Explore our Lightning Reef centre
At our Lightning Reef centre, we provide high-quality early education and care in a nurturing and welcoming environment.
We're located in North Bendigo, next door to Lightning Reef Primary School. We're a five-minute drive from Eaglehawk train station, the Bendigo Health general hospital and Bendigo city centre.
Our centre has dedicated spaces for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as music and language programs. We have large outdoor spaces and a vegetable garden for children to explore and learn about sustainability.
As a community-focused, not-for-profit centre, we love getting to know all our families. We know that by working together, we can help your child thrive. We also support families with programs like language classes, dental health visits, parent groups and more.
Location
Lightning Reef Early Learning Centre (ELC)
74-88 Holmes Rd
North Bendigo VIC 3550
Opening hours
Monday – Friday
6:30am – 5:30pm
Contact us
Phone: (03) 5444 6666
Email: lightningreefelc@ymca.org.au
Supporting children from nursery to kindergarten
Nursery (6 weeks to 18 months)
We educate and care for nursery-aged children throughout the day, with dedicated indoor and outdoor learning spaces, plus safe sleeping areas for rest.
Toddlers (2 to 3 years)
Our early learning program integrated within long day care helps toddlers develop emotional, physical and cognitive skills through fun play-based activities.
Kindergarten (3 years)
Our three year old integrated and sessional kindergarten programs are led by Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teachers and help young minds flourish.
Kindergarten (4 years)
Led by Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teachers, our integrated and sessional kindergarten programs help four year olds build essential skills for school and life.
What we provide
Meet our Centre Manager
Lisa Ellison
As a Children's Services Manager with 40 years of experience in early childhood education, I love to see children being challenged and encouraged to be independent and confident participants in their learning.
l enjoy supporting teams to develop and implement innovative programs and will always be exploring how we can be leaders in Early Childhood Education.
I began my career working in community-based centres and out-of-school hours (OSH) services within local primary schools. In 2008, I retrained as a trainer and assessor, where I delivered and coordinated Early Childhood and Care programs across various training organisations.
Throughout my career, I have returned to early childhood education as a Centre Manager, leading programs in multiple services across Melbourne. I am now thrilled to be supporting families and children at Lighning Reef.
Our team of educators speak a range of languages as well as English including Auslan, Chinese, Fijian, Hindi, Karen, Malayalam and Punjabi. We'd be delighted to welcome you to our Centre!
Meet our Educational Leader
Wendy Knopp
I have been involved in the early childhood education sector for over 15 years in centres in Victoria and the Northern Territory.
I have worked in many roles over this time from Educator, Inclusion Support, Room Leader, Ed Leader and Director, gaining much experience and a desire to build strong authentic teams of dedicated educators.
I have always had a passion to engage and educate children through the natural environment, creativity, exploration opportunities and learning environments that foster a sense of wonder, belonging and connection to their surrounds, family, peers, educators and the community.
I joined the team at Lightning Reef Early Learning in September 2025 and have really enjoyed working with the children and local families at our service.
Child Care Subsidy
Our programs qualify for the Federal Government's Child Care Subsidy (CCS).
CCS helps eligible families access approved and registered child care providers by partially subsidising the cost of daily fees.
Visit the Services Australia website to find out more or use this Child Care Subsidy Calculator to see how much you might pay.
Book a tour today!
Choosing an early learning centre is a big decision, and visiting a centre is an important step in the process.
During our 60-minute guided tours, you’ll be able to explore the centre, see our daily routines, meet our educators, and ask any questions you have. Afterwards, we can help you enrol or give you enrolment information to take home.
Tours are available five days a week at various times and must be booked in advance.
Not ready to book a tour?
Submit an enquiry and our friendly team will be in touch.
What our families say about us
The staff here do a fantastic job. They were really supportive through the enrolment process and are friendly and lovely to deal with in general. My little boy loves it here and always comes home with enthusiastic stories about all the fun he's had.Emily
Couldn't speak more highly of the staff and facilities of this centre. They go above and beyond and have now had experience of all age ranges with our two girls. Highly recommended!Rory