Our Philosophy
We value early childhood education as the foundation for lifelong learning. We believe that each child is a unique individual and should be viewed, respected and treated as such. As the welfare and wellbeing of each child is paramount, we strive to provide holistic support of the child’s exclusive requirements and interests in a nurturing, familial environment that fosters the child’s development across all developmental domains.
Carers at the Tree House place an extremely high value on the environment in the early learning context. For this reason, careful attention and detail is encapsulated in its design so as to allow for rich, authentic experiences to occur on a full time basis. Our early learning context supports scaffolding children’s learning and development through quality interactions with peers, parents and carers in the overall attempt to pave the way for an exploratory understanding of themselves, the world around them and their place in it. Our educational programs are reflective of emergent curriculum and adhere to guidelines set by ACECQA, National Quality Framework and The Early Years Learning Framework, taking the child’s developmental level into account. Our programs are completed and implemented daily. A sizeable portion of them is occupied by planned implications observed in individual children; however, there is also substantial opportunity for the children to participate in spontaneous independent experiences as part of play based learning. Experiences at the centre afford children the opportunity to develop a plethora of skills in exploration, self-discovery, social interactions and problem solving among others, in the overall attempt to set the children up for success. Educators at the Tree House complete learning stories while observing the children and share these with parents and guardians upon completion.
As educators focus on the experiences of the ‘whole’ child, there is a large emphasis placed on nutrition and foods provided for the children on a daily basis. Meal times at the Tree House are presented to the children in such a way that classifies them as an educational tool. Carefully planned and prepared menus align with guidelines for daily recommended intakes of the food groups, specifically referring to the needs of children. Our menus are reflective of cultural diversity and exposure and are respectful of preferences, allergies and intolerances of the children. All food prepared for the children is fresh and prepared by our formally qualified cook. Children are encouraged to practice self-service of meals during these social experiences as a means of preparing them for their future. Meal times are integrated with other key learning areas such as dental hygiene.
Staff at the Tree House are dedicated professionals that value the importance of maintaining an optimum level of care and education for all children. It is of significance to highlight the fact that all staff working with children have obtained formal qualifications in the field of early childhood. Independent of the qualification that they hold, the staff are consistently developing and refining their professional practices, attending additional training to keep abreast with and effectively address evolving issues within the setting. All staff strictly abide by a specialised code of ethics, ensuring that duty of care is successfully honoured at all times. Additionally we draw importance to the advantageous staff-child ratios delivered at the Tree House. The staff firmly adhere to staff-child ratios for all age groups in accordance with regulations and are able to provide our youngest students with a staff-child ratio of 1:3 during peak periods. We place an extremely high value and importance on partnerships as a means of developing the best possible environment for children at the Tree House.
Partnerships with families provide us with invaluable information relating to cultural backgrounds and heritage. Carers strive to build relationships with families based on co-operation and a mutual respect for the reciprocal roles that each play in the lives of the child. Partnerships with families are developed through daily discussion, newsletters and meetings. Moreover, The Tree House’s open door policy aims to facilitate an open flow of communication while maintaining confidentiality and respect of the privacy and wishes of each family, resulting in the highest levels of customer service.
Partnerships with industry professionals assist staff development and expansion of the curriculum to meet the individual and collective needs of all children. Needs based on cultural identity, additional support education and medical interventions which all require greater individual knowledge and supported cooperative teams, assures all children are facilitated in an inclusive environment as best as possible.
Our respectful ties with Revesby Worker’s Club have been a catalyst in the development of our partnership with the local community more broadly, evoking a sense of belonging in the children and a growing awareness of their place in their community. Creating social capital through their own interactions and participations within their local community enables the children to be recognised and have value.
We believe that early childhood is a celebration of learning and honour of diversity that when valued and nurtured appropriately, fosters individuals that can positively contribute to their community and the greater society.
