CENTRE

PHILOSOPHY/
GOALS







Centre Philosophy
We consider it to be an ethical responsibility of all staff to:
a) Be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood education and to keep up
educational trends through on-going training.
b) Recognise and respect the uniqueness of each child.
c) Create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster childrens social, emotional,
intellectual and physical development.
d) Support the rights of children with special needs to participate, consistent with their
abilities.

Our centre goals are to:
Foster learning and development.
Present multicultural awareness.
Provide continuity in learning.
Encourage creativity.
Develop physical abilities.
Encourage good communication skills.
Show genuine care for one another.
Promote individuality.














CENTRE
POLICIES








Healthy Food Policy

This policy provides for healthy eating throughout Bright Starts Early Learning Centre, this is
important to us as it allows young children to develop an understanding of healthy eating
and nutrition as its vital for childrens development and growth.

We review our healthy food policy every six months through surveys conducted by staff,
parents and the local community.

In this policy we aim to:
Promote learning about healthy eating and good nutrition through learning
experiences and centre culture.
Provide a safe environment for young children during meal times as well as
promoting healthy eating and good nutrition through activities.
Support staff to lead a healthy community.
Involve family contribution to experience of healthy eating.

We incorporate these into our centre by:
Growing our own fruit and vegetables within our Bright Starts Veggie Patch.
Allowing children to help prepare meals and serve these.
Having meetings to promote healthy eating within the centre.
Having a healthy picnic day once a month where parents are invited to bring a plate
to share with staff, children and families.

Our policy links to Quality Standards:
2.2.1: Healthy eating is promoted and food and drinks provided by the service are
nutritious and appropriate for each child.
5.2.1: Each child is supported to work with, learn from and help others through
collaborative learning opportunities.
6.2.2: Current information is available to families about community services and
resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.
7.1.3: Every effort is made to promote continuity of educators and co-ordinators at
the service.
















COMMUNITY











Community
Community involvement is vital within our centre it allows our centre community as well as the
wider community to come together and share in a learning community. It builds partnerships and
improves inclusion within our centre as well as the wider community. The best thing about involving
the community in our centre is the cultural, financial, diversity, learning and developing benefits that
impact the way our centre runs as well as the quality of education we provide to our children.
This is reflected in our centre philosophy as well as the way the centre operates and how team
members have been developed professionally to go above and beyond for our families, children and
wider community.
Ways in which the community is involved in our centre:
- Fundraisers
- Open day
- Professional people in e.g. roles in community
- Community involvement e.g. community services firemen, police men and ambulance men
- Volunteers
- Parent helpers
- Mothers day stall/Fathers day stall
- Family fun days
- Fetes
- Musicals
Why it is important?
- Support the centre
- Inclusive learning environments
- More than one context that the children live in
- More learning due to exposure

















Standard and Ethics
We believe that professional practice should reflect ethical standards. All resources, interactions and
activities need to respect children, their families and the community. In regards to the ECA Code of
Ethics Stonehouse (1991), believes our core values and beliefs that guide our practices every day.
Teachers can use them as a reminder that children, families and the communities have rights,
strengths and entitlements (Barblett, Hydon, & Kennedy, 2008). Ethics can also be referred to as
values; integrity, dignity, responsibility, respect, justice and care (Queensland College of Teachers,
2008). These can also be utilised within the classroom and aimed not only at the children but their
families as well. We will use ethical practice within our centre to advocate for children, their parents
or carers and the wider community.
Professional Development, Skills and Strategies
Our team are offered regular opportunities for professional learning and development. We organise
a number of Training and Professional Development weekends for our team members throughout
the year. Our centre has weekly meetings to evaluate, encourage and adapt not only team but our
centre so we can support your children. We enable our team to attend courses and workshops ,
covering such topics as Behaviour Management, Communication, Diversity and Disability,
Music, Story Telling, Food Handling and First aid. Our Education Leaders are provided with 2.5
hours of planning time a week to ensure all programs are innovative and emergent in learning and
development. Our team will regularly be given time to develop their personal development plans
and to reassess these as well as add to and reflect on their journey as an educator.
Qualifications
- Senior Certificate in First Aid and CPR
- Working towards completing Bachelor of Early Childhood Education by 2014
- Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education
We organise a number of courses and workshops, covering many topics to enable our team to
put your childs education and wellbeing first. If you would like to know more about what
courses and workshops we make available for our team please view the Professional
Development, Skills and Strategies section.