Our preschool - Swallowcliffe School P-6

Swallowcliffe Preschool

At Swallowcliffe Preschool we strive to provide a great start for all children’s education and view children as competent and capable learners who are active citizens and curriculum decision makers. We believe that each child needs to feel safe, secure and supported and empowered in a consistent and connected environment that creates a sense of belonging.

Session Information

Sessions– Families are offered a choice of two attendance patterns upon enrolment to suit their individual needs. Either group 1: Monday/Wednesday or group 2: Tuesday/Thursday.
Time– Preschool sessions run from 8:30am-3:30pm
Children from each group also have access to 1 additional Friday 8:30-3:30 session per term to participate in a special activity, excursion or event.
Children and families also have the opportunity to attend 1 community event per term to celebrate significant community events such as Open Mornings, Graduation, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc.
Eligibility– Children who turn 4 before May 1st 2023 are eligible to begin preschool in term 1 2023. Children that turn 4 before 31st of October are eligible to begin preschool in term 3 2023.
Children who turn 4 after October 31st are not eligible to begin preschool until 2024*
*Please note: Children that identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and those under the guardianship of the minister are eligible to begin preschool from 3 years of age. Children that have been diagnosed with additional needs or disabilities or those with English as a second language or dialect may be eligible to start a term early.
Attendance – is vital for children’s education and growth. We ask that families keep us informed regarding absences. Non-attendance after 3 weeks may result in cancellation of sessions.

Curriculum

Our programs are led by highly qualified educators that work closely with Department for Education Speech Pathologists, Educational Psychologists, Behaviour Coaches and other support services. Our program and practices are based on The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), the Literacy and Numeracy Indicators, Child Protection Curriculum and current pedagogies, principals, practices and outcomes providing a holistic teaching and learning approach. Our program celebrates the importance of learning through play and inquiry, developing independence and developing skills and dispositions for future learning.

EYLF Outcomes

Children have a strong sense of identity.
Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
Children are confident and involved learners.
Children are effective communicators

Services

Swallowcliffe Preschool works to increase community capacity to support our families to provide the best opportunity for every child. Services we provide are:

CAFHS health check visits and School Dentist visits
DfE Psychology Services & DfE Speech Services
Weekly playgroup sessions Friday 9-11am. An educator supports this program, which offers a range of activities to support children’s social skills, routines and learning through play experiences.
School Pastoral Care Worker
Extensive transition opportunities with Swallowcliffe P-6 School
Grow Wellbeing Psychologist
Community Events e.g. Open mornings, Graduation, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and community BBQ days.
Support connecting with outside agencies such as Anglicare, Access4U etc.

Facilities

Children have access to a large open indoor and outdoor space, incorporating a range of age appropriate educational programs that maximise each child’s learning potential.
The Preschool is located on the same campus as the school and there are many opportunities and experiences to continue the learning from Preschool, through to the Early Years of School.

What to Bring

A labelled broadbrim or legionnaire hat
A labelled bottle with water
A labelled lunch box that includes a fruit snack and healthy lunch- please see our healthy eating policy for more information.
A spare change of clothes, if your child wears nappies or is toilet training please remember to pack spare nappies/ underwear to change into.

Parent Communication

We believe communication with families is vital to support each child’s education and build relationships between educators, families and children.

At Swallowcliffe Preschool we communicate regularly with families through:

Provide named pockets for written communication
Are open for conversations at the beginning or end of each session
Have parent teacher interviews in term 2 and opportunities to book meetings at other times as needed for longer conversations.
Share information, learning experiences and communicate with families through the online platform Class Dojo or via email.
Phone calls to communicate urgent information
Share our program and information via our monthly digital newsletters
Provide opportunities for families to connect with staff, community members and each other through termly community events.
Seeking feedback from families through regular surveys and our feedback box
Provide families with a Statement of Learning in term 4 to provide information on each child’s progress towards the Early Years Learning Framework and the Literacy and Numeracy Indicators. This can be used to support families and schools with their transition to school.
Document and share learning experiences through Children’s learning journals which are available for families to view at any time.