Our Philosophy

Eskay Kids Springfield is a special place where children experience the joy in every moment of their childhood. Childhood is a time that we often look back on, remembering the moments that shaped us into who we have become today. The first five years of a child’s life are the most valuable and will remain with them for a lifetime. We believe that every child in our centre has a right to a joyful and authentic childhood.

We offer children a natural welcoming environment where they can experience the warmth and connection of our community. The spirit of our centre is in our community we have created, shared by children, families and educators. We share our knowledge, our experiences, stories and our dreams for a successful future for our children. We are committed to a shared philosophy and approach that includes children, families, community, learning through play, environments and our educators at the core.

Children

Children are competent, knowledgeable, unique individuals who are connected to their family, their community and their world. We believe that children should have the opportunity to grow and develop in all areas of development and at their own pace. We respect and value each child’s unique qualities and abilities. Children have the right and capacity to make decisions about their lives and matters that affect them and we aim to empower children to make choices and to have their voices heard in every decision that is made.

Children are free to be and do the things that children do naturally, such as explore, discover, imagine, create, believe and play.  We implement a program where children are at the centre of our practice.  We believe in nurturing and positive relationships with children. These relationships guide us to ensure that we learn everything we can about each child, celebrate and build on their strengths and advocate for them to experience the joy of an authentic childhood.

Families

We acknowledge that families are their child’s first and most important influence. They have a vital role in children’s growth, development and lifelong learning. Families possess valuable skills, knowledge and expertise that we can learn from. We value and respect the diversity of each family, their culture, beliefs, traditions, knowledge, life experience and values. We want our families to feel comfortable and confident in the environment where their child is being cared for.

We aim to build strong partnerships with families that are formed through trust, mutual respect, compassion and open communication. We encourage families to participate in all aspects of the centre and feel as though they are part of our community here. We work together in partnership with families, sharing decision making and responsibilities to promote children’s success in lifelong learning. Their contributions are valued, and the information shared is used to improve the quality of our centre and the experiences that we provide for children.

Community

Our community is a rich learning resource and by forming strong partnerships and connections we can provide greater support and achieve the best outcomes for children and families. It is of great importance that we learn about the community that our centre is a part of, the history of the land and support children to feel connected to our community. We aim to build an understanding, deep appreciation, respect and knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture and to promote reconciliation. We acknowledge and honour the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugurapul people as the traditional owners and custodians of the land where our centre is located.

We are committed to nurturing and building positive relationships within our community and participate in community events, invite members of the community into our centre and seek support from community organisations.

We believe that as advocates for children we need to support the future of Early Childhood Education and Care and promote community understanding of the benefits to all children.

Play

Play is central to children’s learning and children should always have an opportunity to learn through play. We are committed to providing opportunities for children to learn through play as part of our program. We use the Early Years Learning Framework and the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline to guide our decision making surrounding the curriculum in each of our learning environments within our service. Our educators are knowledgeable and active in children’s play to promote and extend their learning.

We believe that learning can happen anywhere; indoors, outdoors and during routines. We use a holistic approach to our curriculum, including meal times, routines as well as offering sustained periods of time for children’s learning experiences. Our curriculum focuses most importantly on empowering children to make decisions and have a sense of ownership over their own learning and play interests. Play allows children to build the skills, understandings and positive approaches to learning that children need for their future success in learning and in life.

Environment

The environment is a powerful educator in childhood, encourages construction of knowledge and supports children’s holistic learning. The environment should be rich and enabling, providing many possibilities for children’s learning. We provide environments that encourage children’s active engagement, natural curiosity, problem solving, imagination, appropriate risk taking, communication and connection with others. Both indoor and outdoor environments are equally as important in children’s learning and development. Each learning environment is created to allow children to have autonomy and agency, where children are given the flexibility to move between the indoors and outdoors and explore play in the environments that they choose.

We aim to provide an environment that welcomes children and families, reflects their identity and culture, creating home like spaces away from home. Children should have access to a natural environment that reflects their community and allows them to experience a strong connection to nature. Experiencing nature is important for children’s health and wellbeing and also for the sustainment of our natural environment. Children are encouraged to show respect, sensitivity and thoughtfulness towards the natural environment. Children experience environment and a sense of place to build on their connections with their world, learn ways to care for and respect environments to create a sustainable future.

Educators

Our educators strive for excellence in all that they do. They are committed to their own learning and the learning of all children, empowering children reach their full potential. We believe that as educators we are also learners with children, contributing to their learning, learning about children and from the children. Just as we believe in building on the strengths of children, it is equally of importance that we value and build on the strengths of team members. Positive communication, respect, teamwork and collaboration form the foundation of a strong team of educators and also models ways to work with others for our children.

We aim to create a safe workplace for educators where their professional contributions are valued, open communication is encouraged, and each educator is respected. We provide opportunities for our educators to engage in professional development to support their lifelong learning alongside children. Children have caring and nurturing educators that are committed to their learning and ensure that they have the best possible experience each and every day.