Indooroopilly Montessori Children's House earns Excellent rating
Date Awarded: 8/02/2018
Valid until: 7/02/2021
Indooroopilly Montessori Children's House has been awarded the Excellent rating by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the highest rating a service can achieve under the National Quality Framework.
The Indooroopilly-based service was recognised for its collaborative partnerships with professional, community or research organisations, practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth, and sustained commitment to professional development and support of educators.
Examples of exceptional practice at the service include:
- Following a review of outdoor play spaces, the service led change by providing a wild play space where children can play, take risks, have a connection with nature, and care for and develop a deep respect for the environment. Indooroopilly Montessori Children's House worked with children, families and a nature play landscape architect to develop the extensive nature-based outdoor learning environment referred to as ‘Wilderness Play Space’.
- Based on current research showing that children are entering the school system without the social and emotional skills required for learning success, the service developed and implemented a ‘Guided Choices Program’ to support children in developing these skills.
- Implementing educational programs that meet the needs of children and maximise opportunities for learning and growth, such as a Music Program, the Playball Program, and the Perceptual Motor Program.
- A strong collaborative partnership with Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Preschools in Timor Leste through an exchange program to provide support and mentoring opportunities for teachers from Timor Leste.
- A strong collaborative partnership with Men’s Shed, with weekly visits, to provide carpentry activities for children based on interests, as well as making furniture and resources for the service.
- A commitment to supporting educators by providing personal support, such as relaxation spaces for educators, financial support for study and relieved time off the floor. Additional management staff have also been employed, such as an administrative officer, to support the managing director, the director and educators to be able to maintain focus on the educational program. Also, in conjunction with the formal annual appraisal, a less formal process referred to as 'snap chatting' allows the educators’ personal and professional wellbeing to be addressed.
- The creation and implementation of ’Positions of Added Responsibility’ (PAR) to reflect the additional roles and duties undertaken by educators who also receive additional remuneration for these roles.
As a leader in the sector, Indooroopilly Montessori Children's House has worked with Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre (APFLC) Young Mothers Group to create a safe space for children by running a weekly educational program through a playgroup service for children whose mothers attend APFLC. The service has also worked with Puuya Foundation, which is creating and delivering programs in the Aboriginal community in the Lockhart River, to implement parts of the Guided Choices Program into their service to help guide the behaviour of the young children in the parent/child group.
More information on the Excellent rating is available on the ACECQA website.