Our Philosophy

Mission Statement

Hughesdale Kindergarten celebrates belonging and builds life skills.

At the heart of Hughesdale Kindergarten, and the values which underpin all our work, is quality. Fundamental to this is the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and our recognition of children as successful, competent and capable learners. We value the importance of Early Childhood Education. Kindergarten is the first step to formal education, which plays a vital role in a young child’s life and their family.

Hughesdale Kindergarten understands the importance of how children, parents, staff, and committee members contribute towards informing and making decisions that reflect a long term commitment to the viability of the Kindergarten and believe such decision making will ensure the Kindergarten remains part of the local community.

Hughesdale Kindergarten is staffed by dedicated, qualified professionals who constantly endeavour to deliver the highest possible levels of care in Early Childhood Education through the provision of innovative services to children and their families. All staff members are offered extensive training opportunities which foster ongoing professional development and excellence.

The rights of the child are paramount at Hughesdale Kindergarten. We recognise the fundamental importance of equity, diversity and inclusiveness in our society and are a strong advocate for the provision of accessible and equitable Early Childhood Education to everyone.

In practice, our Kindergarten is an active participant in the Governments National Quality Agenda, which upholds that Early Childhood Services should be inclusive of all children, recognising physical, cultural and linguistic diversity, particularly embracing and valuing the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Our Philosophy

Our educational Philosophy is strongly influenced by the Early Years Leaning Framework, “Belonging, Being and Becoming”.

Children are connected to family, community, culture and place. Development and learning takes place through relationships and participation in everyday life.

We respect each child as a unique and capable individual. Each and every child has the right to quality education and care, regardless of race, religion, socio-economic status, family structure, lifestyle, disability and gender. We are committed to respecting the diverse background of all our children and weaving these backgrounds into the fabric of our kindergarten, so that our Kinder is a place of belonging to all.

We will ensure our practices promote cultural competence, where our Kindergarten community honours differences, appreciates culture and strives for all participants to feel a sense of belonging. To achieve this sense of belonging, we are aware that children’s prior experiences, as well as their current experiences, will impact on their ability to feel secure, confident and connected. We need to acknowledge that learning is continuous and transitions between settings influence a child’s sense of belonging, being and becoming:

We want children and families to experience a sense of Belonging. We will strive to develop strong relationships with families and with each other, so we all feel a sense of connectedness and the strong sense of self that comes with being a valued group member.
We recognise the significance of the here and now in children's lives. We want them to enjoy life, to enjoy Being. We want children to feel positive, to regulate themselves, to experience strong relationships and enjoy life's joys. We also want them to be resilient and to meet challenges.
We want to equip children with skills to enjoy life now and in the future. We want to make children positive people, becoming active and positive contributors to society.

We want to develop secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships and to work in partnerships with families. We will strive to have empathy and be responsive to family needs, and to provide support when required. We will encourage families to engage in meaningful participation within the program as learning is an on-going cycle that requires input from families so outcomes can be achieved.

We understand that children need a flexible play based program curriculum that provides experiences for different learning styles. We understand that children learn through collaboration and communication with other children and adults and through interacting with both physical and social environments. We will provide a rich, stimulating and nurturing environment that has the potential to stimulate imagination, promote creativity and enhance aesthetic development.

We believe children need opportunities to practise and consolidate their skills in key learning areas including: language and literacy; creative and expressive arts; maths; science; social and emotional development and work towards learning outcomes as expressed in the EYLF and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework - "Being Belonging and Becoming"

The educators at Hughesdale Kindergarten will bring fundamental, personal qualities to the kindergarten environment such as empathy, respect, warmth and passion for learning. We are committed to open and constructive communication with families which include discussions, child portfolios, daily reflections and newsletters.

We believe in the importance of nurturing established relationships with community organisations, the council and local schools. We will use the established channels of communication with the committee, council and community to encourage a meaningful community spirit of Hughesdale Kindergarten by inviting families to be actively engaged in all elements of our program.

We will ensure that there are equal opportunities to celebrate the differences and similarities between ourselves and others in the community.

We encourage you to part of the adventure here at Hughesdale Kindergarten. Experience the Belonging, enjoy the Being and look forward to the Becoming. Together we can make a difference.