Early Learning Centre (ELC)
Pulteney's ELC
The Early Learning Centre (ELC) at Pulteney is the first significant step step of a child’s education and is where a lifetime of learning begins.
Pulteney’s ELC is a place of adventure, growth and learning. Our educational philosophy, inspired by Reggio Emilia principles, is based on the whole child with a focus on play-based activities and the curriculum follows the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This framework provides principles that ensure that all children are assisted to make progress towards the learning outcomes. A strong emphasis is placed on play-based inquiry learning and the importance of communication, connection and language.
Early literacy and numeracy are essential components in the support and enhancement of the children’s development.
General information
Hours of operation
Pulteney’s ELC operates from 7.30am to 6.00pm. ELC children attend the program from Monday to Friday, for 50 weeks of the year.
ELC closes for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period.
Daily routine
The ELC routine is flexible and follows the interests and needs of the children.
The day is divided into three separate blocks of time:
7.30am – 11.10am
The children participate in an indoor and outdoor play program, meet as a class at approximately 9am to participate in specialist lessons and enjoy morning tea.
11.10am – 2.00pm
Indoor play program, lunch and rest period.
2.00pm-6.00pm
Indoor and outdoor play program and afternoon tea.
Signing in and out
Please sign your child in and out of ELC via the iPad and Xplor app.
Every child must be signed in and out of the ELC on each day of their attendance. This is a legal requirement. These records are used in case of emergencies and are necessary for the calculation of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS).
Children’s bookings and attendance and 2022 ELC closure days
All ELC children have permanent bookings that allow attendance to all school holiday programs until they begin Reception. We believe that this supports the children’s emotional and social wellbeing and transition into Reception and the Out of School Hours Care Service. Therefore, fees are charged for all ELC permanent bookings for 48 weeks of the year regardless of attendance, from the 1 February 2022 until the 26 January 2023.
ELC closure days for children’s non-attendance at the ELC in 2022 are as follows:
Friday 29 April and Monday 2 May 2022
Friday 22 July and Monday 25 July 2022
Friday 22 July and Monday 25 July 2022
Friday 14 October and Monday 17 October 2022
Friday 16 December 2022
All families are entitled to a discount of half their payable weekly fees for 2 weeks per year. ELC family accounts will be discounted by half between the 13 December and 23 December 2022. Pulteney Grammar School and all school holiday care services close for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period, from 26 December 2022 until the until the 9 January 2023. Accounts are not charged during this closure period.
Changes to ELC Food Practices during Covid-19 Restrictions
The Department for Education and SA Health provide a clear direction of successful ways to manage the impact on COVID-19 on Early Learning Centre and school communities. We are advised that the best practice for the safety of our ELC community and beyond is to adjust our food handling practices during Covid 19 restrictions. To reduce the number of times food is handled and transported by the staff team to different environments, the ELC educators will no longer heat children’s lunches in the centrally located microwave during Covid-19 restrictions. Please do not prepare children’s lunches that require re-heating from Thursday 17 February 2022. Reducing the movement of staff to and from different environments to heat meals will enable food to be handled by the individual child eating it. This will support the reduction in the spread of Covid-19 within our community.
The staff team will involve all ELC children in a conversation concerning these changes in food practices. We want to ensure the children understand that in support of everyone’s health and safety it is appropriate for each child to remain in their seat and handle their own food and lunch box. We also encourage all families to speak to their child concerning this change. Please feel free to chat to myself or the ELC team concerning alternative food options that meet family and children’s preferences and nutritional requirements.
Families are still able to order morning tea and lunches, including hot foods, online from Rory’s. To set up the online ordering app, please visit www.rorys.com.au/online-canteen/ or download QKR! app. Online orders must be completed prior to 8.30am on the day of the order. Tuck shop price lists are available on the school website.
ELC policies and procedures
To maximise your input within our service, ELC policies and procedures along with a comments sheet are displayed at the entrance of each ELC classroom and added to Seesaw. Your ideas are welcomed for adapting our Philosophy and policies to suit family values and practices. Please feel free to make comments or express your ideas to be discussed and included where appropriate.
National Quality Framework
National Law and National Regulations set the ‘National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care’. ‘The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority’ (ACECQA), oversee this ‘National Quality Framework’.
Long Day Care, Family Day Care, Pre-School/Kindergarten and Out of School Hours Care Services in all States and Territories (other than Western Australia) are required to comply with the National Law, which gives effect to the National Quality Framework.
The National Quality Framework consists of Seven National Quality Standards (NQS) that are used by services to self-assess current practice; determine where quality improvements can be made and plan effective implementation of these improvements.
Regulatory Authorities complete an ongoing assessment of each service and have the primary responsibility for service approval, monitoring and quality assessment.
Please visit the acecqa website for more information about the National Quality Framework.