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Sagewood Early Learning celebrates Exceeding successes
Freya Lucas
Jan 16, 2025
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Sagewood Early Learning has reflected on a recent period of success, having received exceeding themes/areas for five of its six services, and are celebrating the recent recognition by the West Australian Regulatory Authority (ECRU) of its Woodvale service that was recently rated as Exceeding the National Quality Standard in all seven quality areas.
We spoke with Jay Barr, COO and part owner of Sagewood to learn more about Sagewood’s practices and initiatives such as ELMA Academy), an arts program linked with the service’s reconciliation action plan (RAP) and Sagewood’s school readiness program. “As a company we are fully committed to supporting our educators to meet our expectations around our Philosophy, programs and policies,” Ms Barr said. “The strong support provided to Sagewood’s staff is provided by hands-on owners and leadership teams that have worked on the floor in Sagewood, visiting and supporting services through weekly visits.” Staff are thoroughly inducted into the company, through face-to-face training, online modules, and ongoing ‘hands on’ training in the centres.“Since Sagewood was launched five years ago our staffing has been consistent. We typically open the new centres with almost full staffing to license which supports the ongoing training of staff, building of relationships with families and children to allow for a smooth transition and allows us to embed Sagewood’s overall group core values and practice,” she added.
Sagewood services are supported with both the ELMA and Safe4Kids programmes, both of which provide tools for children to express their emotions and contribute to their world.
Sagewood WoodvaleWoodvale, Sagewood’s newest service, has only been open for 12 months, making the Exceeding rating for all criteria all the more commendable.
“Woodvale’s journey has been a continuation of Sagewood’s journey so far - one of working collaboratively with our staff, families and local community. We have listened to our staff and looked at ways to support all Quality areas and also ways of ensuring our staff gain a solid understanding of both the National Quality Standard criteria and Sagewood expectations in regards to quality of care and education,” Ms Barr said.
“The awarding of the Exceeding rating to Woodvale positively impacts the staff more so than the families, as it recognises and rewards their great efforts and contribution to the success of the centre and the children we care for” she continued.
Some feedback from staff includes:
- “Having been in the industry (sic.) for almost 15 years and to be working in an Exceeding centre is a massive achievement and a feeling like no other. I am so proud to be a part of the Sagewood Woodvale team.”
- “Personally, for me it has been something I have been working towards for many years. Going through A&R in many different roles to have gotten exceeding is just amazing, and to get it in all areas is just even better to be finally recognised for the hard work we do each and every day.”
- “For me the exceeding rating has empowered the team in feeling recognised for what they do. I don’t think any staff or families doubted the fact we deserved exceeding, so it was just a case of finally feeling like ECRU were recognising and acknowledging us for the service we provide.”
For Ms Barr, as an owner of Sagewood, the recognition of the rating Exceeding is something she is immensely proud of.
“As a company we don’t simply focus on ratings, rather we work towards our philosophy and core values each and every day,” she said.
“Knowing that we want to continuously improve and reflect on our practice is a core part of our day-to-day practice and a big part of our ethos. Embedding our beliefs and our curriculum is our core focus. Sagewood’s values set our intention with everything we do for all of our stakeholders so it is rewarding to be acknowledged for our quality based approach.”
As the team looks to the future, with a goal of maintaining the "Exceeding" level of quality, Ms Barr says “our practice isn’t going to change.”
“We commit to our values and philosophy, and our day-to-day practice is all about providing a quality service that is recognised by all our stakeholders, and not just about an exceeding rating.”
ELMA
ELMA consists of 37 lessons, 8 workbooks, 15 cartoons and toys and books, as well as at home programs and parent packs.
Educators complete a self paced training program , consisting of six modules all containing mindfulness exercises, to allow educators to build up a valuable tool kit to use in the centre.
The program covers four key areas, and is mapped to the learning outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework:
- Play therapy
- Art Therapy
- Sound Therapy, and
- Colour Therapy
Throughout the day, educators implement regular emotional check-ins, giving children the opportunity to reflect on their feelings and discuss how they might regulate or express them appropriately. This daily consistency ensures emotional literacy becomes part of the children’s natural rhythm, fostering a culture of empathy, self-awareness, and connection.
Sagewood implemented the ELMA program after reflection on the post COVID period, the struggle with adult mental health and the impact this has on children.
“By equipping children with emotional literacy skills early on, we are not just strengthening their current wellbeing and implementing a preventative solution, but we are also setting them up for future success in school, relationships, their eventual workplaces and life in general,” Ms Barr said.
“Emotional literacy supports their sense of self-worth and helps children build empathy, essential skills for thriving in an increasingly interconnected world. ELMA underpins all of this with neuroscience in their exercises and lesson plans.”
School Readiness
Aspects small and large support children attending Sagewood services to be ready for school. As well as foundational programs like ELMA, the service offers elements such as a foyer drop off and pick up process where families collect their children from the centre’s foyer where they are encouraged to have meaningful interactions with the educators from their room whilst the float staff support the ratio.
Reconciliation Action Plan
Sagewood’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has been developed in a collaborative fashion with its staff and external childcare experts.
“We have reflected upon our staff’s knowledge and strengths and supported this process with a Sagewood Champion in the group and external training from childcare experts,” Ms Barr said.
“We meet bimonthly to support each centre’s individual journey and to share learning across the group. The RAP process provides staff with a way to consider all cultures and include important aspects of them within our overall calendar of events in the services.”
“Our Educators research and use our local community connections. Critical reflection is embedded across all elements of an educator's practice. All educators and the educational leader regularly reflect, individually and with each other on their educational practice approach to facilitating and extending all children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Our regular program of scheduled team meetings and room leader meetings, along with informal sharing opportunities, provides our educators with the means to critically reflect on all aspects of the program and embed it in our practices.”
When asked to identify challenges in terms of embedding First Nations culture meaningfully into the service, Ms Barr noted that the hardest part was getting started.
“We have worked with our staff to be honest and open about any personal biases and perspectives and identify the areas where development may be required,” she explained.
“We had lots of open conversation and communication through all our platforms to support sharing this sometimes sensitive information,” Ms Barr said.
When it comes to seeking parent feedback, Sagewood has a parent committee and uses its platforms to communicate our goals and seek feedback.
“Families have contributed through events and their input to our goals,” she continued.
“Sagewood’s approach to curriculum decision making is based on welcoming, respecting and drawing on all the voices, priorities and strengths of the children and families, as well as partnerships and engagement with the professional learning community. Meaningful relationships with families are required to gain insight into children' s knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests.”
Right from orientation, families are consistently encouraged to engage with the service and provide meaningful feedback which is then used to further shape the development of the program, maximising opportunities for children’s learning, development and wellbeing to be enhanced.
Next stepsLooking to 2025, Sagewood is excited to roll out a training plan for its leaders to support succession planning as educators develop and Sagewood grows.
“We will continue to work with ELMA , Safe4 kids and Play active to provide a holistic curriculum for children. We are absolutely committed to providing wellbeing for both our children and staff. As part of this we will continue to focus on our menus and nutrition in 2025,” Ms Barr said.
For other services seeking the Exceeding result, her advice is simple - “Be true to yourselves.”
“Know what you believe in and embed it each and every day in your practices. Your families’ children and staff will mirror your efforts. If they are happy, then you are on the right track.
“Know your worth and voice what you do. Don’t be scared to articulate your strengths to the assessor and ensure the important messages are conveyed clearly, strongly and are heard.”
“Assessors often have different areas of interest, and you are well within your rights to ensure they understand what you do in all the areas to provide the quality services that the educators want to provide and the children and their parents want to receive.”
Learn more about Sagewood Early Learning here.
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