Education and Care

Curiosity ELC

We started with 1 new part-time educator in January 2025 with two more educators being sought after and employed early in the school term.

2025 Staffing

Director

Assistant Director (part-time)

2 teachers

6 part-time educators

2 full time educators and a range of casual staff as the need arose.

Staffing levels were higher than planned due to the necessity to support many children.

The Learning Enrichment Teachers from school were a huge support to staff and children with the time and expertise they provided.

We began the year with 44 four-year-old and 17 three-year-olds.

We ended the year with 47 four-year olds and 31 three-year-olds.

Daily numbers ranging from 35 to 45 across the week in January increasing to 46-62 across the week in December.

With a high number of students with additional needs, funding was used across the service to support with additional staff and professional learning for staff.

Staff supported one another as a team and continued to develop their skills to support the children and each other, and reflected often, were flexible, often changing or adapting rituals and offerings to meet the needs of the children and increasing children’s agency.

Achievements/Key events:

Parents appreciated the PPN and Transition Information Nights which included socialising and nibbles.
Many policies and processes were reviewed and implemented.
Reflected on and consolidated documentation done by Lead Educators to balance documentation while retaining beneficial information for families.
Began an ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) sub-committee to assist in policy review and oversight.
Special events at Curiosity included Mother’s and Father’s and Special people morning teas and plays, a colour day to learn about Holi, hosting the Stage 1 students for Reconciliation Week to explore Aboriginal Culture.
Sent a group on the first Curiosity excursion on a bus to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
Explored, applied for, and was accepted to offer the 3-year-old Flying Start Preschool in 2026.
Built a low-walled area for the Orange Team to have their own nest space.
All the teams visited the JP playground on many occasions.
Incursions included Police Officers visiting, a puppeteer sharing her talents, and Mrs Bastiaans mum playing ukelele and engaging children in music.
Applied for and received an Innovations Solutions Grant from Gowrie and engaged Connect Ed to run Trauma Informed Staff Training and Coaching in supporting child’s behaviours across the year – finishing in 2026.
Ended the year with a Celebration of Learning for each team shared with families, and a week later our Blessing and Graduation service and community picnic, both of which were almost 100% attendance rate with families celebrating with their children.

Jasmyn Nicholls - Curiosity ELC Director

Imagination OSHC

In 2025, our focus at Imagination OSHC was centred on strengthening team culture, building educator knowledge and confidence, fostering active engagement, and deepening our connection with children and families.

Throughout the year, we intentionally invested in working collaboratively as a team, building on one another’s strengths and creating a culture where educators felt supported in their professional growth and understanding. Our commitment to continuous improvement was reflected in individual professional development plans and a strong emphasis on shared learning.

Professional learning was a key driver in achieving these goals. Educators engaged in targeted training including trauma-informed practice through Connected Ed, neurological understandings of trauma, restorative practices, bottom-up regulation approaches, “Window of Tolerance,” “Flipping Your Lid,” and managing challenging behaviours. These opportunities strengthened educator confidence and capacity to respond to children with empathy, skill and consistency, ensuring a Christ-centred, child-focused approach remained at the heart of our practice.

Active engagement remained a priority across all areas of the service. In 2025, 73.8% of Good Shepherd students (326 of 442 children) were enrolled in our OSHC program, reflecting strong family trust and connection within our community.

Family feedback surveys provided valuable insights that informed meaningful improvements, including enhanced newsletters featuring program highlights, recipes and “get to know our staff” stories to further strengthen community connection. Educators consistently prioritised authentic relationships with families at drop-off and collection, sharing updates, celebrating achievements and ensuring families felt heard and supported.

We concluded the year with a team of 19 staff members, including 7 qualified educators, demonstrating both growth and stability within our workforce. Overall, 2025 was a year of intentional development, strengthened relationships and deepened engagement, positioning Good Shepherd OSHC for continued growth and impact in the years ahead.

Skyla Charman - Imagination OSHC Director