About Us

Our Story

Did you know that in the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections form every second?

In many ways, there is no other time of life that holds as much possibility and potential as our first five years. And that, in a nutshell, is why we started Compass Early Learning Centre.

Compass is part of a community complex in Merriwa called The Block, started by True North Church. The vision of True North was to create a space in the community to build the capacity and vibrancy of the local area, and do our part to make the world a better place. And we believe there is no way better to make a difference in the world than to make a difference in the life of a child!

Over the past several years, we have grown to be an integral part of the local community, serving hundreds of children and families along the way. For every single child, we strive to help them receive the very best start in life possible: feeling safe, connected, and given every opportunity to explore, discover and grow through these early years. We believe every child deserves the very best, and so we give our best for them every day.

Our Philosophy

"Encourage the Wonder"

Compass aspires to be a place of wonder where we can explore and experiment through play to discover our very own identities and make sense of the natural world.

We value play as a fundamental learning tool and as such will create fun and engaging environments where the voice of EVERY child is heard and valued.

Compass creates a warm, nurturing and sustainable environment built on the caring partnerships we develop with our families and community.

Our Educators

Big Brains AND Big Hearts!

Our educators have big brains and even bigger hearts. Of course they are super qualified (at Compass we only choose qualified educators!). But what we love most is the heart they bring to work every day. They won’t just teach your kids, they’ll hug them too.

Karen Palmer

Director

Karen’s passion is to create fun, nature based, child driven learning environments, where children can express themselves in a safe way and simply enjoy being a child. She loves getting to know children’s individual personality styles and what makes them tick!

Karen has worked with children for the last 37 years in pediatric nursing, nannying, lecturing and Early Childhood Education services. Prior to taking on the role of director at Compass in 2020, Karen led her previous centre to become one of only two early childhood centres in Western Australia to receive the “Centre of Excellence” rating. She holds qualifications in nursing, child psychology, training and assessment and children’s services.

She has also received awards for Outstanding Early Years Educator, Employer of the Year, Advancing Pedagogy and Practice, and Early Childhood Director of the Year. (We don’t mean to brag on her too much, but we think she’s pretty special, and your children will too!)