Philosophy

At Willow Cottage, we provide a caring, nurturing, homely environment which holistically reflects the world in which the children live. Through providing such an environment, children are able to feel safe, supported and respected. They develop a strong sense of belonging, as they discover and explore, making their own journey to becoming resilient and capable individuals.

Central to our philosophy is the belief that every child is an individual and has within them the innate ability to be successful contributing members of the community. At Willow Cottage children are valued as confident capable individuals with their own interests, views, and rights.

We believe that children learn through play. At Willow Cottage play is incorporated into a balanced learning program which integrates intentional as well as spontaneous experiences. Through play children are provided with continual opportunity to explore and express themselves as individuals, test their theories and discover the world in which they live, while developing an appreciation for their natural environment..

At Willow Cottage we recognise families as the most important influence of a child's development, and therefore the inclusion of families' and members of the community to our program is vital. Strong and positive partnerships with families and the community are central to each child reaching their full potential.

Through family involvement we are better able to cater for the individuality of each child. In addition to the valuable contributions made by parents and families on a daily basis, Willow Cottage has an open door policy, that promotes and encourages effective communication and respectful relationships.

We aim to provide a caring, fair and inclusive learning community that promotes the inclusion and participation of all educators, children and their families. We believe children develop attitudes of acceptance and respect, when they are exposed to environments that reflect and value diversity and equity.

As educators we believe it is important that children's discoveries and learning is celebrated through reflection and meaningful documentation. We actively encourage a sustainable environment in our service, where we aim to instil positive and respectful attitudes toward the world in which we live.

As educators we are very passionate about early childhood education, and strive to achieve excellence in all seven areas of the National Quality Framework, and adhere to all national laws, principles, regulations, and policies.

We have an emergent curriculum at Willow which incorporates children's interests, spontaneous experiences, family input, and educational intentional teaching. The curriculum reflects early childhood practice, including links to the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standards.

We are strongly committed to child protection and feel it is within our duty of care to create an environment in which the children feel safe and secure. As educators we believe and recognise the importance for ongoing training, and we continuously undertake additional learning to enhance our ability to provide the highest quality of care and education for your child.