Mortlake Kindergarten

Our Philosophy

The Mortlake Kindergarten is committed to providing an inclusive, nurturing and welcoming environment for the children, families and educators. We embrace the diversity of all cultures with respect and equality; promoting the awareness and understanding for the indigenous culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people within our service and community.

A child’s connection with their family plays an integral part in the growth of their identity; resulting from the rich influence of their family experiences, values and community relationships. We believe that the development of trusting, reciprocal relationships with our families will ensure a strong foundation for the optimum learning and development of every child. Positive partnerships will be fostered to ensure that the shared knowledge and collaborative input between educators and families contributes to decision-making within the planning, implementation and reflective process of the learning journey. We acknowledge the diversity of family structure and we will respect gender equality without bias and judgement.

We believe that children are capable, competent learners and should maintain active participation and provide their own voice in their learning. Due to a child’s natural curiosity and keenness for involvement, children’s interests and ideas will emerge and evolve; providing a solid base for learning. We will facilitate and extend learning through play-based experiences by challenging their inquiry, investigation, experimentation, problem- solving and risk-taking skills. Within our program, open-ended play experiences and intentional teaching strategies will enhance their independence, resilience, perseverance and confidence. Both the indoor and outdoor environments (including within the community) are valued as equal opportunities for significant and complimentary learning experiences for young children. Understanding that we do not exist in isolation from our planet, we consider that it is important that we continually promote awareness of sustainable practice and instil the drive to implement environmental change with the children and families of today.

Every child has the right to feel safe and be safe at all times. We will provide a secure and responsive environment for all children, families and educators; advocating the importance of the positive emotional and physical wellbeing of all. The environment will be supportive of the individuality of children’s specific needs and respectful of cultural and linguistic diversity

We consider that a child’s sense of belonging is fundamentally shaped by their family and community relationships. Becoming who they are will be reflected by the development of their identity, knowledge, skills and abilities as they grow. We support the opportunities for children to thrive in being who they are now. These principles are under-pinned within the national Early Years Learning Framework, the Victorian Early Years Learning & Developmental Framework and the standards of the National Quality Framework.

Our educators are valued as a well-regarded, united team who collaborate cooperatively to achieve best practice through reflective personal growth from continual professional development.