Our Philosophy
Eleebana Children’s Centre acknowledges the Awabakal people as the traditional Custodians of the land on which our service is situated. We pay respect to Elders past, present and future of the Awabakal nation.
Our vision at Eleebana Children’s Centre is to be a boutique service, providing a homely setting with educators dedicated to providing excellence in care and education for the children at our centre. We provide a calming environment for the children to engage with varied learning experiences stemming from their individual interests through play-based learning techniques. We believe that a calming setting allows for the children’s internal voices to guide their individual learning and development journeys.
At Eleebana Children’s Centre we believe that parents know their child best and are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of our curriculum and the associated policies and procedures. We encourage parents and families to be involved in the curriculum as it enables us to embed an essential link between home and the centre. We believe that children learn most effectively and to their full potential in a safe, secure and nurturing environment where they engage in child-initiated and educator facilitated play. We embrace the notion that children are lifelong learners, who should be encouraged, nurtured and supported to reach their full potential. Our LifeSkills program incorporates this learning and essential skills required for the children’s school years and beyond. We are devoted to providing excellence in care and learning through positive interactions.
This is also achieved through an inspired and dynamic program of care and learning designed to engage children in a variety of experiences connected to the children’s interest’s. We are firm in our beliefs that each child is an individual that expresses distinct needs, potentials and boundless curiosity about the environment in which they live. We believe in the rights of the child and as such demonstrate this in our daily practices at the service.
At Eleebana Children’s Centre we believe that the first five years of a child’s life are the most rapid periods of growth and learning. It is due to this, that at Eleebana Children’s Centre, we firmly believe that the atmosphere is at the core of learning in a child’s life. As such, we empower children with the freedom of choice and movement between spaces, providing simultaneous learning experiences in both indoors and outdoors, effectively widening the endless possibilities of holistic growth for each child.
We additionally believe an important aspect of our curriculum, is that it is guided by contemporary child development and learning theories whilst incorporating experiences to support each child’s individual interests, strengths, need and family contributions.
Educators are passionate in their methods to provide holistic learning through educational provocations based on the interests and needs of the children. By scaffolding learning for the children, we identify that children are capable and autonomous beings encouraging a sense of belonging, being and becoming in our learning environment.
At Eleebana Children’s Centre we cherish our community and their contributions to our service. We explore our community regularly building relationships with others around our service. We use our voice in the community to highlight events and help those in need. We feel it is of importance to engage children in the vital notion of helping others and feeling a sense of community in their world. We also feel a great importance in incorporating sustainability into our practices at the service, involving the children in all aspects, to further give back to our community whilst looking after our surroundings and tending to it with care.
The educators at Eleebana Children’s Centre are guided by the requirements stated in the National Law as well as the National Quality Standards and National Quality Framework set out by ACECQA. Our educators work with the children using equitable, inclusive and diverse practices whilst ensuring the cycle of continuous improvement occurs moving forward. The educators ensure that they are using best practice in every interaction with children, assuring the best interests of each child are met. Our educators and management frequently incorporate this philosophy in their work with the children and greater community and are able to discuss and demonstrate their understanding of the philosophy and how it underpins the workings of our service operations as a whole. All members of the Eleebana Children’s Centre village contribute towards our philosophy. It is revisited frequently to add to or adjust our vision of what we hope to achieve for the most important people; the children of our service.
Improvement Pillar 1 – Inclusive Practices & Curriculum
This Inclusive Practices and Curriculum Pillar is of such importance as it is the foundation from which we strive to achieve greatness for the children in our service. This Pillar focuses on ensuring that the educational program and practice of Eleebana Children’s Centre is stimulating and engaging whilst enhancing children’s learning and development. It also encourages the formation of relationships with children that are responsive, respectful and ultimately promotes children’s sense of security and belonging which inspires relationships and fosters children to explore the environment and engage in play and learning freely. This Pillar also recognises the importance of collaborative relationships with other living things and how these partnerships are central to achieving quality outcomes for children. This Pillar also identifies that community alliances are based on active communication, consultation and collaboration and are essential to the functioning of the service.
Improvement Pillar 2 – Positive Psychology & Liberty
This Positive Psychology and Liberty Pillar places emphasis on guaranteeing the provision of qualified and experienced educators, coordinators and nominated supervisors at Eleebana Children’s Centre. Our educators develop warm, respectful relationships with children, whilst also creating a safe and predictable environment to motivate children’s active engagement in our learning program. It is through collaborative relationships with families, that allows for the children to achieve quality outcomes as well as positive and nurturing links with our community members. We endeavour for the children to be empowered to lead us, the educators, on a joint learning journey exploring the freedom of liberty as they seek to be without repressive restraints whilst yearning to learn and grow. We also strive for effective leadership and management of the service whilst providing inspiring environments for children’s learning and development. Using our well-documented policies, procedures and well-maintained records enables Eleebana Children’s Centre to show clear shared values, direction and engage in reflective practices enabling our service to operate as a learning community. We participate in an ongoing cycle of planning and review, using our engagement with families to guide our continuous improvement.
Improvement Pillar 3 – Environmental Empowerment & Safety
This Environmental Empowerment and Safety Pillar is to safeguard and promote children’s health and safety whilst monitoring risks and protecting children from serious harm, injury and infection whilst in our care. We believe all children have the right to experience quality education and care in an atmosphere that provides for their physical and psychological wellbeing, supporting each child’s growing competence, confidence and independence. We ensure that the physical milieu is safe, suitable and provides a rich and diverse range of experiences that promote children’s learning and development. The way that the surroundings are designed, equipped and organised, determines the way that the space and resources are used and has the potential to maximise children’s engagement and level of positive experience and inclusive relationships. We believe children deserve a space in which they can care for their planet and learn ways and means of being an environmental warrior, caring for the world the best way they can.
