Department of Education, Training and Employment
QKindy
Edition2, 2013
Welcome
Welcome to the second edition of QKindy magazine for 2013.
Over the past 16 months, I have had the opportunity to visit early childhood education and care services and meet many of you who are contributing to the lives of young Queenslanders.
Queensland’s kindergarten participation rates have continued to rise as we introduce more measures that make it easier for children to take part.
Seventeen new purpose-built kindergartens opened their doors this year offering approved programs for an extra 660 children.
The introduction of eKindy this year means more than 165 children who can’t access a centre because of distance or a medical condition have learning opportunities delivered in the family home.
Our census data shows that 77 per cent of kindy-aged children were enrolled in a kindergarten program in 2012. While this is a significant improvement from 2008 when only 29 per cent of kindy-aged children participated in kindy, we still have more to do to achieve universal access.
We’re keeping our focus on ways to support all children to take part in approved kindergarten programs and sharpening our focus on children who might need a bit more help.
Children with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are now benefiting from a number of targeted initiatives designed to alleviate their barriers to participation.
These initiatives include fee relief subsidies; support programs to connect children and families with kindergarten programs; access to free interpreter services; specialised support, equipment and resources; and increasing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the early childhood workforce.
About a quarter of Queensland children take part in approved early childhood education and care. At 24.5 per cent, this rate of participation is second only to New South Wales.
With a sector that is growing every year and playing an increasingly vital role in the lives of Queensland families, it is important we continue working together to give children a strong foundation for learning and development.
The rollout of the National Quality Framework (NQF) is supporting the continued professionalism of the sector, building on the dedication and commitment of the frontline staff.
The next milestone for the NQF is the change to teacher and educator qualification requirements from 1 January 2014. All centre-based early childhood education and care services will need to engage, or have access to, a qualified early childhood teacher. For family day care services, coordinators will need to hold an approved Diploma, and educators will need to be studying towards an approved Certificate III.
I acknowledge the sector’s commitment to implementing the NQF, with 327 services already completing the assessment and rating process. Our commitment to quality early education is delivering results for Queensland children. Figures from the 2012 Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) show the majority of Queensland children are developing well prior to starting school. Additionally, there have been significant improvements in early childhood development outcomes for Queensland children since 2009. The biggest improvement was in language and cognitive skills. Improvements were also achieved in emotional maturity and social competence.
I am pleased that the percentage of Queensland children assessed as developmentally vulnerable on one or more AEDI domains has decreased from 29.6 per cent in 2009 to 26.2 per cent in 2012.
There is much to be proud of and much to achieve as we continue to support our youngest learners.
Kindergarten and other early education and care services across Queensland have been busy rejuvenating their premises and outdoor play areas thanks to Renovation and Refurbishment Grants under the National Partnership Agreement for Early Childhood Education.
More than 180 kindergarten and 75 non-profit services across Queensland have received between $50 000 and $200 000 for projects to improve facilities to enable the delivery of high quality learning programs.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank service providers, staff, management committees, volunteers and representative groups for your ongoing work in supporting positive education and care outcomes for Queensland children.
John-Paul Langbroek MP
Minister for Education, Training and Employment
Grant transforms kindergarten service
The children attending Chapel Hill Community Kindergarten can enjoy their playground no matter what the weather thanks to a major project supported through the Renovation and Refurbishment Grant program.
Up to 180 kindergarten services across Queensland received between $50 000 and $200 000 under the program for projects to improve facilities and increase their capacity to support the delivery of quality kindergarten programs.
Chapel Hill Community Kindergarten received a $182 390 (inclusive of GST) grant to revitalise its play area, extend and upgrade its deck, renovate the staff bathroom and build new internal storage and lockers for the children.
Kindergarten president Bryony Barkhuizen said the difference the renovations had made was indescribable.
‘Chapel Hill Community Kindergarten has always been a special place with a beautiful natural environment but our playground was old and dated,’ MsBarkhuizen said.
‘The wet weather in recent years played havoc with our drainage and ongoing maintenance was becoming a real issue.
‘Our committees over the past 10 years have wanted to renovate the playground but raising the funds needed for the project was a massive task.
‘The grant we received, combined with $60 000 we had raised ourselves, meant the project could finally go ahead.
‘And while the weather continued to work against us during construction, we now have a remarkable playground that the children, teachers and parents can enjoy for many years to come.’
MsBarkhuizen said the new playground was designed to support the kindergarten’s indoor/outdoor program in which children are free to choose whether they play inside or outside.
‘The new playground has a massive free form sandpit, wheelchair access to the upper playground, and new plants and astro turf in the lower playground,’ she said.
‘Best of all we no longer have to worry about rainy weather with new roof structures over the deck and sandpit area, a new watertight storage area downstairs and all our drainage problems fixed.’
AEDI sets a clearer path
New national data highlights the role of evidence-based early education programs, such as those at North Gold Coast Early Years Centre (EYC), in improving outcomes for children.
The 2012 Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) data revealed the number of children in the Nerang community developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains had decreased from 30.8 per cent in 2009 to 23.8 per cent.
North Gold Coast EYC Manager Alana Laundy said the centre used the AEDI data to ensure its programs responded directly to community needs.
‘We found AEDI to be the only source providing longitudinal data on early childhood development,’ MsLaundy said.
‘The 2009 data revealed Nerang children showed the most vulnerability in the AEDI domains of language and cognitive skills and emotional maturity.
‘As a result we focused on developing and implementing programs that specifically supported children’s development in these areas.’
North Gold Coast EYC offers a one stop shop where children and their families can access integrated early childhood education and care, parenting and family support and selected health services in one convenient location.
MsLaundy said the centre introduced its Read and Grow and Sing and Move programs to support children’s improved speech and language.
‘Read and Grow is an interactive program aimed at two to five year olds which uses art and craft to connect children to books they read. Sing and Move uses song and repetition to improve children’s language ability,’ MsLaundy said.
‘All playgroups at the centre introduced reading and storytelling sessions to complement these programs.
‘In direct response to AEDI data on the emotional maturity domain, the centre introduced Fun Friends and Friends for Life programs to support social and emotional childhood development.
‘The programs aim to assist children to connect to their emotions and feelings and identify how their bodies feel and how to discuss that with other people.’
MsLaundy said children and families accessing the centre had responded positively to the new programs.
The centre has also introduced the Mind Up and Mindfulness programs aimed at supporting social and emotional competence and physical and emotional wellbeing.
These programs were introduced in collaboration with Nerang State School and have helped children transition to school.
‘These programs are making a real difference in preparing children for the new challenges of Prep,’ MsLaundy said.
‘Working in consultation and collaboration with the school has also strengthened ties between us’.
The EYC plans to use the second benchmark set by the 2012 AEDI results to analyse changes to early childhood development in their area.
AEDI data can be a powerful tool for early childhood services to raise awareness in the community of the importance of early childhood development, lead action towards improving outcomes for children and to support smooth transitions to school.
Visit the AEDI website ( to access your community’s data from the 2012 collection and read other ideas on how to respond to the results.
AEDI aligns with the National Quality Framework
The AEDI was designed to measure children’s developmental milestones and can be used by educators and service providers to:
- understand children’s learning and development needs in the community
- assist in developing Quality Improvement Plans
- address National Quality Standard Quality Areas
- advocate for new programs and services for children in the community
- act as a platform to form collaborative community partnerships.
For more information visit the AEDI website ( .
Pilot project shares new perspectives
Removing barriers preventing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from enrolling their child in kindergarten is the priority for a new pilot project launched earlier this year.
The Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in Early Childhood (EATSIPEC) project is working to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who enrol their child in an early childhood education and care program enjoy a culturally welcoming environment.
EATSIPEC principal project developer Danielle Cassidy said the services she worked with were hungry for information on engaging with Indigenous children and families.
‘While the number of Queensland children enrolled in kindergarten programs has increased to a record level, enrolment numbers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have not grown at the same rate,’ Ms Cassidy said.
‘Many services want to reach out to their local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, but are not sure where to start and don’t want to offend anyone.
‘Through our project we are helping services in priority locations throughout Queensland gain the knowledge and understanding they need to engage with Indigenous families and deliver culturally inclusive kindergarten programs.
‘We focus on four action areas in our workshop series — organisational culture, partnerships, curriculum programming and practice, and personal and professional accountabilities.
‘Our workshops cover essential information such as Crossing Cultures: Hidden History cultural awareness training, cultural protocols and the appropriate ways to connect with local Elders.
‘We look at what the services have in place already and what actions they can take to be more culturally welcoming.
‘We review the services’ current curriculum program to look at ways we can incorporate Indigenous perspectives and build on the interests and knowledge of Indigenous children.
‘For example, a child participating in the kindergarten program may be interested in fishing, so an educator can incorporate Indigenous perspectives by inviting an Elder to talk to the children about traditional fishing techniques or local waterways in the area and their Indigenous names.
‘The key is that the EATSIPEC program does not present generic information or a generic approach.
‘Our focus is to help services get to know and understand the needs of their own local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community so they can build genuine partnerships.’
Approved kindergarten program providers can take part in the pilot project and will receive professional development including workshops and materials, and ongoing support.
For more information contact EATSIPEC principal project developer Danielle Cassidy via email () or phone on(07) 3247 3369..
What’s in a name – kindergarten or pre-Prep?
Anecdotal evidence from across Queensland suggests some families of kindergarten-aged children are confused about the difference between kindergarten and pre-Prep programs.
The Queensland Government uses the term ‘kindergarten’ when referring to early childhood education programs which prepare children for school.
Kindergarten program providers should note the government only uses the term ‘pre-Prep’ when referring to its Bound for Success program in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
To reduce confusion, long day care and kindergarten services delivering approved kindergarten programs should consider referring to and promoting themselves as kindergarten program providers.
Services can use the ‘kindy tick’ in their promotional material and signs to show families they deliver kindergarten programs that meet Queensland Government criteria.
Community partnerships open world of learning opportunities
South Kolan C&K Kindergarten, near Bundaberg, has forged ties that enable its children to connect with their local community and communities abroad.
At the same time the kindergarten service has shown how services can take practical action to address the National Quality Standard, Quality Area 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities.
Kindergarten director Joanne Marsh said community was a very important part of their small part-time service.
‘Being in a small town with a population of just over a thousand people, our kindergarten plays an important role in bringing children and families together,’ she said.
‘We have an open door policy at our service, with parent attendance and involvement welcomed and encouraged.
‘This is really important when you consider that many of our parents live on farms out of town and may feel isolated.
‘We work to support them in any way they need by simply having a chat or helping them connect with support services like BushKids, Stepping Stones or Playgroups Queensland.
‘The children love having their parents participate in our activities, whether it is making biscuits for Anzac Day, mowing the lawn, bringing in a special item for discussion time or helping with fundraising.’
Ms Marsh said the kindergarten’s monthly cent sale is now a social event for the town, not just a fundraiser for the service.
‘Our older residents have come to depend on our cent sale which is similar to an ongoing raffle where there are $1 and $2 prizes of groceries and local produce,’ she said.
‘They will plan to meet friends in town for the two hours of the sale and enjoy the morning tea provided by the kindergarten families while hoping to win a prize.
‘Families whose children no longer attend our kindergarten drop in during the lead-up to the sale to donate prizes.
‘The event is successful in terms of raising funds, but just as importantly it encourages community involvement in the kindergarten.’
Ms Marsh said, in addition to their work with their local community, the kindergarten also has links with a retirement village in nearby Bargara and a kindergarten in Vanuatu.
‘Our relationship with Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village offers wonderful benefits for both the children and the residents,’ she said.
‘We will often visit the village and put on special performances or the residents will visit us for activities like a teddy bears’ picnic.
‘The cross generation friendships that form through these activities are lovely and help build the children’s self-confidence and improve their communication skills.’
Ms Marsh said the kindergarten’s fundraising for a kindergarten in Vanuatu enabled the children to learn about the importance of helping others.
‘We discuss with the children the kinds of things the children in Vanuatu might need and why,’ she said.
‘Other members of the community also make donations, including our friends at Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village, who have a club that makes toys for the kindergarten in Vanuatu as well as for our service.’
Ms Marsh said the service’s activities helped the children develop a sense of community.
‘They also have helped our kindergarten family to grow beyond the families of enrolled children.’
Guide to the assessment and ratingof your service