In the spirit of reconciliation, WHECC acknowledges the traditional Custodians of the land and their connections to land, sea, and the community where we play, learn, educate, connect and grow.

We pay our respects to their elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

Our philosophy brings together key social, educational, and environmental principles we believe work in harmony to foster an inclusive, meaningful, and child-led learning program.

Community

At WHECC, building a sense of community is paramount to us, and we believe that the children are the central connection to bringing our community together.  As early childhood professionals, we hold the view that every child is a unique and capable individual. Their voice deserves to be heard, protected, and respected in all aspects of our service. This belief is at the core of everything we do, and it motivates us to provide the best possible care and support to all children in our community.

We take pride in maintaining an environment that is homely, welcoming, and inclusive to everyone. We have achieved this by fostering cooperative, collaborative, and respectful partnerships with our families and the wider community.

Practices

At WHECC, we believe that children possess a natural inclination towards learning, and we strive to provide a constructive and engaging environment that nurtures their curiosity and resourcefulness.

Our pedagogical program and practices are guided by the uniqueness and individuality of each child along with educators’ expertise. We draw inspiration from the Reggio Emilia education approach, which emphasises collaboration among children, adults, and the environment to create meaningful learning experiences.

Play-based learning

Our curriculum offers a diverse range of play-based learning tailored to cater to each child’s individual needs and interests. We support the autonomy and agency of children through open-ended exploration, child-led learning, and intentional teaching practices.

We focus on offering a secure and natural setting where all of our children can engage with nature while exploring, playing, and learning through uninterrupted time spent out on Country and through interactions with local businesses and community members. We encourage children to explore measured risk-taking, while supporting them to recognise and manage hazards they may be faced with. These experiences significantly enhance children’s comprehension of the world, help them become active and responsible members of their communities, and improve their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Sustainability

Further improving our children’s understanding of the world around them, we empower our children with practical, evidence-based strategies for living sustainably. We are committed to protecting our environment. It is important we help to create and encourage a sustainable future for our children.

Our sustainability activities are informed and guided by the 7Rs of sustainability – Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, and Rot. We offer hands-on learning and experiences with nature to teach children about the importance of the environment. These activities include helping to care for and nurture our kitchen garden, venturing on Country to better understand our natural world, and learning about our impact on the world.

Wellbeing

We are committed to building a strong sense of social, emotional, and mental wellbeing in children.  We focus on relationships with warmth, support and trust between children and educators and between children themselves.  We ensure children feel protected, learn how to self-regulate their emotions and build persistence and perseverance.  We also focus on physical health, body safety awareness, nutrition, and sleep.