Gowrie Carlton North

A warm and inclusive community that has welcomed families for generations.

Gowrie Carlton North was the first Gowrie purpose-built early learning service in Australia and is known as the lighthouse for innovation and high-quality in the early learning sector. At its heart is a large, rich, natural outdoor environment where children have been learning, playing, and growing since 1939.

Learning through nature every day. Our large natural outdoor environment is a living classroom where children climb trees, use real tools, balance on stepping stones, and gather around the campfire, building courage, resilience, and a deep connection to the natural world.
A multi-age community of learners. Children from infancy to five years learn alongside one another, developing empathy, independence, and social skills in ways that age-grouped programs simply cannot replicate.
Connected to Country and community. Bush Kinder, local excursions, a Spanish Language Program, and sustainability practices weave First Nations perspectives and community connection into everyday learning.

Gowrie Carlton North is rated Exceeding under the National Quality Standards.

Book in a tour and come see us — we’d love to meet your family!

Join us at Gowrie Carlton North today!

Our Location

36 Newry Street, Carlton North, VIC 3054 Get Directions

Contact Details

Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm

03 9362 2200

carltonnorth@gowrievictoria.org.au

Our Programs

Integrated Kindergarten
Long Day Care
Sessional Kindergarten

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What We Do

At Carlton North, we offer programs that nurture learning, wellbeing, and curiosity, as well as initiatives that build community and belonging. Explore some of what we do.

Bush Kinder

Our Bush Kinder program runs across Term 2 and Term 3 for our four year old kinder groups. The children walk and take a tram to Merri Creek Wetlands where they engage in open ended exploration connecting to Country and develop skills of agency, ownership and responsibility.

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Language Program

At Carlton North we teach our 3–5-year-old programs Spanish as part of our Early Childhood Language Program, a Victorian Government initiative. This program has many benefits such as; increasing children’s pre-reading and pre-writing skills, strengthening cultural identity and fostering deep connections with different cultures and languages.

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First Nations Perspectives

Carlton North has a strong commitment to reconciliation and embedding First Nations Perspectives throughout our programs.

Currently in the process of developing our first Reconciliation Action Plan, a community of practice group of educators meet monthly to discuss and reflect on our practices.

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FAQs

Find answers to common questions specific to Carlton North.

Yes, you will need to provide your child with a packed lunch if they are enrolled in one of our sessional kindergarten programs. We suggest splitting different foods into separate lunchboxes to support your child learning how to manage their mealtimes. For example, morning tea in one container, lunch in another, etc. Children will be supported in how to learn to open their lunchboxes, which is great preparation for when they start school.

Our external waitlist is everchanging, so it is impossible to give you an exact idea of where you are sitting on the list at any given time. When your requested places become available, we will contact you via email and phone to offer you the spots. We have a minimum required placement of two days in order to access our services, and suggest accepting this when it is offered, even if you want more days, so you have your foot in the door. You can then go on our internal waitlist for extra days, if and when they become available.

Looking for more information?

For broader information about kindergarten, click the button below to view our general FAQs.

See General FAQs

Kind words from our community!

Gowrie Carlton North provides outstanding early childhood education. I couldn’t be happier with the care my son receives. The environment is safe, nurturing, and engaging, with plenty of outdoor space for the children to explore. The experienced educators are always kind, attentive, and welcoming. I highly recommend to any family looking for a caring and high quality childcare centre.

Parent

Gowrie is a fantastic organisation that really cares about providing a high level of service. I highly recommend them!

Parent

A Message From Our Team

Hello, and welcome to Gowrie Carlton North.

Gowrie has been part of this community for over 85 years, and our Carlton North team has watched the service grow in size and scope while keeping its homely feel alive. Overseen by our beautiful Sydney Blue gum, our service here brings the whole community together, with ongoing opportunities for children to explore our outdoor garden and connect to Country.

Wonder and curiosity sit at the heart of what we explore at Carlton North. Here you’ll see ongoing threads of thinking connecting children’s home lives, family and community.

Please don’t hesitate to call us, or book a tour to see our work in action.

Thank you,
The team at Carlton North