At Eastwood Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten:

Our environments provide children with the opportunity to play, explore and investigate. Incorporating natural materials invites open-ended interactions, discovery, exploration and connection with nature. 

We embrace diversity through our Gunaikurnai Language Program. This allows the whole service to reflect on how we promote an awareness of local Indigenous culture and language in a meaningful way. 

We believe incorporating recycled materials into our learning spaces shows children how we can save resources, reduces our impact on the environment and supports sustainable practices.  

Our gardening program develops children’s understanding of how living things grow and supports healthy food choices. Learning about nutrition contributes to a child’s wellbeing and empowers them to take greater responsibility for their health.

We Believe

Children:

• Encouraging positive relationships with peers builds children’s self-esteem and promotes a sense of belonging.
• We provide an indoor/outdoor educational program allowing children to follow their interests as they move freely between the two spaces. It empowers children to make decisions about the different elements they would like to explore.
• We promote children’s sense of agency by enabling them to make influential choices and decisions. We believe being part of this process equips children with essential lifelong skills as they progress through each stage of their development.

Families:

• To be supportive and responsive to the individual needs of families.
• To provide a safe and nurturing environment allowing children to feel a sense of security.
• We encourage open communication between families and educators allowing us to form a deeper understanding of your child’s needs, interests, progress and uniqueness.

Educators:

• Value professionalism and teamwork, allowing for continuous improvement and developing practice.
• Are passionate and committed to the ongoing learning and development of children. 
• We support children to identify and assess risks in both play and learning allowing children to challenge themselves and extend their skills.
• We aim to celebrate and share children’s personal success in all aspects of their learning and development.

Community:

• We believe families play an integral role in their child’s learning, extending experiences beyond the service. We strongly encourage family involvement as we work together to create a positive impact on children’s learning abilities.
• We value and encourage cultural diversity, fostering an inclusive environment where children respect and celebrate differences. 
• Creating strong connections within our area provides a supportive and inclusive environment, allowing children to form a deeper sense of belonging within the context of our local community.