If our online enquiry form has been completed familiarise yourself with the parents/children’s names and the age of children, especially useful as occupancy increases and is a good way to getting to know your families.
If a family is a walk-in please ask them to complete our online enquiry form preferably before starting a tour.
Humble Greetings:
Introduce yourself and welcome the family to Woodlands campus.
'Hi Amanda, my name is Jess I am the Campus Manager here at Woodlands Sunbury. I will be taking you for your tour today.
If the family bring their child/ren with them please make sure to acknowledge the child/ren by name.
'You must be Henry, it is so lovely to meet you Henry my name is Jess.'
Having something that captures the interests of children at the front entrance (if possible) is always a nice way to start a conversation at the beginning of a tour i.e. centre pets etc.
'Henry, do you have any pets at home? We have 2 budgies names Marshmallow and Popcorn'.
Guide the parents along the hallway, have a discussion about key areas as they are approached.
These areas can include:
- Parent Lounge: it is usually a good idea to have a conversation about this area on the after parents have seen the rooms which is an opportunity to discuss our tailored orientation process.
'We offer 2 free orientations that can be booked online using the link we will send you after your tour. You will be able to book in a day & time that best suits you. Henry will spend time in their room becoming familiar with his new teachers, children and new learning environment. Whilst we are in the parent lounge we will spend time with you to have a discussion about your child’s individual needs and goals, confirm your enrolment on Centrelink as well as help you to become familiar with our parent app'.
- Kitchen: it is important that parents are aware we have our own qualified chef who is in charge of the preparation and cooking of meals each day on our 4 week rotating menu. This is a good opportunity to ask about any allergies/dietary requirements.
'Here is our kitchen where our qualified chef is in charge of preparing and cooking all meals each day. These include breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon and late snack (if applicable). Does your child have any allergies or dietary requirements? If so, briefly discuss what is required before start date (action plan / medication)'.
- Piazza:(if applicable) is where children come together to eat meals.
This is where our children come together to enjoy meals each day. There are several benefits which include the encouragement of conversations about what they are eating, focusing on the food they are eating without the distraction from activities and can sometimes be an already familiar practice for some children at home.
- Rooms: showing each room as a progression mentioning room names and ages, our program including sports/yoga and French or language teachers.
An example:
'This is our 0-1 year old room called Bambino which is Italian for baby. It is a 12 place room. A smaller group size helps children settle into a new environment easier and can be less overwhelming. We have permanent educators to ensure that children and families develop relationships with the same familiar faces. For this reason we also have parent partnership meetings which can be booked online and are available on Friday afternoon’s each week. This is a great opportunity to touch base with (child’s name) teachers regarding progress or any other educational related questions.
'Moving forward, this is an overview of the indoor environment our programs are designed around Montessori, Reggio and Steiner influences (explain some of the activities). We also have our very own sports and yoga teacher who is employed by Woodlands to plan and run weekly yoga programs during winter and sports programs during all other seasons. Our language teacher is also employed by Woodlands to teach the children French, this will happen once a week'.
Administration Key Points:
The points below should be mentioned to families on a tour:
- Our daily fee. Including no additional costs such an bond/enrolment fees.
- Our daily fee includes all meals, nappies, wipes, incursions/excursions and weekly sports and yoga programs.
- Tailored orientation.
- Open for operation Monday-Friday and only closing on public holidays.
Helpful Questions:
Families will appreciate as much information as you are willing to share with them.
Some helpful questions can include:
Are you familiar with the child care subsidy CCS?
If yes, have you submitted your claim and has it been approved?
If no, you can log onto your Centrelink app or through MyGov and then into Centrelink then into make a claim and follow the prompts accordingly.
If approved:
Can I ask what your percentage and hours per fortnight are?
Explain what the percentage and hours mean (try to encourage the best deal).
If not:
It can take up to 28 days for your claim to be approved, however if an urgent start date is needed you can opt to starting the family providing a CCS claim has been made and await CCS to be approved before any payment deductions.
Parent FAQs:
How much money do I have to pay per day?
An example, based on our $109 daily fee and after your 85% subsidy you will approximately pay between $21-$22 a day as a gap. Always mention it is an estimate.
English isn’t my first language, I might have trouble filling in the forms can you help?
Offer to help complete the enrolment forms by booking an appointment on Calendly.
I don’t understand much English, would a translator on a tour or orientation?
We have teachers who can speak *** let’s book you in an appointment so that we can arrange for a teacher to help with translating.
My child isn’t toilet trained, can you help with this?
We can support your child to start toilet training at Woodlands as long as they show an interest, give toilet training starting tips.
Do you have a kinder program?
Yes we have a 3-4 year old and 4-5 year old registered kindergarten programs. Explain the similarities and differences between the two. Please explain our kinder program in detail.
How do I complete the enrolment forms?
Once your tour is finished I will send you an email with information to complete our online enrolment forms on either a computer or laptop. This will also include a link for you to book in some orientation (usually a week or two before your start date). You will also be able to read more about our curriculum and meet the team of teachers in your child’s room.