Our Philosophy
In regard to the child
At Bronte Kids Preschool (BKP) we encourage children to unfold naturally in an unhurried environment with opportunities to revisit their projects. The first five years of a child’s life is crucial for brain development where 90% of the brain is developed by five years of age. Relationships are crucial for children to feel safe and secure to engage and explore their environment. We believe planning for play-based learning both spontaneous and intentional, offer children the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, co-construct learning alongside their educators and allow for moments of solitude. We uphold the UN Rights of the Child and Child Safe Standards in our daily practice to ensure all children are safe, secure and supported.
In regard to the environment
We strive to create a safe environment where sustainability is considered in our daily practice. We create environments that provide opportunities for spontaneous autonomous play where children have access to a variety of resources that contribute to their play. Our educators are present for the children throughout the day maintaining supervision and responding to children's needs for additional resources to aid and expand on their play within the indoor and outdoor environment. We acknowledge and respect the land, nature and neighbourly animals. We provide opportunities for the children to care for and learn about our outdoor and community garden. We continue to compost throughout the year to recycle our food scraps from the week.
In regard to the program
BKP continues to reflect on the day-to-day practice of our educators and encourages formal and informal moments of reflection. Families are encouraged to critically reflect on our practices and policies which directly influence the lives of our children. We refer to the EYLF V2 to guide our programming, daily practices, routines and rituals. We integrate children's voices, developmental needs, interests and social context into the program to ensure the children have opportunities to participate in the program and decisions that affect them.
In regard to the community
Children are global citizens and are active participants in their world. BKP is one micro-system that impacts children's lives. We have a strong sense of community and connection with our families. Feedback, participation and sharing of ideas within BKP is important to us to ensure we are meeting the needs of our families and children. BKP enlists various external companies that enrich and add to our children’s learning and program. We regularly engage with the community by visiting local community members and environments. We invite health care specialists from our community to engage and participate with the children to ensure they have the best start for formal schooling.
In regard to our educators
We value our Educators and Teachers at BKP by ensuring they are heard, supported and respected. Educator wellbeing is important to BKP. Recognising achievements, communicating daily, providing training, engaging in robust conversations, critically reflecting on what we do and why we do and providing feedback is essential for growth. A healthy work life balance is a priority of BKP for our educators. Transparency and open communication about each individual's life is respected and allocations are made to ensure the educator has been heard, supported and advocated for.
In regard to our families
Bronte Kids Preschool has a tight-knit community feel. We value our families as the ‘first teachers’. The link between the home school context informs our practice and offers moments of reflection for our team to ensure we are working in the best interest of the child. Our families are visible in the participation of the program, that is, communicating to the team, reading a story to the children, attending excursions, participating in the morning program and attending BKP events. Together we and our families are a community of learners, we have a partnership to ensure we are making the best decisions for our children.
