Our Child Care Philosophy
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
Our philosophy has been developed in conjunction with our family values, mission in creating a supportive and loving community, diversity and learning environments. We draw on the wider community to inspire the learning programs and curriculums. We believe that children learn best when they are actively involved, interested and engaged in the experiences we provide. We are committed to providing high quality education and care for each individual child and their family.
We acknowledge and respect the indigenous people of Australia as the traditional custodians of the lands on which we meet, learn and work. We respect all Elders past, present and future for they hold the memories, culture and hopes of Indigenous Australia. The children will be guided in an acknowledgement to Country each day.
Terrey Hills ELC will embed perspectives of the Indigenous people into their projects and daily practices.
Our children
All children are seen as capable, confident and competent learners of their environment. We believe that children have the right to be active participants when engaging in their own independent learning.
As Educators, we are passionate about children’s early learning development and understand that children learn more quickly in their early years than in any other stage of their life. With this, we are passionate and trained when guiding and empowering children to express their needs, interests, opinions and ideas. We believe that children are confident, in a stimulating and nurturing environment that embraces their development and fosters their individual interests and capabilities. By providing a safe and secure environment for the children where they are protected, we enable children to cherish their surroundings and flourish into young adults. At Terrey Hills ELC we understand each child has unique qualities and abilities and we respect each child’s individuality. We appreciate that children move through different stages of development at different points in time and we endeavour to cater to their needs accordingly.
We integrate theories such as The Circle of Security, Bronfenbrenner and Vygotsky into our relationships with children and families.
Our Educational Program and practice
The children’s development and learning is outlined and is modelled by the principles, practices and outcomes ‘Being, Belonging and Becoming’ – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Through this curriculum, we can collaboratively work with children and their families to promote their interests and learning through inspirational experiences, and innovative interactions that promote self-awareness and environmental understanding. Our Program and practice incorporate the Terrey Hills ELC in all aspects, thereby enhancing our learning experiences and education delivery.
Our programs are developed and extend upon the children’s interests. We understand that children come to us with their own knowledge and predispositions, they are not simply an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge. We believe that children have the right to an education that maximises their abilities and respects their family and cultural background.
At Terrey Hills ELC we understand that children bring with them a deep curiosity and potential. This innate curiosity drives their interest and to understand their world around them and their place within it. We believe that children’s learning is dynamic, complex and holistic. We believe that the environment is the third teacher. Through our intentional thoughts, we provide an environment where children can explore, inquire and experiment with materials in a creative and interesting setting. Our environments are safe and inclusive free from bias.
Our Educators
Our educators value the importance of play and believe that all children have the right to be active participants in all matters affecting their learning and lives. Our programs promote children to become long-life learners who are confident and creative individuals. The Educators strive to assist the children in developing the knowledge and skills to become successful innovators. We value diversity and recognise the importance of guiding children to be effective and participating members of a democracy. At Terrey Hills ELC we acknowledge that play based learning is invaluable to the children’s learning. Educators will after thoughtful consideration actively interact and engage in children’s play to further provoke ideas, encourage problem solving and guide children to express their knowledge through inquiry-based learning.
As educators, we believe that we too are learning within our current context. With this, we are constantly developing and building our professional knowledge through education and training in which we work together to evaluate and assess our practices in order to identify key factors that need further improvement or adds value to our environment.
Our Sustainability and the Natural Environment
At Terrey Hills ELC we are consistently coming up with innovative ideas on how we can embed sustainable practices in our projects and everyday happenings. The children will be encouraged to work individually and in both small and large groups, this encourages children to work independently and collaboratively. Terrey Hills ELC believes in the “paddock to plate” philosophy and embeds this within everyday learning.
Our Families
Terrey Hills ELC view families as the child’s first and most influential Educators. We believe that we provide a service to parents that can assist them in improving the quality of life for their child and their family. Through our open-door policy, we endeavour to welcome our families to be involved in our centre events and celebrations. We understand the importance of informing families about their child’s wellbeing, progress and learning achievements. Therefore, the relationships with our families are built on trust, co-operation and open communication. At Terrey Hills ELC we value feedback about our service and will act accordingly on feedback provided.
Our Wider Community and Diversity
Terrey Hills ELC is committed to giving back to the community valuing our relationships within our local community. We have connected with our local schools to assist with the smooth transition from our school readiness program into primary school. We believe in the importance of connecting with external agencies and professionals to meet the needs of the children and their families. At Terrey Hills ELC we strive to reflect, value and respect the diversity of the community. We have built and will continue to build relationships with local schools, aged care facilities, libraries, cafes and groceries stores that the children will visit on their excursions. Educators will provide experiences to the children to teach them about the immediate world around them and the effect individuals can have on their environment.
We believe that the community and cultural diversity are integral aspects of our centre. We value our community input and participation. We also believe in the important utilisation of community resources to support our children, families and educators. Through acceptance, we can acknowledge and appreciate the diversity of our country and celebrate this in our centre curriculum. We respect, share and celebrate traditions and cultures that are present throughout the world around us, and integrate these into our curriculum and learning environment. Through this, we can enrich the children’s lives by allowing them to engage and understand different cultures and identities of children around the world.
We will aim to provide different learning experiences for children and families by integrating our community members into our curriculum.
Terrey Hills ELC is open to new ideas, interests, opinions and feedback from all members of the community.
At Terrey Hills Early Learning, we believe that the environment is the third teacher. Through our intentional design and planning, we aim to provide an environment in which children can explore, play and learn through many of the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Learn more about our centre. please call us on 02 9450 1116 or Book a centre tour.
Child Care New South Wales, 2012; Johnson, J.E., Christie, J.F., & Wardle, F. (2005). Play, development and early education. Boston: Pearson Education. ; National Quality Standards 2011; The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia 2009
Reviewed from KidsCove ELC Centre Philosophy January 2022.
Feedback from Families about Circle of Security. Training and feedback of Bronfenbrenner Theory.