Statement of Philosophy
Children
We believe children;
- are lifelong learners
- deserve to feel valued as individuals within their context and encouraged to reach their full potential in accordance with their individual ability
- deserve to feel a strong sense of belonging, being encouraged to express their individuality
- are entitled to unhurried time to focus on the ‘now’ and celebrated for being exactly where they are at, right now in their learning journeys
- are always growing in their identities, relationships, knowledge and understandings
- are entitled to enjoy opportunities to actively construct their own learning while building dispositions for lifelong success including confidence, resilience and being resourceful learners
Families
We believe families;
- are the most influential people within their children’s lives and as such are vital partners in building safe, supportive and meaningful learning programs for their child during the preschool year
- influence daily practice and the development of prioritised learning outcomes for their child through both formal and ongoing collaborative planning sessions with educators
- are afforded opportunities every day to feel welcome, heard and enabled to actively engage in their child’s learning at preschool in ways that suit them
- deserve access to key communication materials in home languages and have opportunities to contribute to decisions about service delivery including opportunities to participate in review and planning processes for the quality improvement plan and local procedures
Curriculum
At Riverstone Preschool children will learn through;
- play based learning which allows children to actively and creatively engage with others and explore their environment
- intentional teaching that is well planned and responsive to observed individual strengths, needs and group dynamics
- educators actively reflecting on all aspects of the curriculum, including the ways in which we implement the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework – ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’ and how we support children’s learning within each of the five broad learning outcomes
- participating in a learning environment which reflects our commitment to the principles, practices and theoretical underpinnings of the Early Years Learning Framework across the domains of literacy, numeracy, science and inquiry, creative arts, social/emotional development, sustainability and wellbeing
- engaging with sustainable practices and sharing in reflections about the ways in which we care for the land, animals and our resources
- many opportunities to have agency and enjoy their time at preschool, engaging in a supportive and safe environment, where they are enabled to assess risks and learn through reflecting on experiences
Community
At Riverstone Public School we;
- strive to develop and maintain strong and supportive relationships with families and our community
- acknowledge and value the traditional Aboriginal history, culture and connection to the land on which we work and learn
- regard the K-6 section of our school, its staff, children, facilities and families as key stakeholders within our broader community partnerships and work consciously to maintain close regular communication and explore meaningful ways to collaborate for supporting children’s continuity in learning as they transition into school
- honour the varied histories, cultures, languages, traditions of all people in our community
- continuously reflect on how our respect for diversity can be celebrated within our setting
- network with outside agencies to provide a multidisciplinary approach to meeting the needs of children and families
- actively welcome and enable input from our community into key aspects of program delivery such as enrolment organisation, philosophy review, connection with and celebration of community events
Educators
As educators and leaders we;
- use the Guide to the National Quality Framework and the NSW self-assessment tool to guide our shared and individual reflections and evaluative processes underpinning continuous improvement
- foster a team approach where all educators are equally respected and valued to enable us to ensure service operations are consistently maintained and understood by all
- maintain high expectations for ourselves, children, families and the wider community
- strive to provide a preschool experience shaped by trusting and nurturing reciprocal relationships with families, children, our broader school and geographic community
- are lifelong learners too, and value the input of children, families and our community into our ongoing development of personal and service philosophies and understanding of early childhood pedagogy and practice
- feel privileged to hold positions of influence in the development and growth of young children
- critically reflect on and engage in professional development, to ensure our practice is up to date and meeting the needs of our children
- enjoy and value making lifelong connections and meaningful relationships with children, families, colleagues and our community
- encourage and nurture diverse learning that builds on individual family and staff cultures
- seek children’s voice and acknowledge children’s rights as active participants and agency in the planning and decision making about the learning curriculum
- connect with current research and trends in Early Childhood Education to guide our professional development and underpin reflective practice
- reference the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics to support collegial practice and underpin our service culture of inclusion, respect and shared responsibility in all aspects of our work with children, their families, our community and each other