Competence

Children are capable and competent learners who are eager to explore and engage in learning. We value their uniqueness and individuality and embrace their meaningful contributions to our world and within our educational program. Children learn in many different ways: they are experimenters, scientists, researchers, artists, sporty, collaborators, explorers and observers, each with 100 languages of their own to explore (Loris Malaguzzi ‘The Hundred Languages of Children’ – expressive, communicative, symbolic, cognitive, ethical, metaphorical, logical, imaginative and relational.). We value and encourage all of their learning styles, processes and efforts in their quest to make sense of their world. Our environment promotes physical activity and our program builds on children’s strengths, interests, abilities and skills; their well-being and security is at the core of our work.

Relationships

Relationships are at the heart of our preschool, where children and families can feel they ‘belong’. Our relationships reflect the ideas, ethics, attitudes and culture of our community. We encourage an inclusive and nurturing culture, where children, parents and staff communicate openly and effectively, with warmth and respect. We believe that learning happens during social interactions and collaborations with others. While developing relationships, children learn how to express themselves, listening to others and debating ideas. Children learn to be open and empathetic to differences and diversity by engaging together, sharing an emotional language expressed through joy, sadness, anger and laughter. In acknowledging that parents are the most important people in their children’s lives and have the biggest influence on their child’s learning, it is our priority to work closely and collaboratively with parents and children. We develop social capital by involving parents in all aspects of our service operation, such as the staff and parent meetings, building a strong foundation that reflects the identity and needs of our community. In building relationships within our wider community we are part of networking groups and work closely with another child care centre in the community and a local nursing home.

Equity

Equity and inclusion are key values at our centre. One of our most significant practices is showing mutual respect and understanding towards others. We credit each individual child, with the ability and potential to be responsible, active citizens of the world. As citizens of Australia we acknowledge, and respect the traditional custodians of the land and believe that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their history are unique. In our work with children and families we aim to instil knowledge and an appreciation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage, founded on understanding and valuing of their history past and present. We are advocates for social justice against bias and inequity, our program is inclusive as are our teaching practices. An individual child and family’s uniqueness is valued, as are their strengths, abilities, culture, lifestyle choices and beliefs, contributing to the rich fabric of our community. Supported by high staff ratios we work closely with children, staff and families to ensure each child grows in all aspects of their wellbeing and development.

Aesthetics

The beauty of our aesthetic environment is inspired by the philosophy and approaches from Reggio Emilia. Our environment and resources reflects our vision in valuing the quality of children’s learning experiences, highlighting the significance of building an appreciation and understanding of art, nature and environmental sustainability. We regard the environment as the ‘third teacher’ that is powerful in its effect on children’s behaviours and responses towards learning. The environment is shaped by its teachers, children and parents who contribute their ideas to create relevance and meaning, underpinned by principles of sustainability, being mindful of conserving energy and using natural and recycled resources to work with. A child’s thinking and learning is made visible through the displays, documentation and presentation of artwork, interactions and materials. Respectful and careful consideration is given to the selection and arrangement of materials and their qualities including colour, texture, sound, shadows and natural lighting.

Teaching Programs and transitions

Our teaching program is underpinned by our Philosophy and our Policies. We are inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach and guided by the Early Years Learning Framework. Together our philosophies, frameworks and practices all support an emergent, play based teaching program that is driven by children’s knowledge and desire to learn, their interests and ideas and the diversity and commitment of our families and staff. Our approach informs influences and inspires children to learn how to learn. It engages children in a dialogue of questions and possibilities, creating a rich foundation of education for life. We think about how we view children, how we view time as essential to their learning, how we value creative expression, intentional teaching and collaboration. Our documentation and visual displays show us images of children’s thinking and making sense of ‘belonging, being and becoming’ in their world. It shows us adults and children working and learning together and that non-verbal languages reveal thoughts and feelings that provoke further expression. It challenges us to reconsider our view of children’s capabilities. Our documentation is significant in our work because it makes children’s learning visible> It is a celebration of what is possible when children are listened to and given the opportunity to collaborate with adults and each other in a meaningful way.

Life is a process of ‘change’ that children need to be prepared for. We believe children are capable of dealing with change and challenges, especially when supported by others. Transitions are valuable opportunities in learning how to embrace change and can be spontaneous or planned depending on their purpose. We use transitions to support children in moving from one activity to another, preparing children for school, or settling into a new environment; transitions are valuable learning opportunities in building confidence and wellbeing within our daily routines and group times.  It is important that children receive the support they need during transitions reflecting an understanding of where he or she is at the present. Our aim is to strengthen children’s emotional development and nurture their resilience.

Imagination

Young children are given the time and space to explore their imagination, creative intelligence, theories and ideas. Time is an essential part of a child’s experience, bringing focus, depth and thoughtfulness to their work. Children are encouraged to enjoy being children, working together through a play based curriculum, to experience the wonders and delight that stem from their imaginings and ideas. Our educators value, respect and build on these experiences and together with children, document and reflect on the conversations, interests and possibilities that arise, which in turn inspire and stimulate further learning. Our curriculum is founded on the development of relationships that involve children in discussion, exploration and collaboration, supported by a wide range of open-ended resources and creative experiences, involving music, movement and dance, the visual arts, language and literacy, numeracy, science, nature, food and nutrition, environmental sustainability and health and safety.

Values

Children’s values are shaped and guided as they experience day-to-day life within their family, preschool and community. We encourage children to think critically and be advocates for others, using their skills to recognise stereotypes and to consider others points of view when forming their own ideas and expressing their opinions. We promote values that support the growth of children as positive contributors and participators within our diverse society, where they can happily and constructively work together, knowing they can make a difference to their world. Children are encouraged to develop a positive self-esteem, respecting the differences and similarities within society, showing empathy, care and regard for each other. We believe that children can express their ideas and challenge others without inflicting emotional and physical hurt and we support children in understanding which forms of expression are appropriate and empathetic to others. Our children are involved in caring and being responsible for our beautiful environment and through working together they learn respect for nature and grow in their understandings and actions in practicing environmentally friendly, sustainable practices.

Image of the Child

Our image of the child is one that is full of potential, curiosity to learn, competent, creative and capable in building their own theories, embracing others in their joy of learning. We acknowledge the work of Loris Malaguzzi, Dewey, Piaget and Vygotsky in changing the perspective of and practice in early childhood education. Children are powerful contributors to their own learning and accordingly they play an active role in choosing the day’s investigations and topics. The role of our teachers has also changed from instructors to co-researchers and co-constructors of knowledge and learning with children and parents. We work closely with children, planning and collaborating with them, exploring their ideas and interests, forming decisions that scaffolding their learning through on-going dialogue with others. Through our pedagogical documentation and shared reflections we are able to learn more about children, providing valuable research in supporting children’s learning and building on the quality of our program.

Training, in-service and pedagogical documentation

The environment is an advocate for staff believing professional development is a significant component in building the quality of the program for children and the quality of the expertise and wellbeing of the team. It recognises that professional development not only benefits the individual staff member but through sharing with others it benefits the team and the organisation as a whole, ensuring the organisation is kept up to date with contemporary research, legislation and early childhood qualifications. Our early childhood educators are specialists in their field, well-qualified and experienced, motivated and inspired, providing the foundation of our program and the pedagogical documentation that assesses each child’s learning outcomes. Our educators evaluate each child’s progress and development through observation, reflection and discussions with families. They use the Early Years Learning Framework to guide their practice and inform the long term goals for children. In our commitment to supporting our educators in their work, we provide high staff / child ratios, in line with current research for best practice and above award conditions.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Our ongoing success is driven by our wonderful parents who are advocates for children and have commitment and vision in the early childhood field, and adherence to all Regulatory obligations. We are committed to providing high staff ratios and staff development and training. Our strong connection to the community is demonstrated through our social events, Facebook and other regular visits and visitors from the local community. Our commitment is to children and families currently within the centre, but our vision is also for those children and families that will attend our wonderful centre in the future.