Early Childhood Centre

Give your pre-schooler an early learning experience filled with wonder and opportunity. Let them flourish while we plant the seeds for life-long learning at our Early Childhood Centre.

Your child's social, emotional and academic development depends on quality early learning.

Our Early Childhood Centre offers an exceptional, pre-school education for children aged three to five years.

Our educators take your child on a learning adventure that stimulates their creative, intellectual and social abilities.

We nurture, encourage and foster every child’s innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge while building their confidence and self-esteem.

The Early Childhood Centre is a separate, purpose built building with sectioned off grounds within the Pittwater House school campus. It comprises of two classes, the Bilbies (3-4 year-olds) and the Possums (4-5 year-olds). Both Bilby and Possum children have the opportunity to engage with indoor and outdoor environments where educators support play-based and interest led learning to provide each child with the foundations for wellbeing and life-long learning.

We achieved an 'Exceeding' Rating in the National Quality Standard.

Pittwater House Early Childhood Centre leads the way in early childhood education National Quality Standards. We are delighted to have received an overall rating of 'Exceeding'. This result clearly reinforces our commitment to continuous high-quality, early childhood education and care for children and their families. 

Each term break we also host a holiday care through OOSH Northern Beaches where students from the Early Childhood Centre through to Year 6 are able to participate in a range of activities under the supervision of OOSH staff.

Early Childhood Education is the foundation of a child’s journey into lifelong learning.  In the Early Childhood Centre at Pittwater House, we believe that each child is a unique individual and therefore respect that all children have the fundamental right to be heard and to contribute to their own educational discoveries. Our approach to our Early Childhood Program is recognised as an ongoing process which develops each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the fullest (UNCROC 1990).

With a comprehensive knowledge of social constructivist theories underpinning our daily practice, we acknowledge that learners construct new understandings based upon their own personal experiences. We also recognise that parents play an important role in shaping these experiences within their own environmental and community contexts. We are therefore committed to open and meaningful communication with families, reflecting their values and beliefs as we actively encourage their involvement and participation in all aspects of our curriculum planning processes and policy development.

Our educators are dedicated highly trained professionals, who are devoted to providing high quality care and education that reflects and supports the Philosophy of our Centre. Each educator contributes their own individual skills and strengths that we believe enhances the learning environment for the children. The consistency of care is of paramount importance to maintain the overall wellbeing of our whole community.

The Pittwater House Early Years Curriculum reflects the Principles and Practices of the Early Years Learning Framework: Belonging, Being and Becoming.  It is a program which provides the children with the opportunity to practice and consolidate their skills in a nurturing and stimulating environment. The children’s ongoing discovery of learning is encouraged through a diverse range of child initiated and educator led activities which ultimately leads into a comprehensive school transition program in preparation for their next educational journey.

Article 29 (Goals of education. United Nations Convention on the Rights of a child 1990).

Our high-quality curriculum reflects the Centre's philosophy, our environment, our community, our families, and is predominately motivated by our children’s strengths and interests. Our curriculum is also based on the National Quality Standard (2017, ACECQA) that incorporates the Early Years Learning Framework. It is continuously enhanced to ensure we are catering for and including topics and learning experiences that are of current interest to the children and relates to their level of development. Informed by internationally recognised best practice and up-to-date research and underpinned by nurturing strong relationships, our programme is flexible and emergent.

Key curriculum areas;

• The concept of wellbeing and belonging
• Language and literacy
• Maths
• Creative arts
• Physical education
• Science and technology
• Sustainability

Each child will have progress records maintained for the purpose of programming and development. Parents are encouraged to access this information via a web-based programme ‘Educa’ which enables families the opportunity to observe, communicate and contribute towards their child’s learning journey. These records, along with the children's current interests and competencies, form the basis of our daily programme. All children will experience learning that is engaging, and this is a foundation that builds wellbeing and success in life.

Fundamental to the Early Years Learning Framework is a view of children's lives as characterised by Belonging, Being, & Becoming which becomes apparent through the five learning outcomes within Early Years Learning Framework.

1. Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators

The Bilby and Possum rooms reflect the Early Years Learning Framework's holistic approaches to education and this is reflected in our learning environments. You can look around the walls at displays of Learning Stories of how your child has engaged in specific activities which have evolved through their interests, and have been extended by the Educators, through the provision of stimulating experiences. These learning stories reflect the ongoing cycle of planning that involves gathering information on children, planning, implementing and reflecting that provides insight into children’s individual learning.

We are able to further extend children's learning and developmental experiences using the facilities of the Pittwater House campus. These additional learning opportunities include, the school library, tennis coaching and fully equipped gymnasium and much more. The grounds allow us the opportunity to garden, climb equipment and conduct physical exercise on the oval or in the full size gymnasium.

Library

Our 3 year old Bilbies' class receive weekly visits from the Pittwater House librarian. An early year’s professional and a librarian engage the Bilbies with developmentally appropriate stories, rhymes, puppets and songs. Bilbies also enjoy selecting a book of choice to take home and return the following week.

The 4-5 year old Possum children walk to the school library weekly and enjoy selecting a book of interest to borrow from a wide range of early childhood books. Storytime in the library encourages a life-long love of books with shared reading experiences which complement the Possums' current interests and topics.

Tennis

The Possum class has the opportunity to take part in weekly tennis lessons specifically tailored to support young children’s motor development. Children appear to enjoy our tennis instructor's fun and active sessions which teach the foundation ball skills needed to play tennis.