We believe that childhood is a unique time of life, to be valued and enjoyed in its own right. This is the time where foundations are laid for future health, learning and wellbeing.
Shaw Street Children’s Centre provides a home like Family Grouping environment, where the grouping of children closely resemble that of a family structure, which has meaning and ensures the child feels welcomed and nurtured. We recognize that learning extends from opportunities presented to children from different ages and abilities.
Shaw Street acknowledges the traditional owners of our land, the Wiradjuri people and the knowledge and traditions that exist within their culture. Shaw Street embraces the Wiradjuri culture and sees it as an important inclusion to the Shaw Street philosophy and curriculum.
In our work with children we promote resilience, a sense of belonging, self worth, secure attachments and warm trusting relationships and interactions. By providing safe, secure, and stimulating environments that support children to become independent, confident and inquisitive learners which will encourage children to extend their capacity for learning and development.
We respect a child’s right to play and to be a child. We believe children learn skills for lifelong learning through play and the spontaneous and intentional teaching opportunities it provides. We acknowledge children’s need for uninterrupted blocks of time for play, learning and developing relationships. It is in these long moments of play that children create, repeat and revisit ideas, which in turn has a positive impact on important brain development and neuroplasticity.
All children will have an equal opportunity to learn and will be respected regardless of gender, age, ability, economic status, family structure, ethnicity, lifestyle, religion, culture or language. We will educate about the differences between children, families and communities and help to promote positive self- esteem.
We value the role of the family in a child’s life and recognize the support that parents and educators can provide to each other as active partners in the care and education of their child. We encourage families to play an active part in their child’s learning and discuss with them ways in which they can become involved in the Centre that are meaningful to them and that benefit the children.
We encourage children to become socially responsible, supporting them to find positive ways to express their needs and feelings and to learn socially acceptable behaviour, problem solving and promote interactions with others where they feel respected.
Educators will guide children in developing an appreciation for the environment and sustainable practices to protect and preserve our world. We will aim to achieve a sense of wonder, a feeling of belonging to and a love of the land, nature, and animals so that children develop lifelong, respectful relationships as well as a positive and proactive attitude toward the environment and a sustainable future.
We reflect on our practice, commit to continuous quality improvement, and support each other’s ongoing professional and personal development.
We acknowledge and are inspired by the work of Lilian Katz in the case of mixed-age grouping in early education, and are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Code of Ethics and the National Quality Framework.
Shaw Street 