After School Excellence

At After School Excellence, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land.

We recognise that long before we were here, they were here – teaching, nurturing, and protecting their children, which is the work we continue.

After School Excellence is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment free from all forms of discrimination.

After School Excellence will actively pursue social justice and empower our community to address inequality and celebrate diversity.

We believe children’s Middle Childhood experiences have long-term implications for their development and well-being and that children learn best through play.

We are committed to providing the highest quality education and care in an inclusive, welcoming, and harmonious environment, informed by children’s voices, rights, and best interests.

We will nurture children’s learning, holistic development, and physical well-being through strong, secure relationships in a responsive, respectful, and innovative learning community.

At After School Excellence, we value and promote family/educator partnerships, and we embrace families through collaborative decision-making, shared knowledge, and supportive relationships.

Our work is grounded in Australia’s My Time Our Place Framework, National Quality Standards, and UN rights of the child. Our collective ideas and understandings inform it about middle childhood theories and contemporary research.

We believe that high-quality OSHC care occurs when

Children:

• Feel safe, supported, heard, and cared for
• Are genuinely consulted in decisions that affect their daily experiences, learning, and wellbeing
• Are respected and empowered as active and capable learners,
• Are encouraged and supported to develop reciprocal, respectful, and meaningful relationships with others that enhance their learning
• Are encouraged and supported to express their ideas, creativity, thoughts, and feelings
• Are provided opportunity and support to explore, experiment, and take risks
• Are empowered in who they are and have a strong sense of identity and wellbeing
• Are supported to develop connections between people, country, place, and communities
• Are supported to regulate emotions and learn strategies for self-awareness and resilience
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Educators:

• Are sensitive, respectful, and ethical in their interactions with children, families, colleagues, and other

professionals

• Are encouraged to be innovative, reflective and to base their pedagogy on theories, research, and other professional ideas
• Are respectful and supportive of children’s rights
• Hold high expectations for every child by recognising, respecting, and building on children’s strengths, interests, capabilities, and sense of agency
• Establish calm, consistent, and flexible routines/transitions based on children’s wellbeing, identity, and developing agency
• Are active in establishing and maintaining a safe, collegial, and collaborative working environment
• Are recognised as Childcare professionals and supported to continue their learning and development
• Are resourced to use a range of strategies to work towards the best outcomes for children
• Are invited and provided with opportunities to take part in decision making that affects their work
• Communicate honestly, respectfully, and effectively with others to promote children’s best interests
• Model environmentally, socially, and ethically responsible thinking and pedagogy
• Support the development of the next generation of educators and leaders through student placement and mentoring
• Are responsible for advocating the value of Out Of School Hours Care and supported to share their work with the wider community

Our Pedagogy:

• Occurs in an environment that is safe, stimulating, creative, equitable, and inclusive
• Encourages the design and creation of dynamic play spaces that are intentional and supported by critical reflection
• Provides open-ended learning experiences that are inviting, engaging, and promote thinking and learning through play
• Respects and reflects children’s unique dispositions for learning and their existing knowledge.
• Is responsive to the interests, ideas, and needs of children, educators, and the community
• Provides group and solitary learning opportunities that enable participation according to children’s ideas, interests, strengths, developing agency and wellbeing
• Provides opportunities for children to broaden their perspectives and understanding of diverse ways of being, knowing, and becoming
• Promotes environmental responsibility and sustainable practices through respect of natural, recycled, reused, and other ethically purchased resources
• Recognises Middle childhood as a highly formative time in children’s lives
• It provides opportunities for planting, nurturing, and harvesting food prepared in hands-on cooking experiences, which builds a healthy relationship with food and a deep understanding of its origins.
• Empowers children to explore and act upon big ideas such as sustainability, children’s rights, social justice, reconciliation, health, wellbeing, and diversity
• It is reflective of the unique values, knowledge, and culture of our children, families, educators, and local community
• Offers children genuine choices in routines, transitions, learning, and their environment
• Allows opportunities for sustained shared thinking and challenging learning experiences

Families:

• Are recognised and valued as their child’s first and most influential teachers
• Are encouraged to share their ideas, questions, values, and culture in a welcoming environment
• Are actively consulted and informed about their child’s care, development, learning, and daily experiences
• Are provided with opportunities and encouraged to take part in centre decision making
• Have opportunities to engage with each other and establish relationships with other families
• Are encouraged and supported to develop meaningful and engaging partnerships with educators that enable best outcomes for children