Education & Educators
Educators
Zetland Early Learning Centre has an excellent, dedicated team of passionate and long term educators. Our educators are specialists in providing care and education to children.
We take pride in the length of service of our educators retention. They are all qualified accordingly as Cert III, Diploma and ECT (Early Childhood Teacher). Our Preschool staff have double degress in Early Childhood Teaching & Primary School Teaching. All our staff are extremely passionate and caring and have a very strong work ethic based on the centre being a true Early Learning Centre and Not a baby sitting service.
Our educators will be actively engaged, interacting with individual and small groups of children in their play experiences, intentionally teaching, observing children at play, preparing the learning environment, talking with other adults, collecting resources and providing the children with quality learning environments that engage the children actively within their learning.
Our educators are deliberate, purposeful, and reflective in their planning, documenting and evaluating of children’s learning experiences that support the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
Curriculum
Our expert teachers and educators provide opportunities for children of all ages to engage in on-going class projects throughout the year. The projects are based on the interests and ideas of the children and are carefully planned for and extended on by the teachers. It is during these class projects we see children really come alive and demonstrate their skills as well as learn new ones. Our inquiry-based learning approach which is gently scaffolded by the educators over period of time focuses on a range of topics:
- Language & Literacy
- Exploring & Investigating (science and numeracy)
- Fine Motor & Physical development
- Creativity and Imaginative play
- Social & Emotional development
- Links with family & the community
- Sustainability
- Group times & Routines
Our aim is to make our curriculum as interesting and as relevant as possible and to give the children time to learn, practice and build upon skills. We focus on not rushing children through an activity to tick a box but giving each child the time, they need to develop socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively and linguistically by proving the space to explore class projects in every aspect of the curriculum.
It is then that we see the children in our care reach their full potential during their time at Zetland Children’s ELC.
Transition To School
At Zetland Children ELC we strive to provide an inclusive and stimulating environment to ensure all children develop the skills needed to prepare them to progress to Primary School. We provide experiences that encourage children to explore, make connections and resource their own learning. The children’s voices are important to us and therefore are incorporated into the learning that takes places allowing the children to become competent and confident learners.
School Readiness
To prepare the children for school we follow a school readiness programme that allows the children to progressively develop the skills and confidence needed on their learning journey and beyond. Children are provided with the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of learning experiences and activities to develop their social, emotional physical and intellectual developments.
To help the children lay foundations for their literacy journey we follow the Prelit programme. This engaging programme focuses on phonological awareness and oral language development by following systematic scheme using story books, flashcards and games.
Each transition from classroom to classroom is specifically planned to ensure it is as smooth and successful as possible so as the children have positive experiences of transitions under their belt before they make the big one to primary school.
To help the children lay foundations for their literacy journey we follow the Prelit programme. This engaging programme focuses on phonological awareness and oral language development through structuring the reading of storybooks.
Each transition from classroom to classroom is specifically planned to ensure it is as smooth and successful as possible so as the children have positive experiences of transitions under their belt before they make the big one to primary school.
Our curriculum has been designed in conjunction with a primary school teacher which ensures that each class from infants, right up until preschool age gradually builds upon the skills needed for primary school.
The children will have the opportunity to participate in the preschool programme in the year prior to them moving to primary school which focuses on:
- Structed lessons related to class projects
- Literacy development (Prelit Programme)
- Hands on science & numeracy experiences
- Digital Technology to facilitate learning – Smartboard and Ipads
- Social and emotional focus topics such as :
– Independence
– Resilience
– Friendships
We also offer both excursions to local primary schools and incursions from past students, to help prepare our preschool children for their big move to primary school.
Assessment For Learning
Zetland Children’s ELC appreciate how important it is to receive relevant information and updates about your child’s learning and development. We ensure that that families receive detailed reports on their children’s progress throughout the year with one-two pieces of assessment per term.
We also conduct parent teacher meeting where both teachers and parents set goals for the children half way through the year and work on these collaboratively.
Parents will also receive daily updates and photos about food, sleep and their day on our Owna App.