
Little Beginnings Learning Centre promotes the value of childhood as a time when children as capable learners and co-constructors begin and continue their life journey. This is inclusive of respecting and embracing diversity and encouraging open collaboration and belonging for all participants.
Childhood is a time for children to discover who they are and how they fit into the world. Essential to this is the freedom to explore, to be a child and to be protected.
Little Beginnings Learning Centre aims to provide children with opportunities to thrive and wholly participate in learning through guidance, relationships and resources, maximizing every child’s potential. This will be achieved through an inclusive and respectful curriculum and open, developing learning environments.
Little Beginnings Learning Centre aims for excellence in delivering early childhood education and the framework for this ongoing improvement is outlined in the Centre’s Quality Improvement Plan. Underpinning this plan are our values as follows;
We Value Children and Childhood:
- Providing play as the most effective vehicle for learning in the early years. Therefore, providing experiences, in response to the interests and strengths of children, where children play to learn as they create, construct, problem-solve, practice, discover, improvise, imagine, experiment, research and hypothesise.
- Providing a learning environment for children to engage in meaningful, respectful play, which is intriguing and aesthetically pleasing – one that invites and cultivates curiosity, imagination and confidence.
- Providing a supported learning environment where the routines and curriculum are flexible whilst allowing predictability. This will encourage children’s autonomy and records of individual achievements and ensure access and participation by all children.
- Presenting an educational curriculum, which fosters individual capabilities and potential from infancy onwards.
- Providing opportunities to engage and participate as co-constructors in play and learning experiences within a respectful social context.
- Providing opportunities for children to be empowered as active and informed citizens, to embrace and respect diversity and individuality.
- Provision of a framework, which is founded upon children’s strengths and interests. We value and build on each child’s strengths, skills and knowledge to ensure their motivation and engagement in learning. Educators gauge, anticipate and scaffold the child’s learning through open-ended questioning, providing feedback, guidance, challenging their thinking and making use of spontaneous “teachable moments”.
- Providing a sense of belonging and comfort in a nurturing environment – providing children with consistent emotional support, trust and guidance to assist children to develop the skills and understandings they need to interact positively with others, to develop respectful, secure and reciprocal relationships, to learn to persevere, to take risks, empathise, value collaboration and teamwork and interdependence as learners.
We Value Families/Carers and Community:
- Parents are respected as the primary and most significant educator of the child. Therefore actively developing collaborative relationships with parents to ensure the curriculum is meaningful for each child. Positive relationships between educators and parents lead to more secure and effective relationships with the child.
- As partners in providing the optimum care and education of children.
- Providing opportunities for families to exchange relevant information pertinent to the care and education of their child.
- Presenting opportunities to families and community to develop partnerships, which encourages and fosters collaboration.
- Providing support for families, which encompasses and acknowledges respect for their values, beliefs and child rearing practices.
- Providing information about, and opportunities to collaborate in the development and review of the centre philosophy, learning curriculum, policies, procedures, practices and goals.
We Value Staff:
- Reflective practice promotes ongoing learning. By gathering information we gain insights to support, inform and enrich decision-making about children’s learning. We continually seek ways to build professional knowledge and develop learning communities.
- Respecting their professional skills, knowledge and experience.
- Supporting and respecting their diverse values, beliefs and professional practices.
- Providing support and opportunities to further develop and enhance skills and knowledge through professional development activities.
- Providing support, resources and opportunity for collaboration to enable the development and implementation of curriculum and care practices.
- Engaging in an open and honest partnership between individual staff and teams, based on consultation, supportive professional relationships and interactions.
- Following and keeping updated knowledge on best practice guidelines set down by governing bodies
The philosophy of Little Beginnings Learning Centre encompasses an adoption of the principles and values outlined in the Australian Early Childhood Association Code of Ethics.
The philosophy of Little Beginnings Children’s Centre encompasses the Early Years Learning Framework – for Australia.
BEING: Engaging environments that embrace individuality whilst being mindful of the diverse backgrounds and values of the community.
BELONGING: To a community of early childhood professionals, who engage in open and collaborative partnerships with children, families and the wider community.
BECOMING: Establishing life long foundations for optimum development through relationships, promoting creativeness, inquisitiveness, independence, and potential growth as confident and active citizens.
Little Beginnings Learning Centres recognises and respects the traditional custodians of Australia.
The importance of continuously developing and refining strategies to improve the connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities in the area of early childhood is embedded throughout the everyday at Little Beginnings Learning Centres. In particular we would like to acknowledge the custodians of the land our centre sits, the people of the Biripi Community.
Our guiding statements that form the framework though which the respect is shown are;
Statement 1 All children engage in culturally inclusive and safe early childhood education and care experiences.
Statement 2 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander cultures are recognised within the broader Little Beginnings Learning Centres culture.
Statement 3 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander perspectives and contexts are considered by all staff within Little Beginnings Learning Centres.
Statement 4 All Little Beginnings Learning Centres staff have access to training in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander understandings.