Guiding children on an adventure of exploration, learning and discovery.
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy at Underwood is broken down into five core elements, respect, patience, playfulness/ creativity and kindness.RESPECT
Firstly, we acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of the land upon which we meet and learn. We pay our respect to the Elders past, present and future and acknowledge their spiritual connection to country. We live on Wurundjeri land, we play on Wurundjeri land, and every day, we come to Expeditions Underwood to learn on Wurundjeri land. Thank you Wurundjeri people for sharing your land with us.
We believe that respect is essential to building strong relationships with children, families and our community. All who come through our doors are treated with the utmost respect and acceptance, teaching our children that we treat others as we wish to be treated.
We believe that the role of our parents and families should be respected and supported at all times, we do this through open communication, our open-door policy, Storypark (online platform) and our daily interactions. We are inclusive of all children, respect and welcome diversity, the right to education and respect those that may need extra support welcoming professionals from across our community to support and develop children’s learning. We work closely with families and build partnerships so they feel as though we are an extension of their child’s home.
We respect the expectations of the United Nations Conventions on the Right of the Child and article 12 which states ‘children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.’
PATIENCE
Patience is a big part of the Early Years Learning Framework helping the children begin to think critically about fair and unfair behaviour and remain accessible to others at times of distress, confusion and frustration. Patience is not simply the ability to wait, it’s how we behave while we’re waiting. Through flexible routines at Expeditions Underwood, we are able to allow children all the time they need to learn at their own pace rather than being dictated by the clock. We live in the here and now.
Throughout our life we all come across frustration and stress and it is about how we role model through this process that gives the children the ability to see and learn. Children learn by imitating the actions of adults around them, as educators we know that all children’s needs and learning are different. Some children need more attention and care to feel safe, secure and supported in their environment and having patience throughout this process helps support the children and families resulting in strong partnerships formed across our whole service.
PLAYFULNESS
The experiences children have during their first five years of life can significantly enhance the development of their creativity & playfulness. A creative mind is a playful mind and play is an important part of the Early Years Learning Framework. It is through play that children feel a sense of belonging, being and becoming, which allows them to hold a sense of power.
Expeditions Underwood believes early childhood education sets the foundation for lifelong learning and discovery. It is through our extensive training, high expectations, reflective practice and qualifications that our environments, curriculum and highly trained educators promote inclusiveness, competence, independence and learning through play, to develop curiosity, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity. Our curriculum integrates the learning through play, free play and guided play approach in which promotes children’s holistic development and helps build a strong foundation for future success.
KINDNESS
Kindness is consideration and compassion for other living beings. We show kindness here at Expeditions Underwood every day through our interactions with each other, families and role modelling for the children to see through staff relationships. Kindness is also equated with good manners. Being polite and considerate are important characteristics to have as they help our interactions to be more pleasant and assist us to achieve goals. Teaching children kindness from an early age is a skill set they can grow and develop into adolescence and beyond.
Selfless acts of giving, whether it be a smile, sharing of materials or offering a hand is encouraged every day to grow the children’s confidence and build strong relationships which are supportive of each other and promote equity and inclusiveness across the whole service. Research has shown that kindness is a major contributor to the levels of happiness anybody experiences.
EMPATHY
Empathy is to be keenly aware of the moods and emotions in others. It is the power to enter into the feelings of the other person, the capacity of a person to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. It is an emotional projection of oneself and the ability to understand others. When we empathise with someone else, we show we care about them. We do this at Expeditions Underwood through role modelling and encouragement. We encourage children to share their feelings and emotions and care for their friends, environment and belongings. We work closely with families and the community to support educators with developing self-regulation tools for children in our care. The role of parents and families is very much respected and supported throughout their time at our centre.
We are passionate about ensuring everyone in our community has the best opportunity to belong, be and become.
Our Brand Story
An expedition is a bit more special than an ordinary adventure. An expedition is a journey undertaken with a specific purpose in mind.
Expeditions Early Learning Journey was inspired by the important and essential journey children undertake from when they first enrol in childcare to when they move on and start their next stage in life.
Our name has a two fold meaning;
1. We lead from the front with our high quality care and innovative curriculum.
2. We walk alongside children and instill the essential tools and knowledge they need to prepare them as they embark on their next expedition.
Our Mission And Aims
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide the highest quality of care and support and guide children on a positive path of learning, development and self-discovery.
Expeditions Early Learning Journey Aims
Our Children
- To support, guide and instill key knowledge and skills that prepares them for their next journey.
- To incorporate play as a pivotal part of our curriculum and appreciate it as a core learning method.
- To ensure all aspects of a child’s development needs are programmed for and periodically assessed.
- To build trusting and respectful relationships with children.
- To encourage the development of children’s initiative and self-reliance in an atmosphere of trust and structured freedom.
- To encourage children to build and maintain relationships with their peers, their educators and the wider community.
- To develop an environment where children can feel positive about themselves.
- To provide a rich learning environment that encourages children to explore, discover and learn core skills.
- To always create innovative learning experiences that support children’s learning and engage their interests.
- To ensure concrete and sensory materials are incorporated in the learning environment.
- To provide age appropriate learning experiences.
- To appreciate and respect that children are naturally curious and eager to learn and they learn best when they are able to be the agent of their own learning.
- To ensure that no child is discriminated against and all staff respect the values, attitudes and cultural beliefs of all families in the best interests of their children.
- To ensure all children are treated individually, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, language and ability.
Our Families
- To always involve parents in decision making about centre policy development, staffing and general centre management.
- We aim to ensure the centre is always a welcoming and trusting environment for families.
- To ensure families participate in children’s daily programs and input into the experiences offered to their children.
- To respect and be aware and sensitive of the differing cultures and needs of families.
- To form a link with families and early childhood professionals and services.
- To communicate to families information about the centre and their child’s day through Storypark and other materials such as newsletters.
- To build and maintain respectful and supportive partnerships with each family.
Our Community
- To advocate on behalf of children and develop an understanding of the importance of early childhood education in all people’s lives.
- To promote awareness and understanding of quality children’s services.
- To involve members of the wider community in all centre activities and key educational experiences.
- To maintain connections with nearby schools, TAFE’s and universities.
Our Educators
- To be professional in all aspects of our service.
- To employ passionate and experienced educators that can deliver quality early childhood programs.
- To always promote the need to work as a team in order to create a learning environment that supports children.
- To ensure our working environment is fun and flexible yet ensuring we always provide a high quality of service.
- To provide secure and supported employment through sound industrial rights, conditions and personal practices.
- To ensure there are ongoing training and professional enrichment opportunities for all team members. We aim to ensure career advancement is mentored and planned for through succession planning.
