Our Philosophy - ‘Empower’
Education = fun.
Orana Community Preschool is committed to fostering a lifelong love of learning by nurturing children’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm for education. Inspiring this love of learning through child-initiated experiences, our dedicated educators aim to extend on children’s ideas and interests, and facilitate their potential for learning, confidence, resilience and nurture social interactions. Our inclusive environment promotes respect, empathy, and a strong sense of belonging, laying the foundation for children to thrive.
“This is the best day ever!” (Colour run) EG Orana child aged 4 “Thank you for sharing these special moments of play based learning!” Orana Parent G&O G storypark comment
Meaningful
As a team, we view the whole child, taking into account a child’s age, stage of development, their cultural background, individual strengths, abilities, and needs. Orana Community Preschool ensures to embed child safety and wellbeing across all of our decision making, promoting children’s understanding of their rights to feel safe and heard. This perspective promotes meaningful and inclusive collaborations with each child and their family, as well as the local community. We celebrate our diversities & appreciate how they complement our Orana community. Educators critically reflect on their practices and curriculum, to ensure inclusivity is maintained for all. Any potential barriers that limit meaningful participation are identified & addressed to ensure every child and family feel they belong and are valued.
Ref- National Principles for child Safe Organisations and the UN-The rights of the Child convention.
Play
Play is paramount in how children learn and discover about their world. Children’s voices shape our daily curriculum, guiding meaningful learning experiences that reflect their interests and ideas. We seek to create an environment that fosters curiosity and wonder within a safe and inviting setting. We deeply value each child’s involvement, acknowledging the importance of their opinions and perspectives. To extend on their knowledge and to validate their ideas, non-interrupted play for extended periods allows children to have the space and the time to fully explore and develop. Children can then start to view themselves as capable and confident learners as they prepare for the transition to school.
“So appreciative of how fantastic all the teachers are at Orana and how committed you all are to helping our children grow. Grace absolutely loves Orana and asks me everyday when is her school day. Thank you so much for the way you all invest into the lives of all our kids!”
Ongoing
As children grow, so does our preschool. Processes are constantly evolving to ensure we are mindful of new approaches & ways of thinking. With each new family, they plant their own unique footprint into our Orana history. Parent input is consistently sourced to ensure different views are considered as we change and improve. As educators we take time to critically review our practices and update our knowledge through professional development and engaging in informed discussions.
Welcome
The origin of the word ‘Orana’ is an Aboriginal term that means Welcome. We open our doors to our community and invite our families to be actively involved in their child’s time at Orana. We are passionate about the need for inclusion and believe ALL children should have a right to access preschool prior to starting formal education. We encourage our community to understand how valuable their input is within the Orana family. As a team, we welcome our colleague’s views and draw on our wealth of experience within the range of early childhood experience and training we each bring with us.
“I am so grateful our darling daughter is under the watch and guidance of a wonderful, smart and caring group of people who have regularly inspired Sxxxx and her parents through early learning (and our parenting) journey”. JG & CM Orana Parent Educators Day
Earth
We encourage children to cherish the beauty of our outdoor environment and the opportunities it creates. We promote positive connections to our surroundings. This nurtures children’s appreciation of the world, both natural and manmade and our impact upon it through sustainable practice. As a preschool, we strive to reduce our footprint on the land through embedding thoughtful values and educating children on the implications of our everyday choices.
Respect
Coming together with equality, equity and unity as we respect and value each individual child’s family history, their cultural identity and what is important to them. Creating an inclusive environment where every child and family feels seen, valued and heard. We acknowledge and respect the land on which we meet and its traditional owners of the Awabakal region, exploring both traditional and contemporary cultural history. We take pride in our Preschool’s history, have welcomed, and valued the generations of families that have contributed to make us the preschool we are today. We support our local community businesses and services, and have formed strong connections through these unique interactions.
“I really love what a sense of community there is here with everything you do” KW Orana Parent
Orana Philosophy Reviewed June 2025 – March 2026