At the beginning of each year our kindergarten and out of school hours care (OSHC) programs meet together to review important aspects of our practice including an annual review of our service philosophy and our child safety statement of intent. Below are our reviewed philosophy and statement of intent. We welcome any feedback or questions about these, you can email us or speak to any of the teachers in person, your input is very much valued.

Philosophy

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, learn and play, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations. We pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging. We strive to embed reconciliation into our daily practice and to be an example of reconciliation to the wider community.

The Oakleigh Primary School Kindergarten and OSHC communities share common goals and values about the best ways to support children on their educational journeys. We encourage respectful, collaborative relationships between children, families, the school, educators and the broader community, with our common focus being the child.

We value an inclusive and supportive environment where children can become inquisitive, respectful and involved learners. We recognise that children’s education and development is best supported through meaningful and engaged play based learning. Our programs of learning reflect this with adult and child-led learning equally informing our programs of learning. We recognise that children have their own unique perspectives on the world and nurture a sense of learning as fun and exciting.

We believe children and all community members have a right to feel safe and secure, and to have their dignity maintained at all times. We uphold a high standard of professional understanding, education and practice relating to child safety standards and children’s protection from harm. We recognise that children’s safety is the responsibility of the whole community and promote a culture of child safety. This is reflected in our policies, procedures and practices which are developed and continually reviewed in collaboration with our community.

We respect and celebrate the diversity within our community and beyond. We provide support to each child to promote their health, wellbeing and individuality through a commitment to social justice.

We are committed to a strong focus on sustainability through both sustainable education and the modelling of sustainable practices. We acknowledge that sustainability as a practice has broader implications for the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the community and planet.

January 2023

Child Safety Statement of Intent

Oakleigh Primary School Kindergarten and Out of School Hours Care has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure the safety of all children who attend the service.

We believe children have a right to feel safe and secure, to feel safe in their culture and to be supported to have a positive sense of self. At our service children’s dignity is maintained at all times. We maintain a high standard of professional understanding, education and practice relating to child safety standards and children’s protection from harm.

Our first priority is the safety and protection from harm of each child, as such we will take the appropriate steps that we believe necessary to ensure their safety and wellbeing. In the event of any concerns about the safety of children who attend this service we are legally and ethically obliged to report it to the appropriate authorities.

We recognise that it is the whole community’s responsibility to ensure that children are safe and we actively promote this to ensure adults are empowered to understand the steps to take when there are concerns around child safety.

We are committed to providing support to families in their role in caring and providing a safe environment for their children. Please speak to us if you need access to information or resources.

In line with the above we urge you to contact the below authorities or organisations if you ever have concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing.

To report concerns that are life threatening, call Victoria Police 000.

If you have general safety concerns about a child or young person, please contact the Child Protection intake office where the child lives: https://services.dhhs.vic.gov.au/child-protection-contacts

After 5pm and on weekends, contact the Child Protection After Hours service on 13 12 78.

Kindergarten Newsletter

Issue 1 · 15 Feb 2023

In this issue