Our Philosophy

Campus Kindergarten acknowledges the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples, whose land we walk, play and grow upon. We pay our respects to their ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We endeavour to listen and learn with open hearts and minds as we walk gently together on country. We are committed to Australia’s continued work towards reconciliation and provide opportunities for children and families within Campus Kindergarten to build their understanding of connections with and respect for First Nations knowledge and perspective.

At Campus Kindergarten we value children as active and capable citizens from birth. We value opportunities for learning through play, for sparking curiosity, and we listen deeply to children’s voices. We hold a shared vision for children to grow through and in meaningful relationships, encourage playfulness, and support high quality interactions with and between children. These relationships form a foundation for strong social, emotional and mental wellbeing promoting deeper and richer knowledge of self and learning. At Campus Kindergarten, we want children to know they are valued for who they are and experience strong community connections, feel a sense of place and to experience belonging.

We acknowledge families as children’s first and most influential teachers and work to develop respectful and reciprocal partnerships. Campus Kindergarten is a place free from discrimination, where everyone belongs. We respect and celebrate the diversity of our communities, including people of all cultural and faith backgrounds, classes, gender or sexual identities, ages and abilities and we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for all. We are responsive to diversity, viewing diversity as a strength that contributes to the rich fabric of Campus Kindergarten.

We meet children and families where they are at, and work collaboratively to develop environments, experiences, and community connections that support all children to reach their full potential. Listening deeply to families and their insights develops shared understanding and supports collaborative decision making.  We seek to encourage multiple viewpoints and engage with families in meaningful ways to support children’s learning, wellbeing, and development in a safe and supportive community.

At Campus Kindergarten we strive to create a community of learners, each contributing diverse strengths and perspectives. We value our broader links to the wider community, and we use our connection with the University to develop rich and meaningful experiences, within and beyond, our kindergarten.

We seek to be advocates for social justice and empower children to feel that they can be agents of change. We support children to be courageous, thoughtful and kind decision makers. Through engagement with the natural world, we encourage children to be risk takers, explorers, custodians of their environment and active, curious learners. We value the natural environment and explore connection to the land through meaningful and sustainable experiences and daily practices, using First Nations knowledge and perspectives as our guide.

We hold a commitment to ongoing learning, critical reflection, and inquiry into our professional practice. Research and evidence-based practices inform our learning and teaching approaches, and we engage in collaborative and individual research and inquiry projects. We challenge the discourses of learning and care as separate and position them as intertwined and as essential parts of holistic and embedded quality early childhood practice.

Some images from our recent philosophy session