CENTRE PHILOSOPHY
June 2011
The Board of Directors and Staff at Padbury Education and Child Care Centre will:
At all times act to deliver the best quality of care for children in the centre through thoughtful, responsive, consultative, and responsible management practice.
The Child:
Childhood is a magical time and will be respected. We believe that children:
- Have rights and are entitled to be safe and secure.
- Are unique and this individuality is to be respectfully celebrated.
- Have a voice which is valued and will be heard via responsive and reciprocal communication.
- Learn through play when engaged in a child focused curriculum which allows for spontaneous and intentional teaching that supports individual children’s interests.
- Develop holistically through nurturing relationships and thrive when they have a sense of belonging to families, cultural groups and communities.
- Benefit and grow when they are in wondrous natural environments where curiosity and creativity is cultivated.
Staff:
We believe in positive and effective work relations and that staff:
- Are valued partners in teaching, they are unique and bring a diverse background of shared interests.
- Are encouraged and supported in the pursuit of ongoing professional development.
- As educators, role-models, facilitators, researchers and learners, we encourage staff to: Reflect critically on their practice, philosophy and ethics.
- Actively and consistently promote principles of fairness, equity and social justice, including advocating for the rights of all children.
- Work collaboratively to achieve best practice.
- Express respectful recognition and acknowledgement of the vital role of families in raising children.
Families:
We aim to develop and build upon mutually respectful partnerships and believe that families:
- Are the principle influential people in a Childs life and are therefore always welcome within our centre, its planning and management.
- Are advantaged by open, honest communication about the centre, and its practices. They benefit when trusting relationships are developed and educators and families share information.
- Are diverse and are invited to share and celebrate their culture and values.
- Have the right to equity, privacy and confidentiality.
Community:
We all belong to a wider community which:
- Consists of diverse organizations and individuals who have special talents, knowledge and experiences which can enhance the curriculum and services offered to children, families and staff.
- Benefits when children and families are supported to be positive, active contributors to their society.