. We have been attending the centre for the past three years. The educators care about the children & they have an amazing curriculum. Couldn't recommend it more!
Matthieu

5 months ago
Dr Liu

7 months ago

We were at Explore and Develop from baby room all the way to the preschool room. Our little one had a great time there, with great carers throughout all stages. At Every single stage of our child's development we were lucky enough to have carers who just went out of their way to engage with the kids with various developmental activities, excursions and incursions (for e.g. Thursday sports where Coach Al comes for a sports coaching) Very happy to recommend them to other parents.
Tim

7 months ago

Paul and all the staff here are exceptional! They provided a fun learning environment for our son that was safe. The food provided was also exceptional with a wide variety of food provided while remaining conscious of food allergies. Overall a great experience! Thank you Paul.

Fees & Inclusions

The daily fees for 2026

We are an approved Child Care Subsidy (CCS) service, which means eligible families will receive three days per week of subsidised care.

Use our CCS calculator for an estimate of your individual fees, or contact us and we’ll help you with it.

Our 2026 fees are outlined below. Note these fees are before CCS, which will significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Our 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.

AGE GROUP	DAILY FEE (BEFORE CCS and Start Strong)
Nursery (0-2 years)	$207/day
Early learning (2-3 years)	$207/day
Preschool (3-5 years)	$197/day

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

Gallery

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Parent Information

A positive start to early education and care
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Parent Information

The lifelong benefits of Early Childhood Education and Care
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Parent Information

Download our ‘Learning Through Play’ Ebook
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