Forbes Street Woolloomooloo 2013
T: 9358 5335/6
F: 93571831
E: plunketstr-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Philosophy of
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional
custodians of the land upon which our preschool sits. We would also like to pay respect to the elders
past and present of the Eora nation and extend that respect to the current and past Aboriginal families
who are part of our preschool community.
Preamble
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool provides one year of comprehensive preschool education, in
the year before a child commences Kindergarten. Our preschool is viewed by our local community as
very much an integral part of the Plunkett Street Public School, and as the first step in a child’s
schooling. We believe that education is transformative and that quality early childhood education
supports and promotes early childhood development, with long lasting positive benefits. We are
funded and operated by the NSW Department of Education and Communities and as such are bound by
its policies and procedures.
Role of our Preschool
We believe;





our preschool provides a safe and consistent space where children can experience the wonder
and joy of childhood. It is a place they can play, have fun, relax, learn, develop and maintain
relationships with others, as well as make meaning of their world.
our preschool plays a pivotal role in supporting and guiding children as they transition from
their family context into connections with, and membership of, the wider community.
it is our role to support children as they leave our preschool and transition into Kindergarten.
we have a very important role in guiding and supporting each child’s social, emotional and
physical development. This is necessary for the development of a strong sense of well-being
and identity, as well as for successful and respectful group and community membership.
we listen to and learn from families, in order to acknowledge and build upon their strengths
and competencies, and support them in their role of nurturing their children.
Therefore we will;



implement the Early Years Learning Framework- acknowledging children’s lives as
characterised by belonging, being and becoming.
implement a play-based program, as advocated in developmental theories, which enable
children to make meaning of their world.
provide enrolment, orientation and transition support into and out of our preschool.
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool Philosophy, March 2015, Review March 2016
1



recognise and support the social and emotional needs of our children.
provide families with information related to health and safety, child development and
parenting. Also, we will refer families to support services when needed.
offer fee discounts to disadvantaged families, as well as waive our fees and/or provide flexible
enrolment patterns to families facing hardship or in crisis.
Our view of children
We believe;






in building a community that values children, giving them love, and respecting their rights (as
outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child).
children are competent and capable. They are active learners who are able to initiate,
construct and direct their own learning.
each child is unique, with very special interests, skills, needs, dispositions and personality.
children learn and develop firstly within their family context, and then within the wider
community.
in the holistic nature of children’s learning.
child welfare and wellbeing should be addressed with consistency, fairness and the spirit of
restorative practice.
Therefore we will;






treat the children in our care with warmth, dignity and respect.
incorporate critical theories into our practice by supporting children to be decision makers in
matters affecting them, ensuring their voices are sought and included in planning and decision
making.
have high expectations of what our children can achieve.
provide a wide range of varied learning materials and resources for children to choose from,
depending on their individual interests and learning style.
ensure our planning caters to the cognitive, emotional, physical and social needs of the
children.
incorporate behaviourist theories to intentionally shape and positively reinforce appropriate
preschool behaviours, as well as implementing consequences for inappropriate behaviours.
The children’s voices
The children value;



their friendships with the other children, specifically children speaking nicely to one another
and shared play.
a safe environment where no child is hurt physically by another child.
the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of play activities and equipment
Therefore we will;



focus on supporting children to manage and take responsibility to their own behaviour, with a
strong focus on respectful relationships and not hurting others.
have clear, simple preschool rules which tell the children what is acceptable, appropriate
behaviour , and what the consequences for inappropriate behaviour are.
intentionally teach the social skills of developing and maintaining friendships.
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool Philosophy, March 2015, Review March 2016
2

provide a wide range of play opportunities through varied resources and equipment and
schedule large blocks of time for free play.
Our program
We believe;









young children learn best through play. Play is essential in the lives of young children. We
believe play values the ideal of allowing children to “just be” and recognizes the importance of
early childhood. We believe play should be fun, exciting, spontaneous, hands-on, stimulating,
relaxing, comforting and challenging.
both the indoor and outdoor spaces should be planned for, and the experiences children
engage in documented and linked to the Early Years Learning Framework Learning Outcomes.
in the sociocultural theories of learning and that learning and development are social,
collaborative activities. Through interaction and scaffolding an educator can extend and
challenge a child’s thinking and learning.
play is key to the development of feelings of confidence and self worth.
the development of early literacy, numeracy and scientific concepts are best enabled through
play.
children learn most effectively within an unhurried environment with engaging, meaningful,
authentic experiences which are responsive to individual abilities and interests.
our program must be flexible and able to follow the occurring interests and needs of
individuals and small groups.
whenever the opportunity arises, home and out of preschool experiences should be related to
the child’s preschool experience.
in supporting children and families in transitioning into our preschool, as well as into
kindergarten.
Therefore we will;





implement a play-based program, as prescribed by the Early Years Learning Framework. We
will provide opportunities for children to experiment, discover, explore, create, investigate,
practice theories, solve problems and express ideas with the support of other children and the
educators.
understand the importance of, and place an emphasis on educator’s interacting with the
children throughout the day.
celebrate children’s play, discoveries and learning through reflection and meaningful
documentation (including Transition Statements).
address and cater for individual and small group interests and needs through the selection of
resources and materials, differentiation and modification.
implement teaching strategies influenced by socio-cultural theories of learning, eg. scaffolding,
guiding, facilitating, modelling, encouraging, supporting and resourcing.
Our educators and their role
We believe our educators;



must behave in a professional manner at all times.
must always act in the best interests of the preschool children. The children’s safety,
protection and well-being are paramount.
involve themselves in a process of continual improvement and collaborative reflective practice
to implement best practice in early childhood education.
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool Philosophy, March 2015, Review March 2016
3

are life-long learners, and as such must be committed to their own professional learning.
Therefore we will;







deploy qualified, consistent staff and maintain the legislated ratios
rigorously implement all quality areas of the National Quality Framework.
be guided in our practice by the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics and the Department of
Education and Training Code of Conduct.
Implement, and annually revise, our policies and procedures, incorporating any updated
Department of Education and Communities procedures or policies, or other relevant guidelines.
conduct fortnightly staff meetings which are open and frank discussions about issues within
the preschool and focus on strategies to improve practices.
foster a team culture whereby staff regularly engage in collaborative reflective practice.
involve all staff in a process of annual performance appraisal (TARS) lead by the Principal and
highlighting areas each staff member would like to develop through professional learning.
Equity, inclusion and diversity
We believe;






each child has a unique family background and cultural heritage. Each child’s culture and
language should be acknowledged and accepted, and reflected in the preschool’s environment.
each child brings a rich knowledge, a diversity of experiences, and a range of cultural and
linguistic identities to their learning.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the first Australians and as such their culture
should be visible and valued in our preschool.
in and honour diversity and accept and celebrate differences in people.
support the preschool families feel a sense of belonging to the preschool community.
children with special needs will be catered for to enable them to participate fully in our
programs.
Therefore we will;





as part of our orientation program, speak to each family before their child enrols, inviting them
to share information about their child’s family and cultural background and discuss
implications this may have for their child whilst at preschool.
ensure our preschool respectfully reflects the context, diversity and multicultural nature of our
community.
collaborate with families to include aspects of their child’s culture in the curriculum, therefore
developing cultural competence.
intentionally teach the group about the culture of past and contemporary Indigenous
Australians.
support families to access any necessary inclusion support or relevant therapies.
Our connections, relationships and partnerships
We believe;
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool Philosophy, March 2015, Review March 2016
4






our preschool community is the children and their families, our educators, and Plunkett Street
Public School. Our wider community includes the support services the preschool has made
connections with.
the role of parents and families must be respected. Families have a vital role to play in sharing
their knowledge about their child with the educators, offering feedback, and making
suggestions.
interactions between staff and children should be responsive, warm and positive.
parents and visitors are expected to treat all persons associated with the preschool with
respect and courtesy.
preschool staff should feel valued and respected. Collegiate, professional relationships are
conducive to a positive and harmonious workplace.
our collaboration with Lou’s Place to provide the Plunkett Street Playgroup is highly valuable.
The playgroup provides valuable support to our local families, as well as linking local families
and their youngest children with our preschool.
Therefore we will;












interact and communicate with parents and families in a respectful, professional manner with
the aim of establishing respectful and caring relationships.
maintain connections with our community through collaborative, positive relationships based
on trust, respect and honesty.
proactively seek connections with people, services and agencies that support children and
families
provide a comprehensive staff induction program.
ensure all educators have the opportunity to utilise their interests and strengths.
make every effort to use constructive methods to manage differences of opinion in the spirit of
collegiality.
assist families to develop a sense of belonging and inclusion in our preschool community by
welcoming their interest and involvement, and providing opportunities for them to be involved
in our daily activities and special events.
respect the requests of families related to any special care needs of their child.
use planning and assessment practices which are easily understood by families.
seek family input on their goals for their child’s learning and development.
actively participate in NSW Department of Education and Communities preschool network
meetings and professional learning activities.
continue to value and develop our relationship with Lou’s Place, an organisation that provides
local support for women and their children in our local area.
The Learning Environment
We believe our preschool;




should have an atmosphere which is relaxed and positive and enables each child to pursue
activities of interest to them without undue pressure or feeling hurried.
should encourage and support harmonious and meaningful relationships, fostering a sense of
belonging. Each child should feel part of the preschool community and be able to develop selfconfidence, feel valued and connected to others.
should offer a variety of play spaces/learning areas to facilitate independent play, cooperative
play, relaxation, or more vigorous play.
should provide stability, and consistency with strong routines which at the same time can be
flexible to cater for special needs or events.
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool Philosophy, March 2015, Review March 2016
5




must be a supportive environment which meets the health and safety needs of the children
will promote optimal emotional and physical health in our children.
should incorporate sustainable practices wherever possible to develop lifelong respectful and
proactive attitudes to our environment and to ensure our sustainable future.
should enable children to learn to respect and care for living things.
Plunkett Street Public School Preschool Philosophy, March 2015, Review March 2016
6