Newstead – a unique opportunity to re-ignite your passion for the ECEC sector

Freya Lucas

Mar 10, 2022

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It’s rare to find a series of early childhood education and care (ECEC) job advertisements which undersell the potential of the roles on offer, and the scope to make a life changing career move. When an opportunity comes along to be a part of something truly special, it deserves some extra attention.

For those ECEC professionals who are living in New South Wales, or who wish to relocate, that opportunity is knocking, and it’s coming in the form of a service which has one intention - to light up those within it from the inside.

It might seem like a strange metaphor - after all, when it comes to position descriptions and KPIs, how can “lighting someone up” be ticked off? Happily, when it comes to Gowrie NSW’s latest service, Newstead, there’s scope for doing things differently.

The Gowrie difference

Since its beginnings as an organisation designed to showcase excellence and advocate for children in 1940, Gowrie has grown to become synonymous with children’s rights being at the heart of practice in ECEC - something which remains true through to today.

From single demonstration child research centres to multisite ECEC services across New South Wales and the ACT, Gowrie NSW now manages and supports a diverse and dynamic range of programs for children and families as well as supporting existing and emerging ECEC practitioners through first class professional learning opportunities.

Newstead - the next chapter

Building on this rich sense of history, Gowrie NSW has selected historic Orange property Newstead for its next ECEC service. Everything about the service, from the spacious original ballroom which will now be the dining piazza of the 90 place facility through to the hand cut wooden resources has been chosen with care, not only to enhance the learning experience of the children attending, but also to pay tribute to the rich heritage of Newstead, which is a pinnacle property in the Orange community.

Set in established parklike grounds, which have been retained and enhanced, with established and protected trees, Newstead promises to be a service unlike any other.

The wide corridors and glass partitions will allow the educators and leaders within to showcase best practice, continuing the legacy of learning established in 1940, and giving back to the ECEC profession in tangible and meaningful ways.

Children have been placed at the heart of the design and decision making in the service, with meaningful touches throughout, building on the four pillars of Gowrie NSW’s Program Foundations that underpin the pedagogical practice, namely:

Empowerment
Respectful relationships
Intentional play based teaching
Practitioner enquiry

Connection to community, with art at the heart

Gowrie NSW is committed to making Newstead a place to gather, connect and build relationships. For many Orange locals, art is a powerful tool for connecting, coming together and practicing self and community expression. Understanding the power of art to transform children’s appreciation for the wider aesthetic world, and in acknowledgement of the importance of children being active participants in their community, a large feature of Newstead’s involvement in the broader Orange community will centre around art, and focus on creating strong bonds with locals to ensure children maintain a deep sense of connection.

Newstead’s new team of ECEC professionals will be at the forefront of establishing and nurturing these partnerships, and cultivating other rich community connections with the intention of recognising children as powerful community citizens and empowering them to have meaningful contributions through the arts and other mediums.

Opportunities at multiple levels

Being a newly established service, Newstead is actively seeking its leader, administrative support, early childhood teachers, and the educators who will drive the quality pedagogy and practice for which Gowrie NSW is so well known.

Attractive packages are on offer, featuring above award wages, extensive professional development opportunities, and above all else, access to a broader leadership team which truly promotes and embraces a culture of democracy and collaboration and who genuinely focus on wellbeing.

For those who require assistance to relocate to take on these positions, Gowrie NSW has a range of supports which can be accessed.

For more information please contact Holly Fitzgerald via email to hr@gowriensw.com.au or by phoning 0435 398 352.

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