Aim
The aim of our service is to provide children with a mixture of structured and non-structured activities, in a stimulating environment that provide opportunities for children to pursue their areas of interest so they can develop through play and become effective members of the wider community.
Inclusion
We believe that every child has the right to be recognised and valued for who they are, free of any judgement due to socio- economic background, cultural labels and ability. Therefore we believe in treating children as children first by acknowledging that all children have the same basic needs and rights and that all children have additional needs at times in their life. We believe that part of being inclusive is not to label children and families but to adjust to their needs much as one would for any one. We accept that cultures are always changing; we therefore need to continually educate ourselves to promote a better understanding of the bigger picture rather than taking a “tourist approach” to multiculturalism.
Our Philosophy
Educators and management of Paddington Out of School Care believe every child has the right to grow, play and learn in an environment that promotes discovery, respect, self expression and inclusiveness. We aim to provide a setting that considers the “whole child”, and one that focuses on the process or the learning journey rather than the end product.
Family Participation
We believe that families and the centre need to work in partnership with each other to provide consistency for the child. For this purpose we value all contributions of resources, ideas and knowledge that families may share with us.
Environment
We see the environment not just as the physical setting, rather something that encompasses everything including the people in it. We believe in using the environment to guide children’s behaviour and learning. We aim to cultivate curiosity through a stimulating environment, initiative though interest based activities and intrinsic motivation though appropriate behaviour management and role modelling.
Nurtition & Diet
We believe that good quality, nutritious food is required to maintain an active mind and healthy body. We aim to encourage children to make healthy choices and believe that the program should cultivate healthy eating habits that would be carried into children’s adult lives. We encourage families to share ideas that would reflect the diversity in the centre. We aim to make meal times pleasant and social for both children and educators.
Craft Actvities
We believe and support creative and aesthetic development and encourage children to explore variety of creative mediums. We aim to introduce craft and art from around the world and cater for the needs of children with different abilities and interests.
Social Atmosphere
We believe in giving children a sense of belonging and cultivating a sense of community within each child. We aim to achieve this by providing opportunities to interact with both adults and peers, develop consideration for others, and learn how to cooperate and collaborate and resolve conflicts in a manner that promotes self esteem, inclusion and tolerance. We believe in giving children the responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of the environment. The varied age groups allow for children to be both leaders and followers at some point, to re-visit ideas and to be exposed to the different stages of the learning journey.
Educators
Educators act as facilitators to the children. We believe that educators should respect each other and reflect pro-social behaviour in their lives by valuing each other’s backgrounds, views and ideas. We believe that what makes a good team is good communication, commitment to excellence, the capacity to lead and follow, the ability to recognise and utilise each other’s strengths.
Free Play
We believe in the value of free play and the skills it helps children acquire. We believe that as children have different temperaments, personalities and interests, we encourage them to choose peer groups that compliment those traits, aiming to initiate their own recreational experiences and build social relationships. Through this freedom to make one’s own choices, we hope that children learn to build a sense of respect, acceptance and tolerance for other’s choice.