Byron Bay Preschool (Coogera) named as Excellent by ACECQA

Byron Bay Preschool Coogera Centre has been awarded the Excellent rating by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), an achievement made all the more exceptional in that the approved provider’s other service, Byron Bay Preschool Cavanbah, has achieved the same ranking.

 

Based in the New South Wales community of Suffolk Park, Byron Bay Preschool Coogera was noted for its: 

 

• collaborative partnerships with professional, community or research organisations
• commitment to children that respects, reflects and celebrates culture and diversity, including place of origin
• inclusive partnerships with children and families  
• positive workplace culture and organisational values, sustained commitment to professional development and support of educators.

 

Children attending the service, as with many children in the Northern Rivers region, have experienced trauma in recent years from natural disasters, in particular flooding, and a point of note in rating the service as Excellent was the way in which the approved provider dealt with these circumstances. 

 

Caring for families and community

 

In response to these challenges the service has facilitated free trauma and flood recovery workshops for families and children struggling with loss. The service’s leadership team and an educator collaborated with an early childhood development specialist service, a child and family service provider, and Byron Bay Preschool Cavanbah to deliver the workshops over six weeks.

 

The weekly workshops were held for families and children of both services and included parent group counselling and trauma-informed, play-based experiences for the children. Following the workshops, improved outcomes were seen in children’s emotional wellbeing, sense of belonging and identity, and families demonstrated improved coping skills. 

 

Due to the success of the workshops, the service decided to embed more trauma-informed play-based experiences in its programs.

 

Critical Action Research

 

The service has implemented Critical Action Research (CAR) as a tool for quality improvement to ensure the service is responsive to children’s, families’ and educators’ perspectives. 

 

The educators in each room undertake a CAR project over a year, allowing changes to be targeted, participative and meaningful to each child and family. Examples of CAR projects include exploring questions focusing on children’s participation, family engagement and mental health in early childhood. 

 

The CAR approach fosters educators’ autonomy to lead significant changes that respond to the circumstances, interests and needs relevant to their own groups of children. Findings and outcomes of the CAR projects are presented to all staff of both Byron Bay Preschool Coogera Centre and Byron Bay Preschool Cavanbah, and are incorporated into the quality improvement plan at the end of the CAR cycle. This provides an authentic, relevant, successful and ‘bottom up’ approach to quality improvement.

 

Bush program

 

The service has partnered with the Community Gardens Management Committee (CGMC) to rebuild the Suffolk Park Community Gardens through the service’s Nature Hearts Bush Program. 

 

The partnership was established in response to children’s interest in using the space to grow their own produce during the Nature Hearts Bush Program visits to the site. The children inspired the CGMC members to grow produce again and worked in collaboration with the community to rebuild the space over several months. 

 

Due to the partnership, the previously neglected community garden is a thriving community space, facilitating regular and meaningful interactions between the children and local members, improving social and wellbeing outcomes of all stakeholders.  

 

Mentoring and support

 

Byron Bay Preschool Coogera Centre has implemented team teaching and mentoring practices to address challenges experienced by the shortage of qualified and experienced educators and early childhood teachers in the Northern NSW region.

 

For example, a newly employed early childhood teacher (ECT) team-taught with an early childhood teacher for six months before taking on a lead role in their room. During team teaching the ECTs have joint programming time to establish professional goals, identify gaps in knowledge and skills and support each other to engage in reflection and conduct research.

 

Byron Bay Preschool Coogera Centre’s leadership team supports community-based education and care services across its region through their significant roles in the Northern Rivers Preschool Alliance (NRPA). 

 

The service’s nominated supervisor holds the volunteer role of President of the NRPA, facilitating knowledge sharing, quality improvement initiatives, and compliance adherence among its 42 education and care services. 

 

In addition, the service supports its local community’s children and families and advocates for early childhood education and care through its commitment to community focused initiatives. The Village Vibes initiatives, facilitated by the approved provider, include regular playgroups and workshops that cater for children from infancy to their transition to school. Through these initiatives, the service staff share information, build trusting relationships, help reduce barriers to participation and advocate for access to early childhood education and care and community health services. 

 

Learn more about the Excellent rating here.