Early Childhood philosophy - St Kieran Catholic Primary School

St Kieran Catholic Primary School Philosophy

At St Kieran Catholic Primary School, we strive to continuously improve upon and deliver high quality education and care to our students.

PLAY

We believe that:

we discover God’s presence in the people and the world around us
through play children learn resilience, develop independence and become competent and confident to take safe risks.
child and adult directed play provide learning opportunities to help children develop creative and inquiring minds.
learning areas must include intentional play opportunities (Years K-2) and meaningful and engaging learning experiences that meet the needs of the children (Years K-6)
spontaneous teaching moments arise through play.
planned and spontaneous play provide children with opportunities to practice the skills that have been explicitly taught.
play settings provide educators with valuable information.
we purposefully engage with students during play.

RELATIONSHIPS

We believe that:

Jesus is a living example of how we interact with others and build positive relationships.
the connection between home, school and parish needs to be respected and supported.
positive relationships need to be developed between staff, parents and children.
each child is encouraged to act and communicate constructively with others in all situations.
positive relationships between students reduces conflict and assists them in being ready for learning.
a fair and positive approach to guiding behaviour builds children’s confidence and self-esteem.

FAMILIES

We believe in:

acknowledging families as the first educators of our children and using the model of Christ and the Gospel values at the core of all our interactions
recognising, valuing, and affirming the diversity of families
creating an environment where children and families feel valued, respected, and safe.
creating effective partnerships with families by welcoming and encouraging their involvement.
establishing positive and regular communication with families.

LEARNING AREAS

We believe in:

the teachings of Christ that they are at the forefront of all that we do.
delivering high quality education by selecting and implementing the best practices available for our St Kieran school children.
accommodating different learning styles.
differentiating the curriculum to extend each child’s potential.
including digital technologies to enhance learning.
making our assessments and reflections an integral part of the planning cycle which direct the future learning of individuals in a class.
using the following to direct our planning for learning:

ENVIRONMENT

We believe in:

appreciating others and the natural environment as gifts from God and interacting with them in respectful and meaningful ways.
promoting children’s wellbeing by creating environments that encourage positive outcomes and where children feel that they belong and are safe.
creating aesthetically pleasing and productive learning environments where the children experience personal success.
creating environments which foster spontaneity, creativity, flexibility, inventiveness and a love for learning.
providing indoor and outdoor environments which consider the needs and abilities of the children.
creating environments that consist of open-ended activities and engaging materials that encourage children to become intrinsically motivated learners.
acknowledging that both the outdoor and indoor environments are classrooms that work together to support planning, teaching, and learning.
helping children to develop a sense of agency by welcoming and responding thoughtfully to their questions and ideas where possible.
providing thoughtfully planned indoor and outdoor environments which consider the interests, needs and abilities of the children.
encouraging sustainable practices.
creating environments that include clean, safe and well-maintained equipment.
ensuring that children are always supervised appropriately.