Camp Hill Kindy believes that play is the context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their world. We believe that every child has the right to play and to have play in their lives as they actively engage with people and a dynamic environment. We believe strongly in the value of nature‑based play for children’s health, wellbeing, learning, and global development.

 

Our educators visualise an early childhood education that celebrates each child’s strengths as they discover and learn through play. Consequently, we believe in an emergent curriculum, collaboratively developed with the children as they explore areas of interest, supported by intentional teaching that extends their growing knowledge.

 

We value the experiences, ideas, knowledge and traditions that children bring to the program from their familial and cultural backgrounds. Consequently, we strive to develop collaborative relationships with families and communities, honouring and respecting their diversity in gender identity, religious practice, and heritage. The Camp Hill Kindergarten community values the traditions that have evolved over our more than 80 years of history as early childhood providers.

 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s First Peoples. We value and respect Australia’s First Peoples and acknowledge their custodianship of the land on which we work and play. Camp Hill Kindy is committed to embedding knowledge of, and respect for, our First Peoples’ cultural perspectives and weaving their ways of knowing and being throughout our program.

 

We provide a safe, caring, engaging, and responsive environment where all children are empowered to make decisions about their own learning. Children are supported to develop resilience and the skills to manage challenges, conflict and new situations with confidence. We provide many and varied opportunities for all children to build capability and skills across their physical, creative, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development. We interact with children to gauge their developmental progress, adjusting stimuli, and related play accordingly.

 

We acknowledge the value of each child’s journey through childhood as an opportunity to freely explore their world through play. We advocate for the development and implementation of laws and policies that promote the rights and best interests of children and families. We believe in, and advocate for, the protection of children’s safety, health and wellbeing. We respect the privacy of our children.

 

Our goal is to grow happy, healthy, confident, inspired and curious children who demonstrate respect for diversity and social justice.