Petersham Early Childhood Education Centre’s Philosophy

At Petersham ECEC we seek to provide a warm, safe, caring home like environment which is stimulating and meets the individual needs of children and their families. We work together to create an environment that promotes equality, fairness, respect and appreciation for our natural world. We will also endeavour to create an environment of comfort, safety and aesthetics.

Children

We believe that each child comes to us with a different set of knowledge and experiences and we seek to build on the child’s home experiences.
We provide an environment where children can develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically with respect for many diverse cultures and family background.
We create an enjoyable but challenging learning environment where children are encouraged to have fun, interact with children and take on roles to develop relationships with others through play.
We provide an educational program with opportunities for the children to explore in language, music and movement, science and art based on their strengths, interests and developing skills.
We believe that each child has the right to develop a strong sense of trust and self-esteem, dignity as a human being and self respect. Care and respect for others is promoted.
Each child should have the opportunities and guidance to develop self-discipline and the confidence to make choices, take responsibility and achieve independence.

Families

We work in partnerships with families and understand the importance of developing a strong relationship with open communication.
We will respect the rights and opinions of parents and the community and encourage parent participation and a broad interest in the community.
We involve and invite parents into every aspect of our curriculum .We embrace cultural diversity and backgrounds, beliefs, traditions, life experiences and knowledge. Families are encouraged to share their culture, language and experiences with Educators, staff and children.

Educators and staff

We are committed to professional teamwork, and ongoing professional development to extend our skills and abilities. Educators engage in regular reflective practices to gain further understanding of their role and knowledge. All staff value and respect one another and the contributions they make to create a cohesive team.
We recognise our responsibility in ensuring and maintaining current workplace policies and procedures.

Community

We believe the community participation is a contributing factor of our learning, being, belonging and becoming.
We believe it is important to involve the community in our program and the experiences we provide of the children.