Goodstart Payneham

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403-407 Payneham Road, Felixstow, 5070, SA

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6:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday

Open every weekday of the year, except public holidays

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Nursery
Toddler
Preschool

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About our centre

Goodstart Early Learning Payneham: A Family-Focused Centre That Feels Like Home

At Goodstart Payneham, we’re all about family. Our centre feels like visiting Nonna’s house - warm, welcoming, and filled with love. Conveniently located in Payneham, we offer high-quality early learning supported by longstanding educators, strong community connections, and enriching programs tailored to every child’s needs.

Why Families Love Goodstart Payneham

A Family-Focused Approach

We work closely with families to create a nurturing environment where children feel safe, valued, and supported. Our open-door policy ensures families are always welcome, and breastfeeding mothers are invited to use our dedicated breastfeeding area in the cot room for comfort and convenience.

A Team of Longstanding Educators

Consistency and care are at the heart of our centre. Many of our educators have been with us for over a decade, offering children a stable and familiar environment:

Jess (Centre Director): Over 19 years of dedication to Goodstart Payneham and 7 years as Centre Director.
Marisa (Bachelor-Qualified Teacher): 30 years of experience inspiring young learners.
Hanna: Educator with 15 years of passionate care.
Plus, four additional team members with more than 10 years of service each.

Highly Qualified Teachers

Our centre is proud to have three Bachelor-qualified teachers - Marisa, Vivian, and Jeffrey - who bring expertise and passion to every aspect of your child’s learning journey.

Multilingual Team

Our educators speak Hindi, Mandarin, and Arabic, creating a welcoming environment for children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Enriching Learning Experiences

Educational Curriculums Across All Rooms

We offer a play-based, child-centred curriculum tailored to each child’s interests and developmental needs. Our program incorporates:

Physical Development, Music, and Movement: Activities like the “Happy Feet” dance class for children aged 2-5 years.
Sustainability and Cultural Awareness: Embedded in daily practices, from gardening to cultural cooking classes.
Universal Access Program: A government-funded initiative in our kindy room supporting excursions, incursions, and new learning experiences.

Community Connections and Events

We love being part of the Payneham community and regularly host events that bring families together, including our Easter Drive By and Christmas Lights Display. These celebrations are highlights of the year, creating cherished memories for families.

Nutritious Meals and Cooking Classes

Our centre cook prepares five delicious, nutritious meals each day - breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and a late snack. We also host MasterChef Classes, where children cook their own meals using recipes from different cultures, fostering independence and creativity.

Support for Vulnerable Families

In addition to caring for our enrolled families, our cook packages leftovers into containers to support vulnerable families in the community.

Outdoor Play and Sustainability

Our outdoor spaces are designed to encourage exploration, physical development, and environmental awareness. Children enjoy:

Large natural play areas with open-ended resources.
Activities that foster a love for nature and teach the importance of sustainability.

What Makes Goodstart Payneham Unique?

Family-Focused Culture: A warm, welcoming environment that feels like home.
Experienced Educators: A longstanding, dedicated team providing stability and care.
Highly Qualified Teachers: Three Bachelor-qualified teachers delivering exceptional early learning programs.
Multilingual Support: Educators fluent in Hindi, Mandarin, and Arabic.
Community Engagement: Events like Easter Drive By and Christmas Lights Display strengthen family bonds.
Nutritious Meals and MasterChef Classes: Encouraging healthy eating and independence.

Discover the Goodstart Payneham Difference

At Goodstart Payneham, we believe in creating a strong foundation for every child’s future by focusing on their emotional well-being, curiosity, and individuality. Our family-focused approach, longstanding educators, and enriching programs provide the perfect environment for your child to thrive.

Book Your Tour Today!

Come and experience the warmth of Goodstart Payneham for yourself. Meet our passionate educators, explore our vibrant learning spaces, and see how we can support your child’s early learning journey.

Tour times don’t suit your schedule? Contact us to arrange a visit that works for you.
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Testimonials from our Families

What a fabulous friendly environment 💜 The staff have been very caring and inviting and have a very family feel about them as well as teaching our kids many new things each and every day. We have done a few daycare moves over the years and our now 5yr old is loving getting ready for kindy in this new facility of hers. She has built some lovely friendships with the staff and her peers. The biggest thing for us was finding stability and at this center all the staff have been working at this address for upto 17yrs and they really do put alot of effort into our children, we even had our first parent teacher interview which we thought was great, we feel more of a connection with the staff as we could see they really do want what is best for us and our children and they want to know how they can make it better for us. Five stars all round, well done guys, wish we had chosen you alot sooner. Don't worry about the size of the rooms, the team manage the space very well and they do a fabulous job of keeping the kids stimulated.

Brooke Walmsley

My son has been at Goodstart Payneham since he was 5 months old (full-time) in the nursery room. All the educators and admin staff are fantastic and amazing. They are so supportive and patient, and we’ve received millions of advice throughout my son’s development journey. It has a great environment and learning facilities. Children can play safely in the huge backyard, and my son loves planting and eating vegetables (cherry tomatoes, particularly in summer) from the garden. And he also loves nutritious lunch freshly cooked by chef, Dave. Plus many more! He started Kindergarten program here this term for 5 days and he absolutely enjoys what he learns everyday. We can clearly see his happiness and maturity which is thankfully encouraged and supported by beautiful team. I strongly recommend Goodstart Payneham to every parent, especially young families just like us.

Christina Lee

View the full Family Testimonial videos on YouTube.

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When every moment counts, make them Goodstart moments.

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Jessica Vatsilas

Centre Director

Hello, my name is Jessica Vatsilas and I am the Centre Director at Goodstart Payneham.

Working at Goodstart Payneham has been the most rewarding and successful journey! I have been part of the Payneham family for 19 years - 7 years as Centre Director. I believe that creating a nurturing, aesthetically pleasing and safe environment, filled with developmentally appropriate curriculums and programs, will shape the first 5 years of a child’s life.

I am a passionate and dedicated leader who will always mentor and support my team to be the best that they can be.

At Goodstart Payneham we thrive to build trusting reciprocal relationships with both children and their families through Key Educator Relationships, which helps develop their sense of belonging in a new learning environment. I believe that children have the right to learn, play and build skills at their own pace and follow their own interests through making their own decisions.

Maintaining positive interactions builds a foundation for children to be nurtured, having a sense of agency and building a sense of security.

At Goodstart Payneham we might not be shiny brand new, but we are REAL, we have Heart and Soul!

We look forward to meeting you and your family. Come in and say hi!

Call us on 8365 0105, or click the 'Book a tour' button above to arrange a personalised tour. If you’d like a tour outside of the offered tour times please contact me so that we can organise this for you.