Philosophy statement
The beliefs and principles that guide our approach to early learning
“Little Gems” is an entity of Gems Christian Education Ltd, therefore the overall vision and aims of the company underpin the philosophy and operations of the “Little Gems” Day care and Kindergarten centre.
We seek to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere where children and families can enjoy meaningful interactions with others. We believe that a child’s early education is best supported as a partnership between the Centre, parents and the community. We aim for secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships. Community diversity is cherished.
At Little Gems, we believe that each child is a unique creation of God with individual differences, needs, abilities and backgrounds. We seek to respect the uniqueness, dignity and personal works of each child and provide a quality Christian education through seeking to equip them for the future.
We believe all children have rights which should be respected. In particular, we believe that all children have the right to experience quality care and education. Further, we believe that children have a right to take part in the decision making processes related to their learning experiences. We seek to stimulate the children through facilitating play and providing opportunities that are vibrant and flexible.
We believe that children are naturally curious and inquisitive with an innate desire to learn. Our role in this process is to provide opportunities that foster play and enquiry. We acknowledge that every child will reach each stage of development in their own time. We believe in creating a safe and secure environment that stresses co-operation rather than competition, fostering the development of gifts, skills and abilities of the learner for service to Christ and the community.
Staff work to ensure that no discrimination or bias exists within the Centre. A team of dedicated and passionate staff work together to deliver an appropriately balanced range of teaching and learning strategies so as to develop both personal self-discipline and a strong sense of team awareness, and from this dual concept equipping each child to be an important member of the body of Christ, the family and the community they live in.
All staff commit to encourage, nurture, educate, guide and facilitate learning. All members of staff will advocate for children, respect children as well as plan a program that is developmentally appropriate and child-centred. Staff seek to be positive role-models and see the value of being lifelong learners who reflect God’s love.
This Philosophy Statement provides the foundation for all activities, policies and procedures of the Centre. The written policies and procedures of the Centre have been developed, and will be monitored and reviewed with these values in mind and in accordance with the National Quality Framework, Early Years Learning Framework and Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines.
