Our Philosophy
and Holistic and Inclusive Approach
We take a holistic and inclusive approach to caring for and educating our children and aim to develop each child’s understanding of the world in which they live by developing broad based knowledge, skills and attitudes to prepare them for lifelong learning. We aim to develop not only every child’s cognitive ability but also their social, physical, linguistic and emotional skills.
Innate Curiosity and Creativity
Our philosophy is underpinned by the view that each child is naturally creative, capable and inquisitive. We understand that children are fundamentally motivated to explore and discover the world by actively employing a complex network of abilities, interests and symbolic languages. We believe in a play-based approach to learning and recognise children’s agency from birth.
Connecting to our Environment
We understand the importance of connecting children to the natural world in order to develop their respect for sustainability and maintaining the health and beauty of the environment. We are committed to teaching children to care and respect the land of the local indigenous people and to love all the beauty and freedom it has to offer. We value the pedagogy of outdoor learning and are inspired by the Forest School Theory and Nature Play. We believe this approach is essential for building each child’s health and fitness, life skills and resilience and aim to balance safety with the need to explore risks in order to encourage children to make sound supported judgements about risk taking. We believe outdoor education fosters a sense of community and adventure, encourages exploration and inspires creative minds. ‘Exploring beyond the fence’ is a fundamental part of the Heritage program while the surrounding landscape, Australian culture and consultations with a local Aboriginal Elder strongly influence the design of our indoor and outdoor spaces.
Self-Reliance
We believe in encouraging children to express themselves and their opinions and allow them to undertake experiences that develop self-reliance, resilience, and self-esteem. Our educators actively listen to each child throughout the day in order to genuinely understand their needs and what is important to them and strive to create a natural flow of stimulating activities and quiet times where each child feels safe to seek reassurance.
Qualified Team of Educators
We embed ongoing critical reflection in all areas of our practice by building a culture of enquiry and continuous improvement among our educators to meet the changing needs and expectations of children and families. We believe in collaborative leadership and fostering a team approach where all our educators are equally respected and valued for their contribution. We employ highly qualified educators and are committed to ongoing professional development and empowering our trainees to continually upgrade their qualifications.
Differentiated Curriculum
Our educators view every child as a unique person with their own dispositions, interests, needs and energy levels. We understand that children mature at different rates and have preferred styles of learning and our educators are trained to provide an enriched, flexible and differentiated curriculum. We understand that children learn best when the program reflects their interests and has meaning for them personally and plan our program and environments based on careful observations of each child’s individual knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests.
Collaborative Learning
We are intentional in all aspects of the curriculum and provide a balance between child-led, adult-initiated, and guided play. We utilise enquiry and project-based collaborative learning, initiated by children, families, educators or involvement in the wider community to extend children's play and support creative thinking and problem solving. We understand that learning can happen every moment of every day and it is our job to “make the most of every moment.”
We take a holistic and inclusive approach to caring for and educating our children and aim to develop each child’s understanding of the world in which they live by developing broad based knowledge, skills and attitudes to prepare them for lifelong learning. We aim to develop not only every child’s cognitive ability but also their social, physical, linguistic and emotional skills.
Innate Curiosity and Creativity
Our philosophy is underpinned by the view that each child is naturally creative, capable and inquisitive. We understand that children are fundamentally motivated to explore and discover the world by actively employing a complex network of abilities, interests and symbolic languages. We believe in a play-based approach to learning and recognise children’s agency from birth.
Connecting to our Environment
We understand the importance of connecting children to the natural world in order to develop their respect for sustainability and maintaining the health and beauty of the environment. We are committed to teaching children to care and respect the land of the local indigenous people and to love all the beauty and freedom it has to offer. We value the pedagogy of outdoor learning and are inspired by the Forest School Theory and Nature Play. We believe this approach is essential for building each child’s health and fitness, life skills and resilience and aim to balance safety with the need to explore risks in order to encourage children to make sound supported judgements about risk taking. We believe outdoor education fosters a sense of community and adventure, encourages exploration and inspires creative minds. ‘Exploring beyond the fence’ is a fundamental part of the Heritage program while the surrounding landscape, Australian culture and consultations with a local Aboriginal Elder strongly influence the design of our indoor and outdoor spaces.
Self-Reliance
We believe in encouraging children to express themselves and their opinions and allow them to undertake experiences that develop self-reliance, resilience, and self-esteem. Our educators actively listen to each child throughout the day in order to genuinely understand their needs and what is important to them and strive to create a natural flow of stimulating activities and quiet times where each child feels safe to seek reassurance.
Qualified Team of Educators
We embed ongoing critical reflection in all areas of our practice by building a culture of enquiry and continuous improvement among our educators to meet the changing needs and expectations of children and families. We believe in collaborative leadership and fostering a team approach where all our educators are equally respected and valued for their contribution. We employ highly qualified educators and are committed to ongoing professional development and empowering our trainees to continually upgrade their qualifications.
Differentiated Curriculum
Our educators view every child as a unique person with their own dispositions, interests, needs and energy levels. We understand that children mature at different rates and have preferred styles of learning and our educators are trained to provide an enriched, flexible and differentiated curriculum. We understand that children learn best when the program reflects their interests and has meaning for them personally and plan our program and environments based on careful observations of each child’s individual knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests.
Collaborative Learning
We are intentional in all aspects of the curriculum and provide a balance between child-led, adult-initiated, and guided play. We utilise enquiry and project-based collaborative learning, initiated by children, families, educators or involvement in the wider community to extend children's play and support creative thinking and problem solving. We understand that learning can happen every moment of every day and it is our job to “make the most of every moment.”
Our Core Values:
Identity, Respect, Community, Resilience, Contribution.
Identity, Respect, Community, Resilience, Contribution.
"Young children’s earliest years are the foundation for their physical and mental health, emotional security, cultural and personal identity and developing competencies"
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child
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