Our Philosophy

St. Paul’s Anglican Kindergarten strives to work towards the provision of an outstanding early childhood education for all children. We endeavour to work in partnership with families and the St. Paul’s kindergarten community to contribute significantly to positive outcomes for each child that is supported by best principles and practices.

We strive to tailor our programs and be sensitive to the individual needs of the children, taking into account their personal and family circumstances.

In relation to children we:

• Believe that children learn best through play. Play provides opportunity for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine.
• Welcome and support children with individual needs and work closely in partnerships with families and external agencies to achieve best possible outcomes.
• Aim to support children in their ongoing development of communication skills, social awareness, self regulation, confidence and resilience building.
• Recognise that children have different learning styles, are significant contributors to their own learning and are supported to make choices and decisions.
• Encourage interactions with others which promote empathy, kindness and respect.

In relation to education we:

• Offer rich play-based kindergarten programs that provide infinite creative opportunities and experiences.
• Believe that children should have enjoyable experiences, while engaging in inspired play spaces using natural materials.
• Encourage children to exercise enquiry-based thinking to explore their world.
• Offer an emergent curriculum, fostering opportunities for children to follow and extend on their interests.
• Believe creativity develops from children’s experiences with the process, rather than concern for the finished product.
• Use intentional teaching strategies to scaffold and extend children’s learning.
• Believe each child is nurtured and valued as a respected individual.

In relation to families we:

• Acknowledge and respect the important role parents, carers and family play in achieving the best learning outcomes for children.
• Welcome contributions from families in sharing their passions and expertise with the children and the significant learning that can occur from shared knowledge.
• Believe that respectful, meaningful and open communication is the foundation of strong relationships.
• Believe in collaborative partnerships between families and educators to promote each child’s identity and wellbeing.
• Encourage meaningful participation which promotes a feeling of inclusion.

In relation to educators we:

• Value celebrating the many discoveries, ponderings and achievements of every child in our kindergarten.
• Value the importance of working together as a team and value each team member’s knowledge and skills. This in turn forms the basis of a unified team which delivers high quality programs.
• Have passionate and skilled educators who place a high value on ongoing professional development.
• Encourage ongoing reflective practices which enable us to gain insight which support, inform and enrich the program decisions essential to high quality Early Childhood Education.

In relation to community we:

• Recognise that every child is a valued member of our community.
• Are actively involved in the wider community thereby building connections between the child, our families and the kindergarten.
• Place a high value on the significant contribution of volunteers at St. Pauls Anglican Kindergarten.

In relation to diversity we:

• Seek to promote inclusion for all within the St. Pauls kinder community.
• Acknowledge awareness and acceptance of individual cultural practices within our kinder.
• Recognise and respect the Australian cultural heritage and contributions of the learning opportunities it can provide.