The Beginning of Their Journey
In the early years at the College, learning begins with curiosity, creativity, and connection. We listen closely to each child, observing their thinking, their interests and their play, so we can nurture their natural love of learning and offer meaningful opportunities for agency and exploration.
Through playful, hands-on experiences, children are encouraged to ask questions and explore ideas about the world around them. We see mistakes not as setbacks, but as powerful moments of discovery (what we like to call ‘flearning’) and we celebrate the resilience and confidence that grow from trying something new.
Our educators thoughtfully design rich, engaging learning environments that spark imagination and deepen understanding. From Kindy to Year 2, children are not just learners. They are researchers, adventurers and active participants in their own learning journey.
Building Independence
Our educators, with their specific expertise in Early Childhood development, engage students in a way that personally inspires and creates a sense of belonging, encouraging students to develop independence within a supportive child-centred environment. We listen carefully to the words of children to understand their interests to engage and motivate them. Children gain resilience by working positively through mistakes and to see them as natural in learning; we call this flearning, or learning through failing.
Outdoor Learning
Bush school is a special place that nurtures an appreciation of our natural bushland while building resilience and opportunities for sensory, multi-disciplinary learning. Squelching through mud and splashing in the creek provide great inspiration for expanding vocabulary and role play. The experiences also inspire questions and wondering, leading to scientific understandings of the natural world.
Making Thinking Visible
Our students are encouraged to make their thinking visible through the routines that have been developed from our work with Harvard University’s Project Zero. Students become familiar with regular thinking practices to promote engagement, understanding and independence. Students are encouraged to question and investigate, and the walls of our classrooms and studios show the process and progress of thinking that grows through inquiry. This also enables us to personalise our children’s learning.