East Willoughby Preschool Philosophy Statement 2018

 

The Philosophy for East Willoughby Preschool is to be a Preschool which provides children with a broad range of experiences to equip them with the skills, abilities, enthusiasm and foundation for lifelong learning. We value the uniqueness and potential of each child and their right to participate in an engaging play based learning program. We aim to encourage, co-operation, self-discipline, respect, consideration, self-motivation and unbiased attitudes through play. We aim to enhance their natural curiosity to learn and encourage children to express themselves creatively.

We believe that the development of relationships, a culture of welcome, open communication and belonging are at the heart of good service provision.

We value and respect the diversity of families in our community and are committed to building our cultural competence by providing a service that is inclusive, accessible and equitable.

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We acknowledge Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In particular, we respectfully acknowledge the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal people on which our preschool stands.

 

Our Philosophy is the anchor for all we do. At East Willoughby Preschool we believe in the people and the partnership before the premises and the program.

 

We are committed to growing respectful and loving relationships for all.

The relationships we build with your child is the most important part of our work, one that treats the child as capable and imaginative, as creative and intelligent.

When your child feels nurtured and secure in their relationship with us then they are ready to engage in quality play which equals quality learning.

 

We believe it is essential for every child to have a healthy sense of who they are to grow to see themselves as valued members of society.

We want the children in our care to develop their skills for getting along with others because we believe that social skills will be the most valuable skills your child can learn with us. 

 

We value your child’s uniqueness and embrace their meaningful contributions to our educational program. We aim to build on their strengths, interests, skills and abilities.

 

We believe in a child’s ‘sacred urge to play”.

We believe in the educational and developmental power of play-based learning and as educators we are committed to following an evidence based play pedagogy as a solid foundation for intentional and responsive teaching.

 

We believe that trusting, respectful relationships and open communication with our families is essential and we acknowledge, respect and value the cultural diversity and beliefs of all in our preschool community.

We believe our local community is an important resource and learning tool for our children and we encourage and seek community involvement in teaching and learning. We are committed to collaborating with other children’s services and local schools in our community to provide a quality transition between services.

 

We believe that while the physical space is important the feel of a place is key!  We engage in critical reflection to ensure that our preschool is as homelike as possible by providing a warm, loving, calm, sable and secure environment so that each child can develop his/her full potential.

We believe in an environment that creates a sense of wonder and appreciation, that stimulates active exploration and provides learning opportunities.

We are committed to implementing environmentally safe practices and to promote sustainability thus supporting our children in developing their understanding and responsibilities.

 

We believe that our educators are an important asset and team work and communication are essential to the smooth running of our Preschool.

Educators should also be seen as learners and researchers through current professional development.

We believe that it is the educators task to prepare and provide a rich and optimal learning environment for our children to grow and thrive.

 

We plan, implement and review our curriculum using the Early Years Learning Framework, Belonging, Being, Becoming and the National Quality Standards. Two other references that form our practice are

Early Childhood Play Matters – Intentional teaching through play: birth to six years ( Shona Bass & Kathy Walker) and The Sacred Urge To Play – Unfolding your child’s intelligence, imagination, creativity and joy for life ( Penny Brownlee & Kimberly Crisp)