Growing People

Growing People Together: Supporting the Educators of Tomorrow

By Sally Maher, Engagement Manager

Why We Welcome Student Placements in Our Kindergarten Programs

Throughout the year, you may notice a variety of students spending time in the kindergarten program with your child. These may include Pre-service teachers from universities, School-Based Apprenticeship (SWL) students, and Work Experience students from local secondary schools. A Pre-service student is someone currently studying early childhood education at university or TAFE and completing required practical placements as part of their qualification. A Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) student is a secondary school student undertaking a vocational pathway, spending regular time in our service to build skills and experience in early childhood education. A Work experience student is typically a secondary school student joining us for a shorter period to explore an interest in working with children and learn more about the profession. 

"You may have also noticed the words 'Growing People' displayed alongside our Glen Education name. This reflects a core value of our service, not only supporting the growth and development of children, but also contributing to the learning and development of future educators entering our profession. We are proud to support student placements as part of this commitment to the early childhood sector and to nurturing the next generation of educators." 

For children, the presence of student educators offers many positive benefits. It provides opportunities to build new relationships, strengthen social confidence, and engage with different personalities, ideas, and ways of interacting. Students often bring fresh perspectives, creativity, and enthusiasm, which can enrich play experiences and extend children’s learning in meaningful ways. 

For our education teams, hosting students supports ongoing professional growth and reflective practice. Educators take on mentoring roles, sharing knowledge, modelling best practice, and engaging in professional dialogue. This aligns with NQS Quality Area 4 – Element 4.2.1 (Professional collaboration), as educators work collaboratively to learn from one another and strengthen practice.

Welcoming students also reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and community partnerships. By connecting with local schools and universities, we contribute to building a strong, sustainable early childhood workforce, aligning with NQS Quality Area 6 – Element 6.2.3 (Community engagement).Importantly, all students are carefully supervised at all times, having completed the necessary child safe training and work closely alongside our experienced educators. Maintaining children’s safety, wellbeing, and continuity of care remains our highest priority.  

By supporting student placements, we are living our value of “Growing People”, supporting children, educators, and future professionals to learn, develop, and thrive together