OUR MISSION STATEMENT

"We provide high quality early education in an inclusive, safe, caring and nurturing environment for children aged three to five years guided by trained teachers and educators.

Our comprehensive program and environment provide children with opportunities to become successful, confident and active learners for life."

The staff aim to provide a friendly caring atmosphere within an educational and stimulating environment. A high priority is the development of feelings of trust and security for children and parents.

In both groups the programs are kept as flexible as possible in order to meet the individual needs and observed or expressed interest of the children as well as the group. Within the activities available the children are free to choose the areas of interest in which they will participate and with whom they will play.

Activities are based on sound educational knowledge and on the observed developmental needs of the children. Play is the way children learn so staff use play to achieve their aims.

Children's participation is valued rather than the production of a recognisable result. The aim is to develop each child's confidence in his/her own ability and willingness to undertake new challenges without fear of failure. Activities are planned adhering to the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework.The program based on these principles helps children to manage life outside the children’s service and life after the children’s service, including school.

We do this by promoting:

• a sense of curiosity
• a sense of achievement
• experience of successful learning
• self-confidence
• willingness to take reasonable risks
• comfortable identification with one's culture and family
• familiarity with and a sense of belonging to the larger community
• appreciation of others and the benefits of collaboration
• skills to interact with adults and other children
• the value of diversity
• highly developed communication skills
• an active approach to learning and problem solving
• an appreciation of literacy and numeracy as essential to making meaning in the world
• flexibility, a robustness of self that allows compromise
• resourcefulness and resilience
• perseverance in the face of obstacles
• an optimistic and positive approach to life
• self-help skills
• an ability to follow directions
• concentration skills
• assertiveness, confidence to ask questions and seek help

A weekly program and a daily routine chart for the children is clearly displayed in each room to enable parents to view what experiences will be open to their children daily.

OUR VALUES

• Collaborative partnerships - with childen and families in our community through open communication and valued sharing of ideas.

• Inclusion - for all children and their families regardless of their cultural background, ability,     socio-economic status, religion or sex.

• Our environment - we recognise that children require large open play spaces to explore and create with an emphasis on the stewardship of our environment with a mix of natural and manmade materials within interesting learning spaces.

• Individuality - the right for children to just be themselves.  To support individual families in their child rearing practices.

• Play - through play children learn to experiment, share ideas, problem solve, think, question, investigate and discover.

• Critical reflection - of children's learning and development both as individuals and as a group. The critical reflection of the quality improvement practices that are implemented by the teachers and educators is also highly valued.