We take a peek inside the Early Learning Centre at Sunshine Coast Grammar School, where curiosity takes flight and little minds blossom.
Located in the heart of the 100-acre (40-hectare) playground of Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Grammar Early Learning Centre is not your ordinary childcare experience. Combining the school’s extensive and very impressive facilities with an inquiry-based early years program, Grammar ELC is in the enviable position of providing its youngest students with a well-rounded blend of school readiness and exploration.
Grammar Early Learning Kindy teacher Sarah Peterson explains the program focuses on enabling children to be curious and explores various educational offerings.
“Children can identify activities they’re interested in,” Ms Peterson says. “This helps our families with what after-school programs they might participate in the future.”
Exposure to a wide range of activities not only sparks interest in students but also develops their social, fine and gross motor skills in new and diverse ways.
“Students develop the confidence to step outside their comfort zone,” Ms Peterson says. “If they’ve been encouraged to try things that may be unfamiliar to them when young, they’re much more confident to try new and challenging activities once they get to school and beyond.”
Pretend play at Sunshine Coast Grammar School Early Learning Centre
Rainforest Kindy
Surrounded by a magnificent rainforest, Grammar Early Learning Centre takes full advantage of its location by offering weekly Rainforest Kindy sessions.
“Our school rainforest area overlooks our picturesque lakes, and we enjoy free play and exploring in nature,” Ms Peterson says. “We watch the seasons and make connections to our natural surroundings. It’s a very beautiful space.”
The Rainforest Kindy helps children build resilience and encourages confidence and growth while making and building on environmental heritage connections.
A rainforest playground at Sunshine Coast Grammar School Early Learning Centre
Swimming and sport at Sunshine Coast Grammar School
Grammar Early Learning Centre offers on-site swimming lessons at the Grammar Aquatic Centre. There is also a comprehensive sports program, including tennis, in its weekly rotations. Both activities can feed into the main school program, where children can continue lessons as they develop and grow.
The Centre also participates in Ready Steady Go Kids, which introduces 10 core sports to kids in a fun, child-centric way. This helps children develop a broad range of skills and creates a positive connection with sport.
“The Ready Steady Go Kids program was designed by a paediatric physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. It aims to enhance children’s gross and fine motor skills, while encouraging a love for sports and preparing them for the early school years,” Ms Peterson says.
Grammar Early Learning Centre students also do weekly yoga. This allows children to experience mindfulness and the calming effects of yoga and meditation.
Early learning students enjoy a wide range of experiences at Sunshine Coast Grammar School
Academic foundations
Of course, in a well-rounded early learning program, academic foundations are critical.
“We have a strong focus on early literacy and numeracy,” Ms Peterson says.
“Academic experiences are more play-based and child-led in our early learning setting. We take each child’s individual interests and incorporate them into our program, planning for those children who are ready for writing and numbers.”
Kindy students also participate in a weekly Japanese program through the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program. The program helps children learn to respect diversity as they grasp new cultures. ELLA encourages families to share home languages, too. The Centre also has a strong focus on Indigenous culture and acknowledges the local First Nations people, the Gubbi Gubbi people.
Students are encouraged to read and borrow new books at the weekly library sessions held at Sunshine Coast Grammar School Primary Library.
“Reading to children supports them in literacy learning and engagement, including listening to sounds, words, and language,” Ms Peterson says. “It also encourages creativity, imagination, thinking skills, and excitement. Children are encouraged to ask questions, which helps expand their understanding of the world around them,” says Ms Peterson.
“This gives them a real passion for learning and helps prepare them for school.”
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