Aussie Kindies News

Welcome to the fifth instalment of our National Quality Standards seven-part series, where we provide an in-depth look into the seven quality areas benchmarked against the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards.

Welcome to the fifth instalment of our National Quality Standards seven-part series, where we provide an in-depth look into the seven quality areas benchmarked against the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards.

Affinity Education Group has proudly partnered with the University of Wollongong with the aim of enhancing the capabilities of our Teachers and Educators working with children in our School Readiness rooms. By leveraging the expertise of academic professionals, and integrating evidence-based practices into our curriculum, we can enrich the learning experiences of our students and set them on the path to success.

The Lifelong Learning Curriculum was developed through extensive study of how children learn, what they learn and where they learn. At the Early Experiences age, research shows that children are learning to express themselves through oral language.

Language and cognition are deeply intertwined, shaping and influencing one another throughout the developmental journey. As infants begin to acquire language skills, their progress is marked by significant cognitive advancements.

Random Acts Of Kindness Day aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing, foster community connections and a sense of belonging, encourage empathy and compassion, and inspire change.

With Graduation done and dusted, you and your child may be nervous about the transition into Big School. Here are five tips to support your child with this significant milestone and set them up for success.

Transitions can be challenging for some children, so Affinity Education Group has developed a process that ensures your child transitions smoothly into their next classroom.

Many researchers suggested that it can take up to 6 months to settle an infant into an Early Childhood setting! Click here to explore what behaviours your child may exhibit and how to ease this transition with our Healthy Beginning Educators!

Qualified and experienced educators, who develop warm, respectful relationships with children, create predictable environments and encourage children’s active engagement in the learning program.

This month we welcome many children and families to our Centres for the first time. We also welcome back the many thousands of children who will be transitioning into new rooms, and are part of our Affinity Education family. As we begin 2024, we would like to share with you more information about our Lifelong Learning Curriculum, which is the cornerstone of how we work here at Affinity Education.

These top 5 blogs have captured hearts and minds, providing a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration for parents, educators, and anyone passionate about the growth and well-being of our youngest learners. Join us in celebrating the year's most-read blogs.

Affinity Education Group has increased its commitment to The Smith Family Learning for Life program again in the third quarter of 2023, with 236 individual child sponsorships now being actively supported on behalf of centres around Australia. The program acknowledges the importance of additional support for children facing disadvantages, recognising that such support is essential for maintaining their engagement in education.

Affinity Education Group is excited to announce the launch of its yearly national awards, celebrating outstanding achievements and excellence within the Early Education and Care sector. This year, the awards experienced a record-breaking response, with more than 634 nominations received across more than 225 centres Australia wide. The sheer number of nominations is a testament to the Educators' enthusiasm and pride across Affinity Education Group. The awards have created incredible excitement, with centres posting celebratory photos and videos on Facebook using the hashtag #2023AffinityAwards.

At this time of year, many families are turning their thoughts to the festive season and family holidays. We know that December and January is a busy time of year, so we wanted to reassure you that our centres are not scaling down activities over the festive period. Unlike primary schools, we remain fully operational and focused on children's learning goals.

Welcome to the second part of our National Quality Standards seven-part series, where we provide an in-depth look into the seven quality areas benchmarked against the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards.

It is natural to wonder whether infants and young children can benefit from time spent in an early childhood environment. At Affinity Education-owned centres, our Lifelong Learning Curriculum (LLC) begins as soon as your child commences their enrolment with us, regardless of age.

Are you juggling gift shopping, decorating, work obligations and keeping your child entertained over the festive season? Learning doesn’t stop at Lifelong Learning Centres; in fact the festive season offers fantastic learning opportunities for our Early Experience Children!

It is natural to wonder whether infants and young children can benefit from time spent in an early childhood environment. At Affinity Education-owned centres, our Lifelong Learning Curriculum (LLC) begins as soon as your child commences their enrolment with us, regardless of age.

Welcome to the second part of our National Quality Standards seven-part series, where we provide an in-depth look into the seven quality areas benchmarked against the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards.

Effective early childhood education is of utmost importance in a successful transition to school and love for Lifelong Learning. Our LLC program is dedicated to ensuring this is achieved all year long. We know how much families like to take this time to have some well-deserved time off; however, here are some benefits to maintaining your child’s routine with their Early Childhood Centre in the lead-up to Primary School.

It is natural to wonder whether infants and young children can benefit from time spent in an early childhood environment. At Affinity Education-owned centres, our Lifelong Learning Curriculum (LLC) begins as soon as your child commences their enrolment with us, regardless of age.

Language is a crucial component of school readiness. No matter a child's age, they actively develop skills to become proficient and active communicators. Research shows that language development is best supported by early exposure to language and sound awareness skills.

This month, we are highlighting the Lifelong Learning Curriculum, Australia's most progressive approach to early education that operates within all our Early Learning Centres. Our Educators implement this program to support our little learners to reach their full potential.

Your child is invited to join us during our Summer Program! Throughout December, we have planned additional exciting activities to help your child continue their early learning journey whilst benefiting from a rich variety of learning opportunities.

Friendships and positive relationships in the early years are a vital aspect of childhood and a critical enabler for learning. Research tells us that children who struggle to be socially competent by the time they reach formal school face some real challenges socially and academically, and one reason we work so hard to help young children form positive relationships and early friendships.

Our childcare centres are committed to a continuous improvement journey that enriches quality education and care delivery benchmarked against the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards.

We know how confusing and conflicting it can be for families trying to make sense of many different parent-facing strategies in the pursuit of helping their child thrive before five. Our Lifelong Learning Curriculum has a clear commitment to embedding proven and regarded practices in our early learning environments to ensure your child has the right types of experiences.

When children reach the Toddler stage, their confidence blooms as they know you are there to catch them if they fall.

Research continues to highlight the importance of the first five years of a child’s life as the most critical period in the life span for brain development (Fox & Geddes, 2016). The richness and quality of early experiences during this critical time have lifelong impacts on future trajectories at school and beyond (OECD 2016).

National Safe Work Month is upon us! Our Aussie Kindies Centres have jam-packed this October with a variety of events and programs...

Through the second and third week of September, all our Aussie Kindies centres participated in the Aussie Wildlife Champions fundraiser drive for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

This month, we wanted to share with you a little more about early childhood education, what it means, and how it works, and give you a glimpse of what your child may actually experience while with us each day.

When thinking about a typical day in the Nursery, it is common to have preconceptions about what happens and how the educators facilitate learning. Through online research and centre tours, you will most likely obtain information that highlights how the infant room follow the baby's routine, focuses on relationships, provides sensory play, and the role of the educator may be described as an expert multitasker.

Every day in our Toddler room is filled with different types of learning that your child’s Educators have intentionally planned to support children’s growth and learning outcomes. From the moment you drop them off to our Educators to the moment your Toddler runs back to your arms with a big smile in the afternoon, your child’s day is enriched by our age-specific 1–3-year-old Early Experiences Curriculum, to ensure every child learns something fascinating and exciting every day.

Early Childhood Education has proven to play a major role in a child’s transition to school, and here at Aussie Kindies, we have passionate Educators and Early Childhood Teachers who deliver a range of programs to extend children’s curiosity, growth, and independence. This article will explore a typical day in our preschool/Kindergarten rooms.

Spring is the season for growth, and at our centres, growth can be seen in every room, program and child in our Lifelong Learning Village.

On the 10 July 2023, the Australian Government increasing the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) rates for families within Australia, resulting in reduced gap fees for your family.

Entertaining children when it’s wet outside, can be difficult for an excitable and energetic child, and our Early Childcare Centres know all too well what it means when the grey clouds roll in.

In an exciting Australia-first, more than 10,000 children aged between 3-5 years will have access to the new Aussie Wildlife Champions Lifelong Learning Curriculum program as the result of a partnership between Affinity Education Group and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC)

The countdown is on to Wednesday, the 6th of September, when our centres will celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day. We’re inviting all families and caregivers to make a special effort to say ‘Thank You’ to the educators who care for and teach their children in our centres.

National Science Week is fast approaching, with the official date to launch from the 12th all the way through to the 20th of August.

Sensory play, messy play or creative play are just some of the terms used to describe a lot of fun!

Transitioning into care for the first time can often feel daunting for families and full of natural curiosities and ‘what if’ type questions, like “What if my baby doesn’t eat the food you provide?”

Graduating from the junior rooms to the older 3-5-year old programs is a significant and exciting transition for young children. In this article, we unpack what families can expect as their child begins this next exciting stage of their educational journey.

Separation anxiety is common in young children, it occurs when children are feeling nervous about being away from their parents or carers. Read this article as we unpack what separation anxiety may look like for them, and how you can help them develop self-regulation.

It’s that time of year when families begin to turn their attention to deciding where their child should be enrolled for their preschool or kindergarten year.

Graduating from one room to the next is a transition that does not occur frequently and so we recognise that this will almost certainly feel like a big change for both you and your child.

Returning to work as a breastfeeding mother is a right for employees and parents throughout Australia and here at Aussie Kindies, we are committed to making this transition as easy as possible.

Our centres acknowledged National Reconciliation Week by creating meaningful and engaging activities designed to provide learning opportunities whilst having fun!

As babies and toddlers start to explore, they’ll often use all of their senses (especially touch and taste) to gather and learn information about the many objects they find. This stage of development is completely normal and it signals their growing interest in the world around them.

We’re all aware of the benefits of fresh air and the outdoors, but did you know involving children in simple gardening practices has a range of benefits too?

Inspired by young Chloe Guiney in her mission to help children with disabilities who recently took the chop as part of Variety’s Hair with Heart initiative, Affinity Education Group centre Aussie Kindies Early Learning Kyabram has hosted a week of crazy hair days in December 2021.

From nursery to five years old the importance of exploration in a child’s development is paramount to their emotional, physical, social, language and cognitive growth.

Early Childhood Educators Day, is a very special day for our community. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and thank our teachers and educators for their dedication and commitment to ensuring high-quality early learning opportunities for all children.