Amberley O.S.H.C.
Children are our future, We are dedicated to their success!
3.3 Educator’s Practice
Amberley OSHC is committed to providing quality outcomes for children through ensuring that educator’s practices reflect the services philosophy and goals and quality principles as outlined in the ‘My Time, Our Place’ Framework for School Age Care. The service applies professional standards to guide educator’s practices and decision making within the service and provides opportunities for educators to acquire the skills and knowledge to enable them to fulfil their role.
Relevant Laws and other Provisions
The laws and other provisions affecting this policy include:
- Education and Care Services National Law Act, 2010 and Regulations 2011
- ‘My Time, Our Place’ Framework for School Age Care
- NQS Area: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6.1.1, 6.1.2; 6.2.1; 6.3.1, 6.3.2, 6.3.4; 7.1.2, 7.1.4; 7.2.1, 7.2.2; 3.2, 7.3.4, 7.3.5.
- Policies: 2.11 – Including Children with Special/Additional Needs, 3.1 – Educational Program Planning, 3.7 – Physical Activity, 3.9 – Creative and Expressive Arts, 8.1 – Role and Expectations of Educators, 8.2 – Educational Leader, 8.10 – Employee Orientation and Induction.
Procedures
Amberley OSHC will strive to ensure that Educator’s Practices:
- Foster children’s self-esteem and confidence by allowing them to investigate, imagine and explore ideas as well as experiencing pride and confidence in their achievements;
- Empower children to make choices, guide their own play and extend their interests with enthusiasm, energy and commitment, through supporting them to understand, self-regulate and manage their own emotions in a way that reflects the feeling and needs of others;
- Promote children’s sense of belonging, connectedness and wellbeing through consistently positive and genuinely warm and nurturing interactions;
- Support children’s communication through engaging them in a range of methods from sustained conversations about their ideas and experiences to providing opportunities for music, books etc;
- Respect the diversity of families within the community and allow opportunities for children to broaden their understanding of the world in which they live through the investigation of histories, cultures, languages and traditions;
- Demonstrate flexibility in program delivery, incorporating children’s ideas, culture and interest to ensure experiences are relevant and engaging as well as being creative in the use of equipment and materials to stimulate children’s interest and curiosity;
- Support children to explore different identities and points of view through play and everyday experiences, acknowledge each child’s uniqueness and are aware of, and responsive to, children who may require additional assistance to participate;
- Allow and assist children to document their learning experiences using various methods such as photographs, journals and/or art and craft displays;
- Reflect on planning and implementation of activities in relation to the ‘My Time, Our Place’ Framework for School Age Care and their knowledge of the children’s current learning and development through regular completion of activity observations and/or learning stories;
- Support all aspects of children’s health, ensuring that their individual health and wellbeing requirements are met and supporting them to learn about healthy food, drink and lifestyle choices;
- Demonstrate a commitment to children’s health and safety through role modeling hygiene and sun safe practices, complying with service policies and procedures relating to the environment and/or equipment and supporting children to negotiate play spaces to ensure the safety and wellbeing of themselves and others;
- Support a balance of indoor, outdoor, planned and spontaneous physical activities and passive experiences for children by encouraging participation in new and/or unfamiliar activities and accepting the children’s level of involvement according to their skill and ability;
- Demonstrate a commitment to ensuring children are protected through compliance with service policies and procedures relating to the safety and/or collection of children in the care of the service;
- Demonstrate a commitment to regularly review and update knowledge and/or skills and practices in line with current professional standards and/or guidelines through the development and implementation of a professional development plan, in conjunction with the Nominated Supervisor and in line with identified service needs;
- Support other educators to achieve the goals as outlined in the service philosophy and goals by sharing expertise, modelling best practice, providing feedback and leading discussions at regular team meetings;
- Support families through creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where sharing of information about their child is encouraged, concerns are responded to in a prompt and courteous manner, suggestions and/or ideas for improvement are acknowledged and additional support agencies are accessed if required;
- Support and encourage families and children’s involvement in their local and wider community, through participation in appropriate projects and/or events and engaging children in sustainable practices within the service.
Reviewed 9 February 2015
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