Our Philosophy
Play Based
We believe children learn best through play. Play-based learning with intentionality can expand children’s thinking and enhance their desire to know and to learn, promoting positive dispositions towards learning. (EYLF, V2.0, 2022).
“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” –Charles Schaefer
Relationships
We strive to create and maintain positive, meaningful, and responsive relationships between educators, children, families, and the wider community. Family input is invaluable and through family participation in the Preschool committee, our preschool program, fundraising and community events throughout the year, these partnerships are strengthened. These respectful and caring relationships provide opportunities for families and educators to work collaboratively to achieve the most powerful learning outcomes for children.
Environment
We value creating flexible play environments, rich with natural, open ended materials including loose parts. These environments offer endless opportunities for the children to engage in deep play as they discover, explore, imagine, and create. We value risky play as we know this type of play in early childhood can help develop a child’s self-confidence, resilience, and executive functioning abilities, just to name a few. You will find us climbing trees, balancing, swinging, and challenging ourselves as we spend uninterrupted time outside and on Country.
Safe, secure, and supported
We value and prioritise creating nurturing relationships and providing responsive and caring emotional support for the children in our care, allowing them to feel safe, secure, and supported, furthering their sense of belonging here at preschool and allowing them to thrive.
“Educators who prioritise nurturing relationships through culturally safe and responsive interactions, provide children with consistent emotional support” (EYLF, V2.0, 2022)
Connectedness to the land, our culture and community
We sit on Wonnarua land and strive to create a deep respect for the land and its traditional owners. By embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective into our practice we aim to celebrate, embrace, and honour the diversities of culture and create a strong sense of belonging for all children in our community.
High quality care
As an exceeding service, we are committed to providing high quality care to our community. We achieve this by offering high educator to child ratios, with highly experienced, passionate, knowledgeable, and qualified teachers and educators.
Opportunities to learn holistically
We view children as active participants in their learning, with educators advocating for children’s agency, capacity to initiate and lead learning, and their rights to participate in decisions that affect them. We value providing holistic support for each individual child in a nurturing, play rich environment which fosters the children’s ongoing development across all domains.
Ongoing learning
Our educators are committed to early childhood education and care and are continually seeking ways to deepen their professional knowledge, understanding and skill set. Educators engage in ongoing professional development and critical reflective practices to strengthen their pedagogy.
Love
The underpinning of our approach, our relationships, and our pedagogy here at preschool is do everything from a place of love. This “professional love” is essential in creating responsive relationships, allowing educators to understand, connect and genuinely know the children in their care. Learning is not privileged over love and care here at Paterson Valley Community Preschool.
“Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.” Scott Hayden
Paterson Valley Community Pre-School has recently undergone the Assessment & Rating process and are pleased to announce that we have achieved “Exceeding” in all seven areas.
Our Committee & Staff are very proud to be part of a Pre-School that has been acknowledged for the wonderful work they do on a daily basis.
Make an Enquiry
We are taking enrolments for 2025 and have limited spaces available. If you would like to enrol your child please complete our Waiting List Form and forward to the Pre-School or contact us by phoning 02 4938 5454 or drop in for a visit.
Next Steps…
To enquire about enrolling your child at Paterson Valley Community Pre-School please contact (02) 49385454
At Paterson Valley Community Pre-School, we wish to acknowledge the Wonnarua People as the traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we meet today.
We also wish to acknowledge their contribution in educating and nurturing young people well before our own story began.
We offer our respects to all Aboriginal Elders; past, present and emerging of the Wonnarua Nation and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of today.
