Our Centres
The Children's Centres
The University operates two Children's Centres:
The Children's Centres normal program operates from the end of January until one day before the University's close of business in December each year. Full or half day bookings are available, and a special holiday program operates during January, for currently enrolled families.
Both centres implement ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming, the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia’ and will be assessed under the new National Quality Standard. Our kindergarten program also embraces the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (0-8).
The Program
The Centres provide a program using the following guidelines:
- Realistic goals for children set from observations and recordings of each child's special interests, historical & cultural background, gender, and developmental levels
- Emphasis on learning as an interactive process with people and materials. The environment is arranged so that children learn through active participation
- Provision of a balance of activities:
indoor/outdoor, quiet/active, individual, small group/large group, child initiated/adult initiated. - Allowing the child to select her/his own activities during the day from a range of several activities the early childhood professionals have planned or the child has initiated
- Provision for integration of children with additional needs
- Reflection of cultural and linguistic diversity
- Inclusion of gender equity