Philosophy

Black Rock Pre-School Centre Inc. (BRPS) is an independent community-run non-profit Pre-School with a proud 70 year history of providing quality early years education to Bayside children. We acknowledge the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the land upon which our pre-school now stands. And acknowledge the place where our pre-school community now gathers, has always been a place of teaching, learning and growing.

We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and ensure that children with a disability are safe and can participate equally. It is vital to us, that we encourage all children to be active participants at Black Rock Pre-School. We involve the children when making decisions, especially about matters that directly affect them. We listen to their views and respect what they have to say.

We know that children learn through play. The wellbeing of children is enhanced through intentional teaching in conjunction with opportunities for children to engage in child-led learning experiences within a safe pre-school environment. We value our proximity to the beautiful Black Rock beach and foreshore environment, enabling seamlessly integration of rich learning opportunities for children to investigate and learn through nature. Our vast and unique outdoor learning space provides endless moments for children to discover and inquire through interacting with the natural environment. The curriculum responds to each child’s unique strengths, abilities, and interest through play-based interaction.

Our role as educators is to provide opportunities for children to safely explore, discover, create and imagine. Our educators endeavour to build positive relationships and create equitable opportunities to achieve this outcome in a warm and respectful learning environment. Furthermore, we believe that our highly experienced and passionate staff are an essential part of providing a quality education service to our children and families. Providing a safe and caring environment is essential for learning and growth, enabling both children and adults to flourish. All members of our community value the personal development opportunities that we offer and we strive to maintain excellence in everything we do.

Black Rock Pre-School has a vibrant and welcoming community of parents, past students and other community members who provide an extended network of support for our children and our pre-school as a whole. We aspire to build strong relationships with and amongst our families to build and maintain a sense of belonging and inclusion and life-long friendships. We promote diversity and acceptance at Black Rock Pre-School and people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds are welcome. We openly embrace and value our local community, because we appreciate that all of our educators and family members are unique individuals who have diversity in backgrounds, family cultures, perspectives and experiences which can be shared with the children to enrich their learning experience.

In everything we do, we strive to exceed the National Quality Standard by embedding exceeding NQS practice in service operations, informed by critical reflection and shaped by meaningful engagement with families. Our quality curriculum exhibits a holistic approach to teaching and learning, reflecting the national curriculum of ‘Being, Becoming and Belonging’ and incorporating the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF).

Reviewed October 2023