Early education and care programs tailored to infants and children up to primary school age
Our Programs
At Banora Point Early Learning Centre, we believe our educators are a mentor
and guide to your children. Your child will be able to explore their interests and develop their
skills, with our educators there to lead them through programs and activities designed to
further their education and skills.
Reggio Emilia Approach
We aspire to emulate the Reggio Emilia Approach, where educational philosophy is based on the image of the child focusing on the centrality of the hundred languages belonging to every human being. Each of the learning spaces we offer to young children is full of opportunities and possibilities to encounter many types of materials, many expressive languages, many points of view, working actively with hands, minds and emotions in a context that values the expressiveness and creativity of each child in the group.
Learning Spaces
To embrace the Reggio Emilia principles, our educators attempt to organise so they are more aesthetically pleasing to offer a richer and varied choice of materials. We do this with the use of white paint, mirrors, natural light and information panels to communicate the joys of learning and sense of belonging. The addition of an art studio also provides a space for focused project work. We organise shelving with a variety of found and purchased materials. The addition of household furniture also creates a more homelink atmosphere.
Read about our programs below. Please contact our staff with any enquiries.
ELSA
Banora Point Early Learning Centre is 1 of 100 Australian pre-schools selected to pilot the
Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) program. We are the only provider of the ELSA
program on the NSW Far North Coast. This program utilising hands-on and digital activities,
such as the ELSA app, encourages children to question how and why things happen in the
world.
What is STEM?
STEM practices refer to the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It
is a framework developed to help children improve their problem solving and analysis skills, as
well as to practice teamwork.
How do children take part in the ELSA program?
Children enrolled at our Banora Point centre will spend 40-minutes per week on the ELSA
program. Our early childhood teachers will guide them through activities based on the STEM
framework, which aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). We can also help
families extend their child’s learning under the program in the home.
For more information, visit the ELSA website or speak to one of our team members.
EYLF—Belonging, Being & Becoming
The Early Years Early Learning Framework (EYLF) helps to support and develop the skills of
children of all ages. Set by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training,
the EYLF incorporates input and feedback from childcare educators, childhood academics,
focus groups, online forums, case studies and national public consultation forums. It is
available in 12 languages, with ample information for early childhood educators and families to
incorporate the program in to centres and homes.
For more information, visit the Early Years Learning Framework webpage.
ELLA
ELLA is the Early Learning Languages Australia program, helping children learn languages
other than English through play-based digital activities. Using The Polyglots apps on a tablet,
children can become comfortable with Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Indonesian, Italian,
Japanese and Spanish. In 2018, Hindi and Modern Greek will also be available for children to
learn.
For more information, visit the ELLA website.
My Time, Our Place
The My Time, Our Place program is a framework developed by the Australian Government
Department of Education and Training to help create better care services for school-aged
children. As a provider of before and after school and vacation care, we follow this framework to provide
school-aged children with activities that will stimulate their mind in a way that is fun and
engaging.
For more information, visit the My Time, Our Place webpage.
