In her time as director of the pre-school Ms Price has driven significant change and expansion, which can sometimes have its risks, although she is certainly not one to shy away from calculated risk taking.

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In the early 2000s Ms Price and her partner took their two children, aged five and seven, out of school, and spent five years sailing their 40ft yacht around the Pacific.

Her willingness to take appropriate risks, and to be adventurous, has strongly influenced the way that Elizabeth has led the pre-school.

“When we sailed from Sydney some people thought that our children were going to miss important opportunities in life, but they were then blown away by the children’s abilities, resilience, adaptability and ability to work collaboratively,” said Ms Price.

“A sense of risk and adventure is important, and is the philosophy behind the way that the pre-school is run.

“Of course, it must be controlled and calculated risk.

“We don’t put aprons on children, whether it be paint or mud, because we don’t want them to develop the mindset that they always have to protect themselves from discomfort.

“When I took over there was a tree in the pre-school backyard which some staff had not felt comfortable with the children climbing because there were risks, but children will always look to stretch their skills, and they need to be allowed to continually challenge themselves.”

One parent who had her children at the pre-school when Ms Price became Director recalls that initially it was not all smooth sailing.

“In many ways Elizabeth was quite different to her predecessor, and I’m not sure some of the parents adapted well to the change, but when you look at the growth of the pre-school and all that she has achieved, I think she has done an outstanding job, often in difficult circumstances,” said the parent.

“She has taken some tough decisions, but they have clearly paid off.”

Although during her period of leadership the pre-school has developed considerably, Elizabeth has set the scene for significantly more growth with the establishment of a new facility at Barrington.

Recently the pre-school bought a house at Barrington which will undergo significant re-development to become an early childhood education facility.

“It will be quite a stunning facility,” said Ms Price.

“It’s going to reflect our present philosophy which is for it to be a natural space with as many sustainability features built in as possible.

“At this stage I can’t say when it is likely to be open – there is still plenty to do.”

By John WATTS