About Us

Our Curriculum

ACCCK curriculum is guided by the Centre’s philosophy and The Early Years Learning Framework, these guide and shape the curriculum for children. The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practices, and outcomes essential to support and enhance young children’s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school. The team of educators at ACCCK use the framework in partnership with families to develop learning programs responsive to children’s ideas, interests, strengths, and abilities and recognise that children learn through play. Play provides opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine.

Children’s learning is ongoing and each child progresses in different and equally meaningful ways. When planning for children, educators use an emergent plan encompassing the following steps:

work in partnerships with families to gather information.
Identify and observe individual children's strengths, interests and development.
identify the learning aspirations and develop specific individual goals.
implement a plan/experience tailored to each child’s developmental needs and interest.
assess and evaluate the child’s learning and goals and make necessary amendments.

Educators base their observations on the five learning outcomes described in The Early Years Learning Framework. They work towards promoting in each child:

A strong sense of identity
The ability to be connected with and contribute to their world
A strong sense of well being
Confidence and that ability to be involved learners
Effective communication skill

Parents’ feedback and involvement is valuable and essential in ensuring a quality care environment.

Parent Involvement

ACCCK is a non-profit, community based child care centre and the one way to help keep our fees to a minimum is by involving our parents in the running of the service. We also welcome and encourage parent’s input into the program as it is you that knows your child the best.

Parents can help in many ways:

being on the Committee of Management
being on a sub-committee
helping at community events
helping at working bees
being involved within the room programs

These activities are vital to the running of the service and are a great way to get to know other parents within the community.

3 & 4 Year Old Funded Kindergarten Programs

ACCCK provides a three and a four year old funded kindergarten program which are integrated within the long day care programs. The three year old funded kindergarten program operates within the Dolphin room and the four year old funded kindergarten program operates within the kindergarten room. Each of the programs run over 7.5 hours per day, 4 days per week, from 8.30am to 4.45pm, over 40 weeks per year. Families are required to pay an intention of kindergarten bond two years prior to eligibility, giving families priority of access to the program

Find Out More:

Eligibility

What is Kindergarten?

Incursions & Excursions

ACCCK offers a music program one day a week and is run by an external company. Music is a great opportunity for your child to express themselves. Families are charged a additional small fee for the program.

The team of educators aim to organize two excursions per year, one will be held in the first Trimester for the Kindergarten room the other will be in the second Trimester for the Dolphin room.

We also offer incursions throughout the year for all children, this may include visits from the Victoria police, CFA, performers and story tellers, and animal visits.

The team of educators make the most of the beautiful environment that surrounds the centre by taking the children for nature walks around the property, they may see horses and dogs from the Victorian Police Dog Squad and the Victorian Police Mounted Branch training and breeding facility on the way or stop for a picnic.

ACCCK Commitment to Child Safety

Attwood Child Care Centre and Kindergarten Service is committed to the rights of all children to feel safe, and be safe at all times, including:

promoting the cultural safety of Aboriginal children
promoting the cultural safety of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
promoting the safety of children with a disability
promoting the (right to) safety of trans and gender diverse children and their families in ECEC settings
ensuring that LGBTIQ+ children and families feel included
values, respects and cares for children
fosters opportunities for each child to participate, express their views and to learn and develop
always acts in the best interests of each child and has zero tolerance of child abuse
takes all reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children at all times, whilst also promoting their learning and development
actively manages the risks of abuse or harm to each child, including fulfilling our duty of care (refer to Definitions) and legal obligations to protect children and prevent any reasonable, foreseeable risk of injury or harm
continuously improves the way our service identifies risks of and responds to child abuse, and encourages reporting and improved responses to allegations of abuse.
proactively sharing information with relevant authorities to promote the wellbeing and/or safety of a child or a group of children, consistent with their best interests.

Sustainability

ACCCK is located on over a quarter of an acre with beautiful outdoor play spaces which include the use of natural materials, vegetable gardens, a recyclable water course, free ranging chickens and a worm and composting area.

The centre has a number of pets within the service, when children observe, interact and care for an animal it can provide an enriching experience and be a valuable part in learning about empathy, relationships and nature. It also teaches children about responsibility and nurture.

ACCCK recognize the important role we play in guiding our children to protect and cherish their natural world for all to enjoy, now and into the future and has developed a Sustainability Team which guide the practices and procedures of the centre whilst supporting the staff to implement these within the programs

ACCCK is committed to:

promoting respect for, and an appreciation of, the natural environment among all at the service
fostering children’s capacity to understand and respect the natural environment, and the interdependence between people, plants, animals and the land
supporting the development of positive attitudes and values in line with sustainable practices

Meals

Our wonderful chef prepares a selection of healthy nutritious meals using fresh ingredients each day. The centre offers breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, lunch and a late snack for the children. The centers menu changes daily and is rotated every four weeks in accordance to the seasons. Our Chef ensures each child's dietary requirements are catered for including if your child has culturally based food requirements, allergies or food sensitivities.

Achievement Program

Attwood Child Care Centre and Kindergarten and its team of educators have a strong commitment to health and wellbeing. To ensure this is embedded within the service as a whole the center is a member of the Healthy early childhood services achievement program

The Achievement Program is a comprehensive framework designed to create healthy places where we work, learn and play.

ACCCK is committed to achieving health and safety standards in the following areas,

Safe environments
sun protection
healthy eating and oral health
tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
physical activity and movement