Pedagogy & Practice

Community

Community is very important to us at NNS, built on strong relationships, trust and respect. Children quickly establish a strong sense of connection and belonging within the environment, allowing them to truly thrive and reach their potential. Having high staff:child ratios supports this, as does our highly experienced, consistent, and qualified team. They are all highly committed, motivated, knowledgeable and skilled in early education, all participating in ongoing professional development to support innovative practice. This underpins the quality of our program and the expertise of our teachers in reflecting current educational research in their work with children. We also recognise and know that families are their child’s first and most influential teachers, working in close partnership together. There are many ways that families can become involved in the preschool, spending time in our program, joining the Management or Fundraising Committee, or becoming a Room parent, all helping to create a connected, engaged and thriving community.

Relationships

Our curriculum is founded on relationships, where children and educators learn with and alongside each other. Through shared inquiry, dialogue and exploration, children discover what it means to belong to and contribute to a community. They learn that their voices, ideas and perspectives matter, developing a sense of participation, collaboration, democracy and citizenship. They learn to value the perspectives of those around them, deepening their knowledge and understanding of others, as well as themselves. We pride ourselves on providing an environment based on care, respect, fairness, generosity, belonging and solidarity, where everyone feels valued, and their rights are upheld. “The children are constantly in charge of their learning. With the teacher beside them listening and observing and ready to re-launch ideas that will help them advance.” – Carla Rinaldi

Creativity
Creativity is a key component of our practice. Our environment is rich in resources, offering a broad range of creative opportunities. Each day we invite children to think deeply about key areas of intrigue, engaging in rich dialogue guided by our collaborative curiosity and wonder. We often ask children to think beyond the realm of the possible, to ‘think big’, understanding the significance of creative thinking in building imagination and divergent thinking. Provocations are offered to allow children to make their ideas visible in response to these inquiries, refining and deepening their understanding through the creative process. Materials are carefully chosen for their qualities and potential to support open-ended exploration, problem solving, and continual learning.

Curiosity

Remaining curious is fundamental to the way we work, wondering with and alongside children as they engage within the environment. Educators act as co-constructors alongside children, together researching topics of intrigue. These inquiries support our project work, becoming a collaborative journey of knowledge building as we plan, discuss, reflect, ponder, and think through an ongoing process of investigation. Documentation is an important and essential tool in this process, making thinking visible and guiding reflections and decision making. Through this work, children are equipped with important 21st Century skills, becoming innovators, committed learners, and responsible citizens, preparing them for a world that is rapidly evolving and constantly changing.