Philosophy
We at Conyngham Street Community Children’s Centre strive to give children the best start in life, to create a better future for themselves and for the community. We value each child as a unique individual whose family, environment and culture is their primary educator.
Families and community are a child’s first teacher
At Conyngham Street Community Children’s Centre we work in partnership with families and the community to provide care and education to all children. Collaborative partnerships will enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing.
In relation to family and community we will:
- Value each other’s knowledge of the child
- Value the contributions and roles in the child’s life
- Trust each other
- Communicate freely and respectfully
- Share insights and perspectives about the child
- Engage in shared decision making
- Develop respectful and equitable relationships
Children learn through play, are social beings and are capable, confident individuals.
At Conyngham Street Community Children’s Centre we value the importance of play and understand that children learn through unstructured exploration. Educators follow children’s interests and acknowledge their strengths as we provide a strong base for learning. We know that children are social beings and learn best within a social environment. We believe that all children are capable and competent and we will trust their decision making. An Educators’ role is to support children during play by providing appropriate challenges and allowing children to self-assess risk.
Environments are created and maintained to support rich, real and relevant learning.
The environment is the third teacher, the educators at Conyngham Street Community Children’s Centre create a safe and friendly environment for families and children. Growth and development can only happen when children feel safe and secure in their environment.
We create natural and sustainable spaces where the environment is able to change and develop with the children. The educators at Conyngham Street Community Children’s Centre understand the importance of a challenging environment, allowing children to assess risk, use real tools, explore heights, move fast, delight in hiding and engage with natural materials.
Educators are professionals who actively ensure children have access to the highest quality care and education.
Each educator at Conyngham Street Community Children’s Centre is professional and passionate about early childhood education. Educators learn alongside children, guiding and supporting play and scaffolding and extending learning. Our educators are aware of best practice and follow methods and approaches to teaching and interacting with children based on current research. The Early Years Learning Framework guides our practices and principles in relation to extending and enriching learning from birth and beyond. We are committed to quality improvement and our practice is informed by critical reflection and on-going self-assessment.