Nightcliff Campus

Our Campus Philosophy

• Our connections with families are honoured and we understand the importance of community.
• Our educators are caring and innovative.
• Our environments are purposeful places of exploration and discovery.
• Our curriculum is intentional, holistic and responsive. We provide respectful, age appropriate learning and care for your child.
• Our learning is visible.
• Our service is a place of belonging, learning, and play.
• We respect the land that we are part of

Our OSHC Philosophy

Nightcliff OSHC aims to provide safe, play –based programs for children in our school community. Our program goal is to positively enable all children to develop their full potential.

We offer an environment where children are encouraged to foster friendships. We provide opportunities to develop social skills, leadership qualities, confidence and resilience.
We aim to foster the concept of ownership of our service. Children are encouraged to share ideas and input into the program. Freedom of choice in experiences that encourage exploration and inquiry is balanced with an exciting program.

Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour through the understanding of the reasons we have rules, understanding the consequences for their actions and an understanding of how actions and choices impact others.

We believe that each child should be included and valued for their unique qualities and backgrounds. We encourage children to express their thoughts, needs and feelings as individuals.

We value our families and community and encourage the interest and involvement of parents to share in, contribute and feel part of their child’s experience at the service. We believe that communication helps build partnerships with all our stakeholders.

We aim to foster awareness of our environment and community using sustainable practices, for example – using recycled materials and collecting funds for charities.

Any rules implemented at the service come from the core concept of RESPECT.

Our ELC Curriculum

Our curriculum encompasses the entire learning and development that happens with your children.
It documents the children’s learning, wellbeing and development. It gives us purpose for all that we do – from the program documents and individual child portfolios you see displayed in each learning room, our environments inside and out, our menus, our routines, our equipment, our own professional development, goals and outcomes for the service, summative assessments, interactions and relationships between children, educators, families and the community. All of this is Curriculum, and we take it very seriously.

Our philosophy is included here and helps us explains our beliefs, our aims, and guides our curriculum decisions.

At Nightcliff Community ELC our curriculum is linked to the Early Years Learning Framework, (often referred to as the EYLF). This identifies 5 broad learning outcomes designed to capture learning styles and development of dispositions of children aged 0-5 years. These outcomes are:

1. Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
5. Outcome 5 : Children are effective communicators

Our team is passionate and excited about our curriculum, and constantly challenge ourselves to do things better. We participate in regular professional development to keep informed and up to date on current best practise.

Our learning experiences include both planned (intentional) and spontaneous teaching moments. We document learning and magical moments of play using observations and learning stories and other purposeful documentation that helps to make our program work as a full cycle – observation, evaluation, future planning, repeat. Experiences are based around our children’s needs and interests. Our curriculum is always flexible and we try our hardest to get input and suggestion from families. We have a special family input area in each room which we want you to write on or give us ideas.

Our learning documentation is purposeful and displayed so that learning is visible to children and families. It’s also displayed to children can see and reflect on what they learnt. You can see these displayed around the rooms.

Families are always encouraged to contribute to our curriculum and planning. This can be as simple as telling us what’s happening at home, anything like what you done on the weekend or if your child is really interested in something – to teaching us about your family’s histories and cultures, or being an active part of our program by sharing your skills with us.

Our environments are purposeful and used as the “third teacher” – this means the children’s environments are designed to encourage the children to explore and learn from the areas and materials in them at their own pace.

• Planning for Individual Children

Children’s individual portfolios are located at the front of the room, for both children and families to look through. This is where we keep your child’s learning journey documented – and they will include individual and group observations, jottings and notes, monthly Learning Stories, and samples of any meaningful conversations or art pieces they might create. There is also a EYLF learning outcomes sheet and our Philosophy. We also put in your child’s “About me & My Family” form. From this form we can find out about your child and your family. We want to know as much as we can about your home traditions and cultures. This is how you can document what goals you might have for your children during their time with us as well.
We use communication from you and your child as the basis of our planning – education and care are seen as equally important at our service. We aim to support you and your family and recognise our partnerships are integral to our planning cycle. Please take the time to read your child portfolio and take home their learning stories.

• Preschool Program & School Preparedness

We offer a holistic preschool program in our Kindy room which utilises both the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum, and implemented by our Early Years Teacher, the same as you would get at a school based preschool. What makes our program different are our overarching goals which are serviced on the children and their needs, and shared individual goals for each child which are developed collaboratively between the Kindy educators and the children & families. We respect that to support children to be confident and capable at school, we need to consider the whole child as individuals, their home life and different cultures. We offer a variety of play based and intentional experiences, including excursions throughout the school and attendance at school assemblies.
We want our children to be resilient and socially & emotionally prepared for school life and that is our focus.

• Routines & Transition Times

Our routines are entirely flexible, but consistent enough to provide children with a sense of security and familiarity each day. We encourage parent suggestion and input into our routines to keep children’s home routines our routines with the children. Infant routines from home will be followed here at Nightcliff Community ELC as closely as possible and this includes supporting breast feeding and parental choices and preferences, such as child rearing practices and traditions from home.

Our OSHC Curriculum

Programs are built around the regular events of the day i.e. arrival, snacks etc, addressing the developmental needs of individual children, children with special needs, newly enrolling children entering the group and parental expectations. We encourage all children to participate in the arts and craft, sports, cooking and other set activities. Plenty of time is allowed each day for spontaneous play. A copy of the program is located in the OSHC room.

Nightcliff Primary School has joined up with Gardens Tennis

At OSHC we are able to access the sports provided by Gardens Tennis when they come to school. When available, we include this as a part of our program to help keep the children active and involved in sports.
Children who attend our service are actively encouraged to participate in programming, developing a range of activities that meet the developmental needs of all children. Parents are also encouraged to be involved.
Staff are responsible for creating an atmosphere and environment which is responsive to the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and special needs of each child and to the group as a whole, reflecting the philosophy and goals of our service.

The program will include a range of indoor and outdoor learning experiences, activities include both: quiet and active times, individual, small groups and large groups. Any DVD, electronic games and computer use will be G Rated and PG rated will be pre-viewed for suitability (to accommodate older children in OSHC).

The basis of our Vacation Care service is for the children to enjoy their holiday. We aim to provide the children with adequate free time for unstructured, self-directed play as well as time for structured activities to meet individual and group needs. The After School Care program is displayed in the OSHC room. Vacation Care programs are sent out prior to the commencement of the service and also displayed in the OSHC room.

We invite you to have input into the program development, especially in relation to programmed activities, including excursions. Any feedback / suggestions you have can be discussed with staff and implemented where appropriate and possible. Alternatively any suggestions may be written in the communication booklet located next to the sign out book or you can email the OSHC Supervisor.

• Children with additional needs

We provide a program that actively encourages the inclusion of all children. This benefits both the child and other children who attend our service.
Children with additional needs may be eligible for additional support from the Children’s Inclusion Support (ISS) program.

In the first instance please discuss with the OSHC Supervisor who will then arrange for a submission. The program allows us to be better equipped to meet the needs of each child and support them to meet the behaviour expectations of the service if appropriate support is in place.

• Guiding Children’s Behaviour

Learning appropriate behaviour is part of every child’s social development.
Our staff aim to help children to be responsible for their own behaviour and to develop an understanding of what is appropriate in different situations.
You are encouraged to discuss your child’s behaviour to ensure consistent behaviour expectations between home and the service. Our approach to children’s behaviour will be fair and reinforced consistently in a developmentally appropriate way.

Children will be encouraged to settle their differences in a peaceful manner. Staff will focus on positive behaviour, providing praise and encouragement where appropriate. Wherever possible problems will be prevented before they arise due to close supervision. Behaviour expectations are consistent with our philosophy and based on RESPECT.

1. Respect for other people, their property and the services property.
2. Leaving the room only under adult supervision or with adult knowledge.
3. Walking only inside the building, not running on concrete areas.
4. No Hurting

Other guidelines set by the children in collaboration with the staff are displayed in the OSHC room.
We have a policy which outlines behaviour expectations in more details and we are happy to discuss this issue with you at any time.

• Excursions

Children will be taken on excursions outside of the service as part of the planned activities of the service during Vacation Care.
Excursions are considered to be an integral part of the children’s program and will therefore be arranged to provide a broad range of learning experiences for children.

For all excursions, written consent will be required from parents in the enrolment form. Excursions may be cancelled in some circumstances to ensure the safety of all (EG. in the presence of lightning, water activities will be cancelled).
Excursions will generally follow Child Australia policy and the National Education and Care Laws and guidelines.

Our Vacation care program operates throughout the school holidays and offers exciting incursions and excursions.

For more information please see our Vacation Care program on our Facebook page, published one month prior to each vacation care period.