TORRENS VALLEY CHILDREN’S CENTRE: KINDERGARTEN

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2017

WHOLE SITE IMPROVEMENT FOCUS:

GROWING POWERFUL LEARNERS

When developing this improvement plan we critically reflected on:

  • How is our image of all children as being powerful learners from birth evidenced in the learning environment that we provide?
  • How does a growth mindset support children to be powerful learners?
  • How can we create a community of powerful learners with our staff and families?

QUALITY AREA 1: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM & PRACTICE

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS:

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) underpins the centre philosophy and drives teaching and learning.

  • Intentional teaching is embedded into our pedagogy and practice
  • Targeted focus on documenting and sharing group learning
  • We are committed to “making learning visible” for children and families – with a strong emphasis on the “learning” rather than the “doing”
  • Assessment for learning processes are embedded in our culture – children’s individual learning journeys are valued and documented in a variety of ways.
  • Our curriculum is emergent and responsive to children’s needs and interests, underpinned by the EYLF Principals, Practices and Learning Outcomes. This is reflected in our emergent planning processes and documentation.
  • Principles of restorative justice are embedded into our culture. Relationships are central to our work with children.
  • Reflective practices are supported and processes documented.
  • Our improvement planning cycle is clearly evident and our QIP priorities are evident in our weekly programming cycle
KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2017: Developing children as powerful learners of literacy – reading focus
Standard/element / Desired Outcome / Strategies / Success measure
1.1.1
Curriculum decision making contributes to each child’s learning & development outcomes in relation to their identity, connections with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators / Developing children as powerful learners of literacy – focus on a growth mindset towards reading /
  • Build educator capacity around how to support growth mindset – interactions etc t0 be on termly & weekly programs by end week 1
  • Planning for dispositions as part of termly & weekly program
  • Identify current practice in relation to providing an environment that supports emergent readers – print rich, multi-literacy, educator making “reading behaviours visible” to children/families
  • Building educator capacity around the building blocks of reading through:
-  Targeted PD – DECD Indicators, current research/readings
-  Collaboration with early years primary teachers in developing assessment tool
-  TV Partnership “reading” project involvement & PLC’s
  • Data collection in term 1 to target future planning
-  Children’s current reading dispositions and behaviours
-  Family reading dispositions and behaviours
-  Moving children’s library into Kindy room / Increased educator confidence and capacity to articulate growth mindset understanding and model in practice, particularly in relation to literacy.
Growth in children’s dispositional data
Increased capacity of children to articulate understanding of growth mindset and evident in play & learning.

QUALITY AREA 2:CHILDREN’S HEALTH & SAFETY

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS:

  • Children’s health and safety needs are met through effective processes for collection & documentation of relevant information and required procedures re; policy development and implementation. This includes site specific, DECD policy and procedures and the use of the Business Manager Program to track, monitor and record compliance.
  • Healthy eating is promoted through curriculum experiences, information for families on enrolment and through regular newsletter items/handouts/displays.
  • Our learning environments incorporate many natural and recycled materials with multiple possibilities for learning. Our outdoor learning spaces are developed around the principles of nature play – connecting with nature, sustainability – education in, about and for the environment.
  • We support children’s learning through opportunities to engage in “risky play”. We conduct risk:benefit assessments with children, establishing rules and boundaries with them so that they become aware of risks as part of everyday life and learning. Safety inspections of the outside learning areas are carried out daily, with any hazards reported and acted upon (control measures put in place if hazard cannot be removed immediately). Termly safety audits/inspections are carried out in both inside & outside learning environments with hazards recorded and acted upon immediately as with daily inspections.

KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2017: Improving how we include children’s voice in risk assessment processes

Standard/Element / Desired Outcome / Strategies / Success Measure
2.3.2
Every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and any hazard likely to cause injury / Improvement in how children’s voice is included in managing risks and how to assess risks, and taking responsibility for respectful play /
  • Children participate in identifying, documenting evaluating and managing risks in their environment – term 1 ie; tree climbing, use of sticks (to be on weekly programme)
  • Groups of children take turns in conducting daily playground risk assessments with teacher
  • Introduce, model and reinforce “rule of 3” strategy/agreement around
-  We try not to hurt ourselves
-  We try not to hurt each other
-  We try not to damage the equipment/resourcses and the environment / Documented increase in children’s active engagement in risk assessment
Hearing children reinforce the “rule of 3” with each other and actively looking after each other and resources/environment.

QUALITY AREA 3: PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS

  • Outdoor learning environment has been developed to reflect “learning in the outdoors” – ie; learning “in” natural environments, use of natural materials and re-cycled materials, planning for learning outcomes through experiences that are relevant and authentic to “outdoors”. Weather is not a barrier to outdoor play and learning.
  • Use of principles of emergent curriculum and emergent planning support and extend children’s learning
  • Open-ended resources that allow for multiple uses and experiences
  • Developing indoor and outdoor learning spaces that reflect children’s developmental ages and stages.
  • Planning for learning inside, outside and beyond the gate is given equal value and consideration
  • Sustainable practices in both our service operations and our educational program are embedded – children are supported to become environmentally responsible and show respect for the environment

KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2017: De-institutionalising the indoor learning space

Standard/Element / Desired Outcome / Strategies / Success Measure
3.2.2
Resources, materials and equipment are sufficient in number, organised in ways that ensure appropriate and effective implementation of the program and allow for multiple uses
3.3.2
Children are supported to become environmentally responsible and show respect for the environment / Increased reflection and action around de-institutionalising the indoor learning environment to increase children’s self-regulation and engagement /
  • Term 1 Audit/Reflection of current indoor learning environment using Lisa Burman: Reflecting on our Learning Environment tool as a provocation for reflection and change
/ All staff engaged in reflection using tool and contributing to change
documentation around children’s self-regulation and engagement demonstrates growth

QUALITY AREA 4: STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS:

  • Continuity of learning for children supported through use of regular staff and consistent relievers to cover absences in both programs
  • Whole staff ownership of development and regular (annual) review of site Code of Conduct
  • Ongoing opportunity for all staff to be involved in decision making around curriculum, policy, vision/directions, improvement priorities etc.
  • The value of Professional Development is promoted and readily supported. All staff meetings are built around PD – ongoing learning and reflective practice around key improvement priorities. External PD – both workshops/sessions as well as involvement in early childhood networks is strongly encouraged and resourced where possible.

KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2017: Building educator capacity around growth mindsets and collaborative practice

Standard/Element / Desired Outcome / Strategies / Success Measure
4.2.2
Educators, co-ordinators and staff members work collaboratively and affirm, challenge, support and learn from each other to further develop their skills and improve practice and relationships / Increased collaborative learning across the centre – focus on building growth mindsets / 1.  Whole centre PD day – Term 1 week 1 – working with Niki Buchan
2.  Develop common understandings around what it is to be a powerful learner – building on each staff member’s unique gifts & strengths.
3.  Disposition Scan for adults – term 1 and recollect in term 3
4.  Continue to build and strengthen educator engagement with Inquiry Groups across the centre that build educator capacity around QIP priorities
5.  Explore the thinking and research around mindsets (work of Carol Dweck & others) via team forums, inquiry groups, readings, external PD / Identification of educator strengths and using term 1 Disposition Scan data to plan for shift – growth evident in follow-up collection
Evidence of staff modelling dispositions and language of a growth mindset – supporting children to develop same.
All staff engaged in regular inquiry group dialogue

QUALITY AREA 5: RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS:

  • Philosophical belief in children as competent and capable learners from birth is reflected in our curriculum, interactions with children and pedagogical approaches.
  • Principles of Restorative Justice underpin centre philosophy and guide behaviour management policy and practice
  • Collaboration with all stakeholders guides improved pedagogy and informs planning for individual and groups of children
  • Inclusive practices underpin centre philosophy and guide planning for all children
  • Children are supported to develop collaborative approaches to learning with others
  • Intentional teaching around developing intellectual stretch – use of open-ended questions/comments to extend & stretch thinking

KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2017: Supporting children to have a growth mindset

Standard/Element / Desired Outcome / Strategies / Success Measure
5.1.2
Every child is able to engage with educators in meaningful, open interactions that support the acquisition of skills for life and learning / Educator interactions with children will support a growth mindset /
  • Whole team forum focus – what are the roles of educators??? – readings, community of inquiry discussions,
  • Building educator capacity to model a growth mindset/using the language of growth mindset through:
-  Target Inquiry Groups
-  PD at team forum
-  Targeted readings
  • Intentional teaching focus – planning for and using growth mindset language /strategies in interactions with children
/ Staff self/team assessment indicates that their understanding of growth mindset and how to share this with children in daily interactions has increased
Intentional teaching strategies form part of termly/weekly programming cycle

QUALITY AREA 6: COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS

  • Information from families and other support agencies is documented and used to inform curriculum programming and practice
  • Collaboration between centre, families and support agencies is a high priority
  • Collaboration with local Early Childhood preschool teachers and principals to exists to support continuity of learning (Educator Network)
  • Opportunities for parent involvement in decision making processes (Governing Council representation, consultative surveys etc) are well utilised and social occasions are generally well supported.
  • Making NQS visible for families is occurring – displays of Quality Areas/Improvement priorities “in action”, newsletters/information handouts/workshops/feedback requests etc. are targeted to support this
  • Transition processes reflect our commitment to supporting continuity of learning through collaborative partnerships and information sharing – home > kindy, child care > kindy & kindy > school

KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2017: Building on connections to and strengthening engagement with our local community

Standard/Element / Desired Outcome / Strategies / Success Measure
6.2.1: the service builds relationships and engages with their local community / Stronger connections to and engagement with our local community /
  • Engagement by Kindy teachers Main Street Project – kindy voice in shaping a community initiative
  • Making the Kindy program more visible in our local community – build on current level of personal visibility to include more documentation/displays
  • Collaboration across centre and school/OSHC, Kindergym to promote Gumeracha as a hub for education and care.
  • Documentation of our 2017 community connections in a “Community floor book”.
/ Kindy teacher have regularly engaged in meetings/forums around this project and shared with children/families – via Community Book
Increased visibility of Kindy program in community
Collaboration with education & care services in Gumeracha has begun

QUALITY AREA 7: LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY OF CURRENT STRENGTHS:

  • Staff Professional Development (PD) processes and plans are clearly linked to site improvement goals (QIP)
  • Strong PD focus in regular Kindy Team meetings & whole centre team forums.
  • Regular access to current professional readings/research is provided and encouraged.
  • Governing Council involvement in centre management is small but strong

NO KEY IMPROVEMENT GOAL IN 2017