Noarlunga Community Childrens Centres

ttachments with all children and families within our service. To achieve this, we strive to provide regular and consistent educators and a predictable care environment. All educators will endeavour to promote children’s practical life skills through daily routines and practices, promoting a sense of agency through giving children space and time to make their own choices.
‘Children have agency. They have capacities and rights to initiate and lead learning and be active participants and decision makers in matters affecting them’ (DEEWR 2010, p. 14). EQUITY AND FAIRNESS
Educators acknowledge the uniqueness and potential of all children and work to ensure that each child’s individual culture, strengths, interests and ways of being are valued. Our educators encourage and support children to challenge perceptions of stereotypes based on religion, gender, race, language, ability and age. We promote a sense of acceptance and respect for all within our service community. We acknowledge the rich and complex histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and strive to build respectful connections with local Kaurna individuals and groups, to better understand their sense of country and strengthen their identities within our community.
‘The rights and best interests of the child are paramount’ (ACECQA 2011, p. 10). RELATIONSHIPS
We develop trusting and professional relationships with the children, families, and staff based on open and honest communication and information sharing to achieve a strong sense of belonging for all. As a Community Children’s Centre, we encourage and promote links between children, their families and local services and organisations. These collaborative partnerships are sought by our educators to ensure continual improvement of pedagogical practices and to ensure the best outcomes for children and families.
‘Families are children’s first and most influential educators’ (DEEWR 2009, p. 5). PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The environment is a vibrant, welcoming, stimulating, aesthetically pleasing and a safe place where children’s ideas and interests contribute to the physical resources on offer. We encourage children to accept challenges and take risks, to gain the developmental benefits of adventurous play within their capabilities. Educators support children to make choices in their play and have access to a variety of learning spaces both indoors and outdoors. Educators place preference over natural, recycled and open-ended resources within the learning environments. We promote and role model Education for Sustainability in our environments through intentional teaching to develop respect, care and an understanding of our natural and built world.
‘Outdoor learning spaces are a feature of Australian learning environments’ (DEEWR 2009, p. 15). LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
Children’s learning is a holistic process. It occurs through rich play based experiences that are a combination of child led and adult guided opportunities. Educators support children in this process by tuning into teachable moments to scaffold children’s learning as they explore and discover their world. Educators believe in every child's capacity to succeed as capable and competent learners and take a strengths based approach to planning experiences that promote children’s growth in all developmental domains. Educators use regular critical reflection as a tool to guide their planning and everyday practices.
‘Learning is dynamic, complex and holistic’ (DEEWR 2010, p. 14).