Guiding children on an adventure of exploration, learning and discovery.

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy at Expeditions Avoca is broken down into four core elements, patience, playfulness, kindness and curiosity.

Firstly we extend our respect to the First Peoples of the Taribelang Bunda Country on which we play, work and live. We also look to these people for their modelling of living with consideration and sustainability on Country to ensure our children and our children’s children inherit a place to thrive long after we have left our footprints. We acknowledge their styles of teaching and learning that has developed over thousands of generations and will incorporate the Aboriginal 8 Ways of Learning pedagogy (developed in the north west of NSW) in our practices and documentation.

We are committed to ensuring all we have contact with is celebrated – children, families, peers, colleagues, community, animals, plants, Earth and the reflection we see in the mirror.

We respect diversity, acknowledging cultures, differing levels of ability, gender, religious beliefs, legal and moral commitments we engage with in our work, interactions and lives.

We respect the expectations of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights 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.’

PLAYFULNESS
We believe the first five years are the foundations that shape children's future health, happiness, growth, development and learning achievements at school, in the family and community, and in life in general. We believe these foundations are formed through play at a very early age and we will expose children to this form of learning from birth.

Johan Huizinga (1938/1955) reminds us of the essential value of play, children and animals ‘play because they enjoy playing, and therein precisely lies their freedom.’ When they have the freedom to play, our children are satisfying their natural curiosity, making sense of the world around them and having fun. The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child includes every child’s right to play which we value and allow all children the freedom of choice around play.

PATIENCE
Patience is the state of being that occurs between experience and reaction, when you show patience you will take the time to plan your reaction. In our fast- paced world, where clocks dictate our lives rather than natural rhythms, we are committed to being mindful of the now. Allowing children time to deeply explore and engage in their learning is important to discover new things.

For the exploration process to be truly meaningful it needs to be in the here and now. Through our flexible routines we allow the children the time they need to learn whilst also taking the time ourselves to truly understand each child’s development.

Having patience means being able to wait calmly in the face of frustration or adversity, so anywhere there is frustration or adversity we have the opportunity to practice it. Every day we all come across frustrations and adversity within our day to day lives and through our knowledge and strengths we role model our patience through these, thus giving children the exposure to be able to learn from this. Throughout our day, children will have opportunities to learn when they need to wait for turns and be monitored as they learn this skill.

KINDNESS
We promote kindness at our Avoca centre by teaching children grace and courtesy, putting an emphasis on being kind and thoughtful to others and being considerate about others feelings. Being polite and considerate are important characteristics to have as they ensure we are more pleasant and assist us to achieve goals. Teaching children kindness from an early age is a skillset they can grow and develop while maintaining confident and connected relationships. Through being kind to our colleagues, we role model this to children and others around us, while establishing our own positive connections with them.

We believe children’s creativity has the potential to strengthen our capacity for empathy, friendship, social bonds and concern for others, including future generations and in turn growing kinder and socially cohesive communities.
Selfless acts of giving, be it a smile, a word of encouragement, or the offer of a helping hand, results in an emotional uplift not only for others, but also for ourself. Research has shown what we ourselves may instinctively know — kindness can be a major contributor to the levels of happiness any of us experience.

We will be sensitive to the vulnerabilities of children and families and respond in ways that empower and maintain the dignity of all children and families (as per the Code of Ethics)

CURIOSITY
When children are curious, they are far more likely to stay alert and engaged, their brain chemistry changes, which helps them to learn and retain information. At Expeditions Avoca, we stimulate children and pique their curiosity by creating spaces that encourage the need to be curious. Children's curiosity drives them to explore their surroundings and try new things. From their repeated experiences of seeing their actions affect their world and the people in it, children begin to see themselves as capable and having control. This helps children to feel good about themselves and builds their self-confidence. Developing curiosity helps a child be willing and able to continually grow, learn and question what is around them and to develop an imagination and sense of creativity that gives them the basic tools they need to be successful adults. Confident children are able to build positive relationships, do better at school and become happier, successful adults. This is important in developing and maintaining good mental health and wellbeing.

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.

We’re excited to welcome you to our centre and support your child on this important journey.

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