Goodstart Pakenham

Exceeding-rated, tailored early learning built on connection

Nurturing care in a natural setting on Bunurong Country.

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5 Portobello Road, PAKENHAM, 3810, VIC

6:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday
Open every weekday of the year, except public holidays

Nursery, Toddler, Kindergarten

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Welcome to Goodstart Pakenham!

Set in the heart of the Lakeside precinct on Bunurong Country, our Exceeding-rated long day care centre offers a nurturing, inclusive environment for children from six weeks to school age.

With an upheld National Quality Rating and educators recognised for excellence, families can expect consistent, exceptional care at every step.

Each of our programs - whether nursery, toddler, or kindergarten - is play-based, culturally rich, and designed to spark curiosity and confidence, allowing children to strengthen their love of learning.

Take a tour of our service to experience our connected community where every child belongs. We'd love to show you around.

What makes our centre special:

Longstanding educators - many here for over 10 years - who build deep, trusting relationships with families
Exceeding-rated service with two consecutive outstanding assessments
A strong cultural focus, including daily Acknowledgement of Country in Auslan and Aboriginal language
Mixed-age outdoor environment encouraging friendships, mentoring, and community
Fortnightly Bush Kinder and regular incursions based on children's interests
Multilingual educators who support families and children from diverse cultural backgrounds
Nutritious, freshly prepared meals provided daily

Our outdoor environments are a true hidden sanctuary, complete with sandpits, a dry creek bed, veggie gardens, and shaded cubby spaces where children can explore nature and learn about sustainability.

Indoors, bright and engaging learning spaces encourage creativity, collaboration, and discovery through play.

Families love our warm, family-like atmosphere and the sense of belonging their children feel from the very first day.

Our qualified teachers provide a kindergarten program that nurtures school readiness and confidence for life beyond early learning.

We invite you to visit, meet our passionate educators, and see what makes our community so special - book a tour today.

Learn more about Goodstart Pakenham

At Goodstart Pakenham, our philosophy centres around the belief that every child is a unique individual with their own interests and strengths. We embrace a play-based learning approach that nurtures curiosity and creativity, allowing children to explore their world in meaningful ways. 
We prioritise: 
1. Holistic Development: Supporting cognitive, emotional, social, and physical growth through engaging and developmentally appropriate activities. 
2. Family and Community Engagement: Building strong partnerships with families and the community to create a supportive network for each child. 
3. Inclusive Environment: Celebrating diversity and ensuring that all children feel valued, respected, and included. 
4. Lifelong Learning: Instilling a love of learning by encouraging exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 
Through our philosophy, we aim to create a safe, nurturing environment where children can thrive and become confident, capable learners. 
Children need to feel safe and supported to learn and grow, so we promote key educator relationships between our educators and children. Your child will have at least one educator (their key educator) who takes them under their wing and really gets to know them. 
Our Key Educator relationships help children form secure attachments. Educators work closely with smaller groups and individual children to better understand each child. These relationships lead to improved outcomes for children as we foster more communication between families and educators. 
We inform families regularly about their child's progress and welcome family involvement in our centre events and activities.  
At our Pakenham centre, we're proud to inspire your child's love of learning with the support of our passionate and qualified early childhood experts. Teachers with bachelor's degrees run our three and four-year-old kindergarten program, so children can be well on their way to excellent learning outcomes by the time they start school. 
At Goodstart, we believe all children deserve the best possible start in life, which includes access to high-quality early childhood education and care. We offer:  
- Discounts on multiple days  
- All day sessions  
- Fee assistance programs for families that need support 
We work closely with parents to ensure the individual needs, interests and strengths of children are considered, and our learning goals reflect them. Using Storypark, a wonderful communication platform, we stay in close touch with families and ensure you're well informed about your child's development and achievements. 
Click here to book your tour or call our Family Services team to find out more on 1800 222 543.

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When every moment counts, make them Goodstart moments.

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Hi, my name is Alice, and I’m proud to be the Centre Director at Goodstart Pakenham.

I hold a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary). I also bring experience in Youth Work, Event management and Hospitality management, which has strengthened my leadership, communication, and organisational skills.

I have worked in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector for over ten years. During this time, I’ve had the privilege of working across a wide range of roles—including Educator, Kindergarten Teacher, Educational Leader, Assistant Director, and now Centre Director. Each of these roles has shaped my professional journey and deepened my commitment to delivering high-quality care and education for all children.

What I love most about this field is the opportunity to build strong, meaningful relationships with children, families, and educators. I believe that a child’s early years are the most important, and that every child deserves a safe, inclusive, and inspiring space where they can feel confident, capable, and connected. I am passionate about creating environments that support each child’s individual learning style, interests, and wellbeing.

At Goodstart Pakenham, I am committed to leading a team that values collaboration, curiosity, and kindness. Together, we strive to create a centre where children are excited to learn, families feel supported and welcome, and educators are empowered to grow and thrive in their practice. I’m excited to build lasting partnerships with our families and community and to help give every child the best possible start in life.

Warm regards,
Alice Spaulding
Centre Director, Goodstart Pakenham

Government Funded Kindergarten Program

At Pakenham, you and your child can enjoy the best of both worlds. Our early learning centre offers a Government-funded kindergarten program and long day care under the one roof. Our kindergarten teachers are University qualified and provide a play-based learning program that will support your child in learning the skills for school and life.

Fees and inclusions

Nursery & Toddler

Kindergarten

Use our Calculator to see your real out-of-pocket cost

The above fees are effective from 7 July 2025 and are based on a 10 hour session, for attendance between 2 and 4 days per week. 5 day bookings receive a generous discount per day. Note that different combinations of sessions times and number of days can increase or decrease the daily rate.