Early Years Framework
The National Early Years Learning Framework guides our practice.
This Framework describes the principles, practices and outcomes essential to support and enhance young children’s learning from birth to five years of age, through their transition to school.
The Framework forms the foundation for ensuring that children in early childhood education and care settings experience quality teaching and learning. It has a specific emphasis on play-based learning and recognises the importance of communications and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and social and emotional development.
Fundamental to the Framework is a view of children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From birth children are connected to family, community, culture and place. Their earliest development and learning takes place through these relationships, particularly within families who are children’s first and most influential educators. As children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and construct their own identities and understandings of the world.
The staff are also guided in their daily practice by the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines which is based upon the Framework but is more specifically focused on the children’s Kindergarten year.
Learning Outcomes
In line with the Framework and the Guideline our Kindergarten has five learning outcomes:
- Children have a strong sense of identity
- Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Children have a strong sense of well being
- Children are confident and involved learners
- Children are effective communicators.
Children’s learning is ongoing and each child will progress towards these outcomes in different and equally meaningful ways. Learning is not always predictable and linear. Our teaching staff plans with each child and the outcomes in mind.
Learning through Play
Play provides opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine. When children play with other children they create social groups, test out ideas, challenge each other’s thinking and build new understandings.
Play is a context for learning that:
- Allows for the expression of personality and uniqueness
- Enhances dispositions such as curiosity and creativity
- Enables children to make connections between prior experiences and new learning
- Assists children to develop relationships and concepts
- Stimulates a sense of well-being.
Our teaching staff take on many roles in play with children and use a range of strategies to support learning:
- They engage in sustained shared conversations with children to extend their thinking.
- They provide a balance between child initiated and teacher supported learning.
- They create learning environments that encourage children to explore, solve problems, create and construct.
- They work with the children to promote and model positive ways to relate to each other.
- They actively support the inclusion of all children in play, help children to recognise when play is unfair and offer constructive ways to build a caring, fair and inclusive learning community.
The staff document each child’s learning journey and plan for the needs of individual children and the larger group.
Recognising Individuality
Our Kindergarten recognises the individuality of each child and family and observes a policy of acceptance regardless of race, colour, creed, gender, disability, religion, class or culture.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s First Peoples. We embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in our curriculum.
We value and accept each child for their uniqueness and encourage them to participate in all areas of the Kindergarten environment. We often present them with materials or experiences that contrast with defined stereotypical roles.
Partnerships
The practices of our teaching staff and the relationships they form with the children and their families have a significant effect on children’s involvement and success in learning. Children thrive when families and educators work together to support their learning. Accordingly, we actively encourage you to become involved in our Kindergarten. The information that families share with teaching staff, provides valuable information about your child.
You are welcome to discuss the curriculum and the philosophy of learning that underpins the educational programs with our Teachers and you are very welcome to be part of the learning. Do not hesitate to ask our teaching staff for information about your child’s development and how we can work together to provide opportunities to foster your child’s development.
How do parents know our Kindergarten program is high quality?
Our Kindergarten is regulated by the Australian Children Education and Care Quality Authority and the Queensland State Government, and assessed and rated against the National Quality Standard.
The National Quality Standard was introduced in 2012 and applies to all early childhood education and care services in Australia. Our Kindergarten was one of the first kindergartens to be assessed under these new standards in 2012 and was rated “Exceeding the National Quality Standard”.
The Gowrie (Qld) Inc.
In 2011, Bracken Ridge Kindergarten became affiliated with The Gowrie (Qld) Inc. The Gowrie are widely recognised across Australia for their quality early childhood education programs since their inception in 1940. The Gowrie is committed to best practice in children’s services and their programs provide a benchmark standard of quality care and education. Please visit The Gowrie (Qld) Inc website if you would like more information: www.gowrieqld.com.au