PLC Sydney Preschools Educational Philosophy

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY INQUIRE

LEARN

COLLABORATE

CELEBRATE

PLC Sydney Preschools provide quality Preschool education for 3 to 5 year old children in a supportive, well resourced environment, utilising a play/inquiry based learning framework informed by the Early Years Learning Framework and the Reggio Emilia philosophy and methodology.

The Preschool is founded and shaped by Christian understandings of the value and purpose of human beings, and a commitment to learning, modelling values of empathy, and consideration of others, in a community of grace.

Through participation in this quality preschool program, the children will be well-prepared for school, equipped with the social, cognitive, physical, spiritual and emotional skills they need to engage in learning.

Underpinning our educational philosophy is the Christian worldview of PLC Sydney preschool. We are a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in NSW. Our Ashfield centre is situated on the grounds of the welcoming church community at Ashfield Presbyterian Church. Each person’s inherent value, our need to grow in trust, character, wisdom and understanding of the of Christian gospel in education.

PLC Sydney Preschools believe diversity contributes to the richness of our community. All children grow and learn in their own unique way and are respected as competent, capable learners and for their different approaches to learning. The children and families should feel a strong sense of belonging and know they matter.

Each child who attends the PLC Sydney Preschool program will have the opportunity to experience the life-long benefits of making friends, learning new things through play, increasing independence, participating in new routines and feeling confident about starting school.

We aim to strengthen children’s holistic growth in a sensitive and responsive manner that includes nurturing their spiritual wellbeing whilst respecting and responding to each child's and their family's uniqueness.

We believe that when children are encouraged to use their voice, they feel valued and supported, develop a sense of belonging and strong communication skills, and build confidence to play and interact with other children.

It is our belief that as children have positive experiences and exercise agency, they develop an understanding of themselves as significant and respected, and feel a sense of belonging. Feeling valued, successful and accepted enables all children to approach new things, express themselves, work through differences and take calculated risks.

The environment for learning is so much more than just a space for play and resources. The environment's physical and physiological aspects are considered and educators consistently reflect on the outcomes for children’s learning. The indoor and outdoor environment is intentionally designed and adapted to inspire children’s curiosity and develop children’s interests and learning to a deeper level. The Reggio Emilia

curriculum emphasises that the environment plays a central role in the process of making learning meaningful. The curriculum defines the environment as the third teacher.

The environment is valued as a shared community space that cares and respects the ancestry, flora and fauna.

We aim to continually question our practices to ensure we make responsible decisions to maintain the sustainability of the environment. We hope that children will feel a sense of agency toward a sustainable future and in making a long-term difference in the community.

PLC Sydney Preschools celebrates a community of learners within our methodologies. The inquiry-based curriculum embraces intentional teaching, spontaneous learning and critical reflection that aims to ignite children’s curiosity and confidence to explore new experiences and extend on their existing knowledge and skills, promoting creativity and their lifelong love of learning through play and investigation.

Inherent in play are the intellectual challenges that keep children and their teachers engaged as they co-construct learning, along with the social requirements and the need to initiate, negotiate, collaborate, plan, practice and gain skills. These elements of play are more possible in the context of the relationships that children will develop with each other and with their teachers, in a collaborative, interactive environment.

Extending learning projects in small groups according to children’s interests is valued. When programming, educators consider their knowledge of the children including their strengths and capabilities, and shared information from working in partnership with families and communities.

All of these elements guide programming decisions when integrating learning within our National Quality Framework.

The educators at PLC Preschools focus on nurturing each child’s disposition for learning so they can merge the foundations of social and emotional skills, literacy and phonemic awareness, numeracy , science, technology and engineering into the program in ways that are relevant and meaningful, making learning fun and exciting.

Educators actively commit to ongoing professional development by keeping informed of new developments and technology, and sharing this knowledge with all stakeholders. .

The educators value and continually embrace all opportunities and methods of critical reflection.

Consideration is given to all aspects of events and experiences from different perspectives with the intention to apply new ways of thinking and approaches to children’s learning outcomes.

PLC Sydney Preschools aim is to honour their commitment to provide a service that meets the needs of the community and makes all feel welcome. This is based on the belief that children learn and grow in social and cultural contexts. It is important for children to develop an understanding of the world beyond their homes and develop a sense of belonging to their communities. The aim is to maintain strong relationships with support professionals, services and agencies who can enhance a family’s well being and assist in developing positive and caring relationships with all members in the community. This will enable the Preschool to create responsive programs to enhance the children’s learning.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, on which we learn and play. and hope that by having a valuable exchange of knowledge, love and respect, we can build enriching, strong relationships.

PLC Sydney preschools aim to develop trusting relationships with all families, focusing on achieving the best outcomes for children. We acknowledge that building respectful partnerships with families can strengthen a child’s emotional health as they witness the trust being transferred from the family to the service. The knowledge the families share about their children is valued and appreciated underpinning the learning program. We acknowledge that at times it can take a village to raise a child, therefore our ability to show flexibility in the methods of communication is paramount to establishing and maintaining respectful and reciprocal relationships with families.