The Top 3 Childcare Centres in Ormond, VIC (3204)

Birches Early Learning Centre Ormond

Tucked down a quiet side street off North Road, just a five-minute walk from Ormond train station, Birches Early Learning Centre Ormond has been operating since January 2012. The centre has 60 licensed places and runs an indoor-outdoor program that allows children to move seamlessly between learning environments throughout the day.

The educational program is grounded in the Reggio Emilia approach, developed in accordance with the government's Early Years Learning Framework. The curriculum is emergent in nature — responsive to children's interests and guided by reflective practice. Educators treat children as capable, curious learners from day one.

What parents consistently highlight is the open-door policy. Families are welcome to drop in unannounced at any time — no need to call ahead. This transparency is rare in the sector and speaks to the confidence the team has in their daily practice.

Fresh meals are prepared on-site daily by a chef who accommodates all allergies and dietary requirements. The daily fee of $157 includes meals, nappies and educational programs. Flexible session options — 9, 10 and 12-hour sessions — allow families to optimise their Child Care Subsidy.

The centre also has resident chickens, Bok Bok and Bailey, who are much loved by the children and provide a sense of connection, empathy and responsibility — a small detail that says a lot about the environment Birches creates.

Birches Ormond is the standout choice in postcode 3204. The combination of a 5.0 Google rating, 4.9/5 KindiCare score from 41 reviews, Reggio Emilia curriculum, all-inclusive fees and genuine open-door transparency makes it the benchmark for the suburb. Its proximity to Ormond station also makes it one of the most convenient centres for commuting families in Melbourne's inner south-east.

Nido Early School Ormond

Nido Early School Ormond opened in November 2022 and quickly established itself as one of the most premium early learning environments in the suburb. With 84 licensed places across purpose-built rooms, it serves the Tucker Road end of Ormond with a flagship Nido environment.

Part of the national Nido Early School group — which claims 99% of its services are rated Meeting or Exceeding NQS in Educational Program and Practice — the Ormond location brings the group's signature curriculum and high-resource environments to Melbourne's inner south-east. Nido invests heavily in age-specific indoor and outdoor environments, with light-filled interiors designed around natural resources and calming, well-organised spaces.

The curriculum follows a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, with play-based learning experiences designed to build school readiness progressively from the nursery through to the pre-kinder room. Meals are prepared fresh daily in the centre's cucina by an in-house chef, with menus developed by nutrition specialists and catering for all allergies and dietary requirements.

At from $199 per day, Nido Ormond sits at the premium end of the suburb's fee range — above the suburb average of $167. The fee reflects the centre's investment in resources, environments and staffing. All meals, nappies and programs are included.

Nido Ormond is the premium option in postcode 3204. It is newer, larger and more expensive than Birches, but the quality of its environments and the consistency of its educator team have earned it a 5.0 on CareForKids and 4.8/5 on KindiCare. For families who want a flagship group-operator experience with maximum resources and a strong school readiness focus, Nido is the choice.

Ormond Childcare and Preschool

Ormond Childcare and Preschool on Katandra Road is one of the suburb's most distinctive long day care services. The centre's educational philosophy is grounded in the Montessori method, developed by Dr Maria Montessori — a child-centred approach that emphasises independence, hands-on learning and self-directed activity within a carefully prepared environment. This sets it apart from the Reggio Emilia-influenced centres that dominate the Ormond market.

The centre opens at 7:30am and runs through to 6:30pm. It holds a Meeting NQS rating issued January 2024 and a 5.0/5 on CareForKids.

What parents consistently describe is a warm, community feel where all educators across every room know their child by name. The team, led by Mona and including educators Nisha and Nandini, is praised for going above and beyond at drop-off and pick-up — providing personalised daily summaries both in person and through the app.

The centre runs excursions to local destinations including the train station and grocery store, and organises memorable incursions such as fire truck visits — the kind of experiences that children talk about for weeks.

Ormond Childcare and Preschool is the most distinctive choice in postcode 3204. Its Montessori approach is genuinely different from anything else in the suburb, and the parent reviews consistently describe a centre where children are known as individuals and the team goes well beyond the minimum. For families drawn to the Montessori philosophy, or who simply want a warm, community-rooted centre with a 5.0 CareForKids rating, this is the standout third choice.