Curriculum
Founded in our values
Learning through play
Curriculum in the early childhood setting brings together the interactions, experiences, activities, routines and events, either planned or unplanned that occur each day. Our curriculum is underpinned by the Early Years Learning Framework and is all encompassing of what happens in our services. This ranges from the routines of the day such as rest time and mealtimes through to the experiences and events all of which may be planned or spontaneous. Our Curriculum ensures:
-
Educators express broad goals, hypothesise about direction for activities and investigations
-
Educators observe children in action, compare, discuss and interpret observations together and along with the children make choices about future offerings in their exploration and learning
-
Children pursue extensive investigations of their world, guided by teachers who share their sense of adventure and “amazement”
To develop an effective curriculum for children, an on-going cycle of observation, planning, documenting and reviewing of our teachings and practice is essential, and in following this process we are better informed to design our curriculum further. All planning starts with observing children to understand and give consideration to their individual and group interests, development and learning preferences.
Philosophy
Our philosophy at Global Sky Education is underpinned by our CLEAR values. It is founded upon an image of children as being creative, capable and unique. In all we do, we strive to be child centric. With families as our principal partner, we pull upon our villages to support each child to explore and discover their world.
Through active engagement in free play and structured activity, children employ a range of complex networks of abilities, interests and spoken languages. Engagement in diverse forms of play fosters the development of a spirit of curiosity, experimentation and discovery with children being supported to develop their thinking and understandings, fine and gross motor skills, language, personal and social awareness, emotional well-being and creativity.
Inclusion
It set’s us apart. For us, it’s about taking away ‘the proverbial fence’. Given our various locations, skillsets, national and international ties - difference is a strength to be celebrated. We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the lands and have embedded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learning and in NZ the respective Maori ways.
With such a diverse group we enjoy experiencing and learning from our multinational origins and team. Each child is an individual and therefore will develop in the way that is best for them, we are here to support, encourage and to assist each child and it is here that our village becomes crucial. Working with families and community partners we co-design our strategies and approaches to remove barriers and enhance the experience for all children.
Environments
Insurmountable research speaks to the value and importance that the environment plays as the third educator and it is our belief that a quality environment responds to the many ways in which children learn, grow and develop.
Our early childhood environments have been specifically designed to say to children… You are welcome here! Our focus is on aesthetically pleasing, ordered, and peaceful environments designed in such a way to support children’s play and stimulate dynamic teaching. Our educators give consideration in the learning environments for children to run, jump and be loud, opportunity for hands-on experiences, to have spaces of beauty, quite spaces to unwind and rest, and ongoing review to ensure we best meet the ongoing needs of the children.
Early Years
Learning Framework
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is Australia’s first documented framework for early childhood educators to support a mutual understanding of the principals, practices and outcomes which guides curriculum design whilst working from a strength based and reflective.
The EYLF vision is that 'all children experience learning that is engaging and builds success for life'. Our primary aim is for all GSE children to develop their understandings of the world in which they live through the development of broadly-based knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable them to take the prerequisite steps in preparation for lifelong learning.
We promote the very best practices in our services:
At Global Sky Education we recognise the importance of progressive education in achieving our vision and mission and as such we are dedicated to:
-
Exploring creative and innovative ways to transform our environments into more engaging learning spaces.
-
Providing ongoing professional development learning opportunities for the education team both in and outside of the service.
-
Creating and implementing an educational framework that intertwines the EYLF and the Qld Kindergarten Learning Guidelines with inquiry-based learning (e.g. hands-on projects, innovation, design, collaborations, presentation, and studio work),
-
Supporting democratic learning practices for children (e.g. choices, self-directed, self-organised, co-constructed) intertwined with
-
Implementing inspirational principles from the schools of Reggio Emilia and other evidence-based foundations.
Reggio Emilia Approach
We follow the Reggio Emilia Approach which is an educational philosophy developed by Loris Malaguzzi, who was a teacher himself, and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. After such a great and destructive event, people believed that children needed a new way of learning. The approach is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.
Kinder Garden/Bush Kindy Program
We value sustainability and encourage the children to be involved in these practicesrunning from our Nursery through to Kindy. Our early learning centres connect with our local communities and enjoy the spoils of nature with our Kinder Garden program available at all our centres and Bush Kindy program available at the Gold Coast centres. With regards to our Kinder Garden program, children develop new skills and learn about science and nature from growing their own food. This gives the children the opportunity to be involved in the whole process from planting, mulching, weeding and then harvesting and cooking. These delicious vegetables will then be used within our kitchen, as well as offered for families to take home and cook with their children at home. Taking advantage of our natural landscape next to door to our Gold Coast centres, we take part in exploring the environment through hands on gathering of sticks, feathers, rocks, grasses and bark to then create something such as a 'humpy' which we learnt was a small shelter. We also collect these natural materials to return to kindy and utilise further in our play. Exposure to Bush Kindy will further develop our learning skills of; enquiry, communication, problem solving, discovery and collaborative play.
Food Quality
We are proud of licenced on-site kitchens and our very own chefs. At our services we provide the children with an array of healthy and nutritional meals. Our chefs work Monday through to Friday cooking fresh and nutritional meals and snacks for all the children by using locally sourced ingredients