Our philosophy acts as a foundation for our practice at St Nics’ Christian Preschool. It outlines how we seek to interact with our children, families, community and environment, curriculum and staff.

Children

We seek to develop a strong sense of Belonging for all children through a nurturing, safe and positive environment where respectful connections are promoted between families, educators, and the wider St Nicolas’ Church community.

We recognise that early childhood is a time filled with joy and wonder, and a key moment when children develop a sense of Being. We deeply respect the many aspects of children’s play and value the way play nourishes every aspect of children’s development — not just in preparation for the future but to engage with the joy, complexities and challenges of the here and now.

We believe each child to be uniquely designed by God, each with their unique identity, knowledge, understandings, capabilities, skills and relationships. We understand that these change rapidly as children grow and as they are Becoming the person God designed them to be.

Families

Families are a child’s first and most influential teacher, and are an integral part of a child’s learning journey.

In alignment with the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics, our educators listen to and learn with families and engage in shared decision-making, planning and assessment practices in relation to children’s learning, development and wellbeing.

We value family contributions and involvement in our program, knowing they have a wealth of knowledge, culture and expertise to share with our community and each other.

Genuine partnerships with families, based on open communication and collaborative decision-making, is vital.

Community and Environment

We work to build positive and meaningful relationships with our local community and engage in collaborative partnerships with St Nicolas’ Anglican Church. Through this relationship, we promote Jesus’ love and generosity by supporting organisations such as Anglicare seeking to support the most poor and vulnerable in our community.

We acknowledge God as our creator and the creator of our world and believe all children benefit from exploring and connecting with God's creation. This belief underpins our all-weather outdoor-play program and is driven by children’s interests and needs.

Our educators and children continue to explore the concept of environmental responsibilities to gain a deeper understanding and respect for our resources, the environment and for sustainable practices.

Curriculum

We implement a play-based learning program based on the outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework, allowing each child’s learning and development to be enhanced through a variety of enriching and challenging learning experiences.

Aligning with The National Quality Standard each child’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests form the foundation of our educational program.

Our holistic school readiness program supports the development of confidence and independence skills that children need prior to starting school. We focus on independence skills, the social and emotional self, following routines, teaching respect, and academic skills.

Our Christian beliefs underpin everything that we do, and are reflected through our sharing of Bible stories, prayer, chapel services and singing songs. We seek to guide children to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled (Galatians 6:15). The Hello God program forms the foundation of our Christian curriculum, designed for preschool-aged children.