Birraleegal Goondi Statement of Philosophy
Our Beliefs
Children
We believe a child is first and foremost an individual in his or her own right. All children have exceptional
qualities and abilities, which need to be encouraged and embraced in order for them to develop a strong
sense of identity. We consider children to be leaders of their learning: they are self-regulated, decisionmaking participants in both the early childhood setting and in their societies. Children are influenced by the
world around them; an equal if not more imperative contribution is their own impact back on the world. We
see children as competent capable citizens that actively construct meaning, culture and identity within
society. Children have a natural drive to learn and explore. They use different tools to communicate and
different ways of making their wants and needs expressed which show that they are capable and confident
learners. Recognizing that children are capable and confident learners in their own right is at the heart of
how we approach learning at Birraleegal Gondi.
Learning
We believe learning nourishes a child, as an entire being. Children’s learning is a dynamic, multifaceted and
holistic experience and is most commonly identified in the early years through play. Play-based learning is a
context for learning through which children organize and make sense of their social worlds, as they actively
engage with people, objects and representations. Play-based learning capitalizes on children’s natural sense
of exploration of the world around them. Our educators embed elements of teaching and learning within play
experiences in a way that engages each individual child and their interests. We asked our children to explain
the way they believe children learn and acquire new skills;
Pedagogy
We see pedagogy as the holistic nature of our early learning facilitator’s professional practice. Our learning
facilitators rely on their intuition, creativity, organization and improvisation to create and adjust teaching
practices and learning opportunities to suit individual children at particular times in particular spaces in order
to best inspire, encourage and challenge. We have a commitment to inclusion; we individualize learning
experiences to better suit each child’s culture, interest, needs, abilities, and learning styles. It is our role to
construct and support opportunities that incite children to be confident self-regulated learners. Once these
opportunities for exploration have been established, educators give children time and space, to engage and
experiment with resources and play spaces in more sophisticated ways leading to their sense of mastery.
Education in our setting incorporates a balance of child led and facilitator supported learning, maintaining an
environment in which educators and children actively construct understandings collaboratively. Above all
educators at Birraleegal Goondi plan all interactions, experiences, processes and procedures ensuring the
United Nation Rights of the Child are consistently acknowledged, and advocated for. We also ensure our
practices consistently embody the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics, a framework outlining the
ethical responsibilities of early childhood professionals. We asked our children what they saw as the role of
their educators:
Curriculum
We see curriculum as all of the interactions, experiences activities, routines and events, planned and
unplanned, that occur in our environment are designed to foster children’s learning and development. Our
curriculum follows an ongoing cycle in which educators draw on their professional knowledge, including their
in-depth knowledge of each child, whilst working in partnerships with families, using the Early Years Learning
Framework learning outcomes, to actively engage children in learning, identify their strengths and interests
to choose appropriate teaching strategies and design engaging learning environments to carefully assess
and plan for further learning. At the heart of our program is the Early Years Learning Framework, the national
quality framework for early childhood education defining the principles, practices and outcomes that are
essential to effective and engaging early learning.
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Our Commitments
Learning Environments
Our learning environments are welcoming spaces, which reflect and enrich the lives and identities of children
and their families, responding to their individual interests and needs. Our spaces invite open-ended
interactions; spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery and connection with nature, as well as promoting
opportunities for sustained shared thinking and collaboration. We strive for our learning environments to be
provocative, open-ended and rich in possibilities for reciprocity. Our environments are comfortable,
interesting, attractive and appropriate for each child, holding intrinsic interest, giving children a myriad of
ways to practice and refine their skills across all aspects of learning. We also place the highest importance
to ensure our environments are flexible enough to accommodate children’s changing interests, needs and
increasing skills and abilities.
Cultural Competence
Specific appreciation is acknowledged for the vital influence the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
have had on our land and community and our nation’s history. While the lands predecessors are respected
and remembered, Birraleegal Goondi also embraces the many other cultures that create this colourful
contemporary community. Our cultural competence is achieved by:
-Providing spontaneous and child initiated conversations combined with teacher directed learning to foster
an appreciation and tolerance of diversity
-Educating children of the children of the names and actions of the Aboriginal people who receded the
settlement of the Walgett Shire.
-Challenging children’s biases in a supportive and respectful way with the purpose of increasing tolerance for
our future.
Sustainability
The educators at Birraleegal Goondi acknowledge the importance of creating and maintaining sustainable
environments. We are dedicated to ensuring sustainable practices are embedded in the services operations
where children, families and the wider community are encouraged to adopt environmentally friendly practices
that contribute rather than hinder our environment.
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
The educators at Birraleegal Goondi participate in and promote healthy lifestyles and encourage the children
to participate in making healthy choices both in the early learning environment and throughout their life.
Birraleegal Goondi educators participate in physical activity and make healthy choices within the centre
environment and in the wider community, modelling these practices encourages our children to also
embrace and appreciate healthy lifestyles.
Our Partners
Families
The earliest and most important learning and developmental experiences take place within the home
environment. We recognize and value these experiences and collaborate with families about curriculum
decisions in order to ensure that learning experiences are most meaningful. Our partnerships with families
are based on the foundation of understanding each other’s expectations and attitude and building on the
strengths of each other’s knowledge. Family’s beliefs and input are cherished, encouraged and respected
and used to guide all planning and experiences relevant for the child.
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Communities
We recognise that a sense of community plays an important role in the development of children’s feelings of
belonging and security, for this reason we see developing a sense of community within our service as
imperative. The connections we facilitate to the wider community and the world outside our setting helps
children to find their place in the world, to develop understandings of how society works and to recognise the
shared values that underpin our society. Local excursions, participating in and contributing to community
events, inviting community members and organisations into our service – all help our children to connect with
their community. We also collaborate with other organizations and service providers to enhance children’s
learning and wellbeing. Our service has built relationships and links with relevant community and support
services and resources to best meet the needs of our children and support our families including;. We
ensure continuity of learning and transitions for each child moving on from our service by maintaining and
developing strong interrelations with Walgett Community College.
Our Goals
Quality Improvement
To ensure our children enjoy the best possible conditions in their early education and developmental years,
we continuously strive for further excellence across all 7 Quality Areas of the National Quality Standards for
Early Childhood Care and Education. This framework promotes continuous improvement in quality within:
-Educational program and Practice
-Children’s Health and Safety
-Physical Environments
-Staffing Arrangements
-Relationships with Children
-Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
-Leadership and Service Management
Our early years philosophy is continually evolving according to current theory, research and professional
practice suggesting how best to meet the goals established by the ‘Melbourne Declaration on Educational
Goals for Young Australians’, and those determined by the individual child, their family and community. This
is inclusive of participation in consistent reflection and professional development to ensure our practices are
the most effective and inclusive for all diversities of children.
‘The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in
the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.’
(Allen, 1902)
Above all our role as early education facilitators is to recognize this innate potential in all children and
encourage each individual to seize their dreams.
‘The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart- this you will build your life,
this you will become.’ (Allen, 1902)
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