Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmel

Accreditation

The Pre-school received their feedback and results from their Accreditation visit held two weeks ago. The Assessor visited the Pre-school for a day and a half, during which time she observed the practice of all educators across all three groups, examined our programs, planning cycle and observations for children. She spent time examining and sighting evidence written in our Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), in each of the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard.

The assessment and rating process allows services the chance to show how well they compare to the benchmarks set by the National Quality Standard (NQS).

Services are assessed against the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard. Each of these quality areas has 15 Standards and 41 Elements that need to be addressed and met.

The purpose of the assessment and rating process is to determine whether and at what rating level services meet the National Quality Standard and the requirements of the National Regulations (section 133 (1) of the National Law). A key focus of the National Quality Framework is to promote continuous quality improvement.

The seven quality areas covered by the National Quality Standard are:

QA 1 – Educational program and practice
QA 2 – Children’s health and safety
QA 3 – Physical environment
QA 4 – Staffing arrangements
QA 5 – Relationships with children
QA 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

A QIP must

include an assessment of the programs and practices at the service against the National Quality Standard and National Regulations
identify areas for improvement
include a statement about the service’s philosophy

An overall rating of Meeting NQS means that you are meeting the standards in all seven quality areas. The NQS sets a high benchmark, a rating of ‘Meeting‘ is a great achievement.

We received a rating of meeting in only three of the 15 standards (QA 2,4,7). The remaining 11 standards we were rated exceeding (QA 1,3,5 and 6).

Thus, our overall rating was Exceeding, which means – the Pre-school has gone beyond the requirements of the National Quality Standard in at least 4 of the 7 quality areas, with at least two of these being quality areas 1, 5, 6, or 7.

There are three Exceeding NQS themes that are used to determine if approved services exceed each of the fifteen NQS quality standards. Services must demonstrate these themes in practice for a standard to be rated as Exceeding NQS.

The three Exceeding themes that must be embedded in practice are:

Embedded in service operations

Practice is embedded in service operations when it occurs consistently, frequently and intentionally as part of an ongoing process that is understood and implemented by all educators across all aspects of the program.

Informed by critical reflection

Critical reflection involves a deep level of regular and ongoing analysis, questioning and thinking that goes beyond evaluation and review. Critical reflection informs practice when the continuous reflection of all educators, individually and together, influences decision-making and drives continuous quality improvement.

Shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community

Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community when educators actively seek input, guidance and feedback from children, families and the community. Meaningful engagement with families and/or the community helps to shift thinking, shape ongoing practice and foster a culture of inclusiveness and sense of belonging for all.

We are thrilled with our result, and that we have been recognised for the quality of care we provide by our highly competent and experienced educators.

Kornmehl truly is a centre of excellence and we feel very proud of this achievement.

Preparing your child for Primary School

Continuing on from my article in last week’s Ma Nishma on School Readiness, this week I am writing some points for parents to focus on, in preparing their child for formal school:

Provide your child with spontaneous learning experiences (colours, shapes, numbers, how ‘things’ work).
Look for opportunities to teach in everyday experiences and through play.
Make school exciting – talk positively about big school.
Encourage independence (dressings, eating, bathing, packing their bags, putting on school shoes, opening lunch containers, looking after their belongings, toileting, saying goodbye etc.)
Read to your child as much as possible and ask questions during and after the story.
Encourage your child to follow through on instructions and to complete tasks.
In order for your child to be “ready” for school they need to be able to sit still and listen.
Encourage set routines at home that are clear, predictable and consistent for your child.
Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night. This is essential to good behaviour and for concentration.
Encourage your child to hold a pencil correctly and write their own name.
Organise play dates for your child, children need to be able to get along with other children, demonstrate basic manners, assert themselves, and be able to play independently as well as with other children.
It’s alright for children to be bored. This allows them to use other parts of their brain as well as their imagination.
Limit screen time for your children during the week and try to get back to how we all grew up with no screen time available during the week.
Put your toys at home on rotation, don’t have them all out at once as this gets overwhelming for children.
Encourage your children not to sit with their legs in a “W” shape, as this is not good for their knees and hips, but most importantly it weakens their core muscles and postural tone and limits their ability to interact in the environment.
Children tend to avoid activities they find difficult. Be positive, give them lots of praise and encouragement to build up their confidence to try things that might be challenging for them.
Teach your child strategies for helping them to calm down such as breathing deeply, yoga or mindfulness strategies.
Early intervention is important to address any issues or concerns.
Don’t be afraid to give your child a steady dose of Vitamin N – saying NO.
Children need protection, affection and direction. Protecting your children from frustration, does not help to build resilience or prepare them for disappointments that may come their way in life.
Our main aim should be to build children’s confidence in themselves, to encourage a love of learning, and to develop each child’s resilience to cope with their busy days in Year K.