Our Philosophy

Governance and Leadership

We believe:

• That effective management is fundamental to providing a high-quality early childhood service. This involves having sound administrative and risk management systems as well as effective policies and procedures to guide our practice.

•. That critical reflection leads to effective evaluation of all aspects of our service and also enables us to continuously improve on our practices.

Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities

We believe:

• That families are the most influential people in children’s lives, and it is important for educators to form strong relationships with all family members. Through face-to-face interactions and various forms of written communication, we aim to build relationships based on trust, honesty and respect.

• That it is important to support families in their roles, and we therefore strive to support parents by providing ongoing support and information which may help in their roles as parents.

• That it is important to value and build relationships with the surrounding community, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, past, present and future. We do this by learning about trying to embed our surrounding community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Relationships with Children

We believe:

• That it is important to feel a sense of belonging at our service. We strive to form attachments with all children by getting to know each child and building responsive and meaningful relationships with them.

• That all children are competent and capable and our education and care practices acknowledge each child’s strengths, interests and emerging strengths. We strive to allow the children the time and assistance to build on these, ensuring that each child feels important and valued.

• That our interactions and the techniques we use with children help them to develop strategies to manage and maintain their own behaviour. The use of a positive approach to behaviour guidance and an understanding of how children develop is an integral part of this.

Staffing Arrangements

We believe:

• That it is important to provide the children with well trained, experienced and qualified staff (or staff who are working towards a qualification). This allows educators to form authentic relationships with children based on trust and mutual respect.

• That it is important to provide consistent rostering of staff. This ensures that there is continuity and predictability for children and their families, which helps to encourage each child’s active participation in the program.

• That it is important for educators to have access to ongoing training. This ensures that all educators keep well informed and up-to-date with current practices and trends in Early Childhood Education and Care. Ongoing training is essential to keeping educators inspired and motivated.

• That it is important for educators to feel valued as an important member of the team. We encourage educators to acknowledge each other’s interests and strengths and encourage each other to build on these.

Physical Environment

We believe:

• That the environment is the 3rd teacher and that the way the physical environment is arranged impacts the children’s social development.

• That the children’s learning and development is extended when the learning areas are arranged carefully in an inviting and stimulating way.

• That it is important for the physical environment, both indoor and outdoor, to include natural elements for children to engage with.

• That it is important for both the indoor and outdoor environments to cater for children of all abilities and also should be arranged to encourage small groups of children to engage in collaborative play.

• That it is important for the environment to reflect the lives of the children and the surrounding community.

• That it is essential that we teach and that we learn from each other about how be environmentally responsible and take care of our environment.

Children's Health & Safety

We believe:

• That a safe, healthy and secure environment is essential to support and promote each child’s growing competence, confidence and independence, as they explore the experiences provided for them.

• That for children’s growth and development, it is important that they are encouraged to eat healthy meals, participate in physical play and follow sun safety recommendations.

• It is important for educators to role model good practices in all areas of health and safety.

• That supervision needs to be carefully considered and planned to protect children from harm.

Educational Program: Our Program is underpinned by the Early Years Learning Framework

We believe:

• That children learn best through a play-based learning program. This allows them to engage with the carefully planned environment to learn through discovery and creativity.

• That it is important that the daily program follows a predictable routine, is based on children’s interests and strengths and allows big blocks of time for children to develop and revisit their play and form relationships with their peers.

• It is important to document and reflect on the daily program and children’s learning and development. We consistently document each child’s learning and development and use this information to inform our future program.

• That it is essential for educators to take an inclusive approach when developing the program, ensuring that each and every child is able to participate in the learning experiences provided.

• That it is important for children to be given the time and freedom to develop competence in self-help skills, such as eating, toileting, resting and taking care of their belongings. Our program will allow the flexibility and time for each child to develop these skills as they are ready.