Education and Training Awards 2020

Best Early Years Education Group 2020 - New SouthWales In the community of Evans Head, on the west coast of Australia, Sandcastles Early Education Centre forms a vital part of the community. For the families in the area, it’s a lifeline. For the children, it’s a hit. We take a closer look at this early years’ group to see how the team have managed to achieve such success. Sandcastles Early Education Centre holds a unique position as the only long daycare centre service in Evans Head. Between 6am and 6pm, the team tend tirelessly to the town’s youth, offering a service aimed at kids aged from six weeks to six years old. At the heart of Sandcastles Early Education Centre is the desire to see each child develop and reach their full potential. Attending early learning programs and services, such as those at this centre, can make an enormous difference both to their lives and to the community at large. The team is proud of the work they have done, with much effort put into finding a place that sits well within the local area. Sandcastles Early Education Centre has built strong partnerships with families, as it is able to offer longer hours of care than any other centre in the area. This flexibility makes Sandcastles Early Education Centre the place of choice for many, as it is capable of adapting to meet individual needs. An aspect where the team has always excelled has been in the connection between the local area and its long and rich history. A special effort has been made to educate children about this, and woven through the fabric of the service is an awareness of indigenous perspectives and the space for children to learn traditional ways of being and knowing. Moving ‘beyond the fence’ has become a rallying call for the early childhood sector, with many wanting to find ways of offering alternate environments for learning in the context of community. The team have been experimenting with what sort of program they can implement which meets this way of learning. The team has now completed various purposeful excursions into the community, and is looking to become not only more regular with what they can offer, but more innovative in how it is offered. This approach sets Sandcastles Early Education Centre apart in many ways, as it cares for a generation of children who have few opportunities for outdoor free play and regular contact with the natural world. A culture of childhood that is spent outside exploring and engaging spontaneously with nature is a vanishing experience. As the environments in which they can play have lessened, so has the time set for play. Key to how Sandcastles Early Education Centre works is the team’s determination to provide play spaces where they can connect with natural elements both indoors and outdoors, be autonomous in these environments and have access to risky play. For them, play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. Looking forward, the Sandcastles Early Education Centre team are looking to continue exploring its education of children on conservation for the local area, working alongside community groups such as the local surf club, surf lifesavers and forest preschool leader. The aim is to develop a beach and bush program, allowing the children Jun20260 a unique opportunity to learn the theory behind community work and being able to put it into practice too. The success of Sandcastles Early Education Centre comes from the team’s desire to put kids play first, and ensure that at this early stage of their lives, they are working alongside others, communally without having to worry about any academic pressures. This social approach is what sets the Centre apart, and is no doubt crucial to how the team have achieved such success. Company: Sandcastles Early Education Centre Name: Liesl Pyke-Nott Web Address: www.sandcastlekids.com.au