Philosophy

At Hillsdon, we believe each child is a unique human being whose potential is limitless and that childhood is a time of life to be valued and enjoyed.  In all our work, we encourage children to:

• make sense of real-life situations
• develop awareness of themselves and others
• explore, investigate and experiment
• be actively involved in learning
• draw and test their conclusions
• express their ideas and feelings in different ways
• be solitary, quiet and reflective
• take the initiative on their own terms
• collaborate with others
• develop relationships
• practise skills
• consolidate previous learning
• be challenged in new learning.

A play-based approach

We foster a play-based learning environment to ensure our children have many opportunities to create their own learning experiences. We recognise that children come to us with a variety of cultural and social backgrounds and experiences and we encourage and support children’s understanding of diversity by acting on their interests and expanding their knowledge and skills.

Collaboration with families

We value parents as their child’s first and most influential teachers and respect and value the unique culture and customs of different families.  We encourage two-way communication between our teachers and support staff and children’s families and encourage collaboration with families in making decisions about our kindergarten.

Engagement with our community

At Hillsdon, we promote the value and contribution of our centre in our community and take pride in celebrating the richness of Hillsdon’s history and its connections with the community in the past, today and into the future, including recognising the traditional owners of our land.

We ensure our children and families engage with each other through a range of social and fundraising activities and local schooling and family support services.

Dedicated educators

Our educators are guided professionally by Early Childhood Australia’s code of ethics. In our practice, we embed the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines, and the National Quality Standards into our daily practice.

We take the time to reflect on our practice, are committed to continuous professional development, and support and mentor colleagues to continue to build the expertise of our team.