Play, explore and Grow
Little Saints is a purpose-built Long Day Care Centre providing the highest quality care in a happy, secure, and loving environment.
Little Saints Early Learning Centre is located on the St Andrew's Anglican College grounds and provides day care for infants from six-weeks of age, through to an approved Kindergarten Program.
We honour childhood and strive to create a homely environment at the Centre where children and families can feel connected through warm and nurturing relationships.
Play, meals and rest are precious times that we embrace and value as essential to children’s wellbeing.
A childhood should be unhurried, we believe it's a time to grow, learn and develop at an individual pace.
If you're interested in becoming a part of the Little Saints family, we look forward to hearing from you.
Uniquely Little Saints
Each room at Little Saints has three primary educators daily. The Australian Child Care Regulations require two staff members in most age groups, however at Little Saints we exceed this requirement by having additional educators. Having more educators throughout the Centre ensures that more one-to-one interactions are possible between educators and children. Strong attachments are pivotal at Little Saints, we place a strong importance on building secure relationships for all children, families and educators. Using their knowledge of each individual child, educators can then build programs that will best meet the children’s developmental, needs and interests.
Children who are developmentally ready to move into the next room (should a position be available), are moved after they have had a transition period. This is a time where children move between their current room and the next one until they are ready to commence full time in the new room. Parents are notified in advance about transition plans, so they have time to ask any questions and be comfortable with the change.
Little Saints Early Learning Centre meets or exceeds all staffing requirements set out by the Office of Early Childhood Education and Care. Our Centre Director is professionally qualified in the area of Early Childhood and is supported by a dedicated Assistant Director and team of educators. Little Saints has a policy of employing qualified and experienced staff and supporting continued professional development. All staff who work at our Centre are caring professionals who have completed or are enrolled in courses in relation to child development and education, including many of our team members having higher education qualifications. All staff have a current Suitability Notice (Blue Card) and are qualified in first aid, and complete annual CPR updates. Our staff are carefully selected based on their integrity, special personal qualities, dedication to their chosen career in childcare, and their love of children.
We believe that good nutrition is a way of life. Happy, active children require healthy, balanced meals to provide them with the energy they need to enjoy their day. At Little Saints, meals are included for your child in the daily fees. We provide food that is varied and nutritious, catering to even the fussiest of eaters. We will discuss with you at time of enrolment any specific needs or requirements that your child may have. All meals are free from nuts, and all other dietary requirements can be catered for. The menu is displayed in the reception area for families to be well informed of what their children are eating. Lunch time meals are served hot at 12pm for children in the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes, and between 11.15am and 11.45am for the younger children. Morning and afternoon tea is also provided. The Centre maintains a detailed Nutrition Policy that is available upon request.
We provide a government approved Kindergarten Program at Little Saints, delivered by qualified and experienced Early Childhood Teachers. Our teachers work collaboratively to provide a consistent program across both of our kindergarten rooms, which:
- provides support to children transitioning to Prep (i.e. children must be at least 4 years of age by 30 June in the year they commence Kindergarten),
- consists of 15 hours a week for 40 weeks (or one school year),
- implements the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline,
- provides a play-based program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher.
The Walker Learning Approach (WLA) is an Australian-designed teaching and learning approach (pedagogy) that authentically personalises learning and is developmentally and culturally appropriate. International research highlights that educating children requires a systemised approach that embraces family and community (Burnham et al 2007, Otero et al 2011). The WLA is incorporated in a systems-based model for the education of the whole child (birth to 12 years) through theories of practice, parent education, empowerment and inclusion, teaching and learning at school, and establishing and sustaining links and networks between family and community. Within this system model the WLA provides a seamless transition from childcare to preschool, to early and upper primary school and beyond.
The key principles that guide WLA practice are that:
- All teaching is intentional.
- Not all children are ready to learn the same thing at the same time in the same way.
- Children’s interests are used not for the interest alone, but as a catalyst for engagement.
- Children’s interest, culture and context are respected and used as a springboard to facilitate further understandings and skill development in all areas of learning including literacy, numeracy, the sciences, the arts, language, cognition, social, psychological and emotional development.
- Child development is used as a basis for guiding practices as well as the principles of culture, community and family.
- Learning is personalised and uses the children’s interests alongside additional exposure and concepts and experiences for children to explore their world, concepts, skills and environment.
- The process of learning and skill acquisition is valued - not just, or always the focus of the end product.
- Intrinsic (not extrinsic) motivation is valued and embedded in practice.
- The adult / child relationship is highly valued and the relationship itself is a scaffold in the learning alongside the child.
- Relationship with child, family and community are integral components of the approach.
- Relationships are developed and deepened through a range of key practices including Focus Children.
Opening Hours
The Centre's hours of operation are:
Monday to Friday 7.00am to 6.00pm
Closed Public Holidays, including the Nambour Show Holiday
One day a year is designated for a staff development day similar to the pupil free days at the College. You will be informed of this day well in advance so that you can organise alternative care. The Centre is also closed for approximately two weeks at the end of the year covering the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.
