Overview: Dederang Primary School Care’s approach to early childhood education is inspired by Reggio Emilia.  DPS Care believes in the right of all children to experience high quality care regardless of gender, religious belief, family background and cultural identity. We believe that learning can happen anywhere and anytime. We want the best outcomes for every child. We have high expectations for children, educators and service providers. We value staff and their continued development to extend educators education, skills, knowledge and understanding of children and themselves as educators. We believe that it is imperative that children’s Health Safety and Wellbeing are addressed in all areas of the centre.  We cultivate a sense of citizenship, a love of the natural environment, a sense of the aesthetic, fun and wonder with all students. Families: Families are the children’s first and most influential educators. We aim to work together with families to support children’s learning. We work to support families in their parenting role and share with them information to benefit their child’s development. We encourage families to be active participants in the life of the centre. Through sharing cultures, ideas, knowledge, strengths and differences, we develop partnerships with the families and so add to the richness of the centre environment. Children: We believe that children are resourceful learners who are able to construct their own knowledge of their world and the world around them. The key concepts are:

• Belonging: We acknowledge that the child is part of a group, a centre, a family and a community. We believe in acceptance, inclusion and access and participation to all areas of the program, the group and centre activities. We acknowledge that relationships are critical to a sense of belonging; children, parents, staff and management need to work together.
• Being: We look at the whole child, observing his/her strengths, knowledge, interests and needs. With intense engagement of educators with each child we gain a complete understanding of the child to assist them to be confident individuals with the ability to learn.
• Becoming: Children develop and grow rapidly and we believe that we provide an environment that allows each child to develop at his/her own pace. We will encourage children to use their abilities and their knowledge to grow, explore, experiment, experience, participate, develop and be able to contribute positively to society now and in the future.

Environment: We aim to create a positive environment that is inviting, inclusive and rich in possibilities. An environment that reflects the local community and families that use the service, and one that families respect, whilst being safe and healthy. We aim to promote responsibility for the natural environment and awareness of sustainability. Curriculum: Using the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development  Framework (VEYLDF), we follow the five principles that underpin our practice, i.e. Respectful Relationships, Partnerships with Families, High Expectations and Equity, Respect for Diversity, and Reflective Practice. We ensure opportunities to empower children to make choices, promote peer relationships and to provoke thought and imagination.  Our approach is informed by Reggio Emilia and aims to support children to learn skills of collaboration, understanding and citizenship through project work. Documentation: We will use a variety of methods to record children’s thinking and learning, eg, photos, drawings, written comments/observations and accounts of children’s development. This will allow educators to help understand children’s learning and allow ideas to be revisited in the future. Documentation shows children that their work/play is valued and is able to be shared with families. Reflective Practice allows the educator to look critically at the centre/room environment, arising issues and children to have a continual opportunity for improvement and growth.