Preschool
Information
We are a school-based Preschool located in the main administration building of Northfield Primary School.
We operate during school terms.
Please check the Handbook below for current session options.
Early entry is accommodated within Department for Education guidelines.
Registration of Interest
Complete a preschool registration of interest form (PDF 173 KB). We recommend using your computer to fill in the form, unless your mobile has Adobe Acrobat or similar software. You can also collect this form from the preschool.
Once you’ve completed the form, email it to the preschool or drop it off.
Staff
Our Preschool is staffed by qualified Early Childhood Teachers and Early Childhood Education Workers. As a school-based preschool, the Principal acts as our Director. Current staff photos and names can be viewed on our notice board.
Curriculum
The Early Years Learning Framework is a National Early Childhood Curriculum which broadly outlines the kinds of skills, knowledge and dispositions required for lifelong learning.
We use the Department for Education, Literacy and Numeracy Indicators, the Child Protection Curriculum and Respect, Reflect, Relate documents to inform our planning.
Our Preschool curriculum is play-based with a strong nature play philosophy. We work in partnership with families to ensure children’s strengths, interests and needs are incorporated in our program.
Philosophy
Northfield Preschool is a place where all children experience excellence and equity. We come together to connect, learn and grow every day on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people and we pay our respect and give gratitude to Elders past, present and emerging.
Northfield Preschool is dedicated to building a positive community which is based on respectful relationships and a sense of belonging and inclusion. We value each child and recognise that they come to us with a diverse set of skills, prior learning, interests and cultural beliefs and backgrounds.
Developing lifelong learners is evident in the language we use with children and families to instil positive dispositions and a growth mind-set for children to become confident and capable learners. We focus on developing the whole child in regards to their physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language abilities. We promote a high quality play based learning environment where children are given opportunities to discover, create, experiment, wonder, construct and solve problems.
Teaching and learning in our preschool means that children are engaged in play that stems from their interests, connects to their knowledge and builds on their strengths. We know that children learn best in safe and supported environments where adults take the time to listen, nurture and develop positive relationships with the child and their family. Intentional teaching involves our staff being deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in our decisions and actions. This means we fine tune our practices through researching, reflecting and evaluating what we do. We draw from best practice research, approved early childhood frameworks and learning models to provide a rich, meaningful and varied approach in our teaching and learning to support all children.
Families and children value the engaging, supportive and interesting learning environment that Northfield Preschool provides for everyone. Families notice the developing independence and growth in their children. They reflect on their children’s ability to transfer and apply knowledge between home and Preschool.
We are a school based preschool attached to Northfield Primary School. We value this connection for the wider opportunities it creates and the strong foundation for continuity of learning into formal schooling. Through this connection we acknowledge and support the school focus on literacy and numeracy goals, wellbeing, executive functioning skills and the Peace Code.
Delivery & Collection of Children
Drop off and Collection of your child:
Please accompany your child safely into the Preschool every day where you or your delegated person (OSHC, Childcare etc) will be responsible for signing them in. This time is a good opportunity to inform Preschool staff in person if your child is being collected by someone other than his/her usual caregiver and to write their name on the sign in sheet this includes OHSC and Childcare. In particular if a long-term agreement has not been discussed previously with Preschool educators. We ask that you please supply a name for the person who will be collecting your child and please ask them to bring photo identification so that we can ensure your child is leaving with an authorised person.
We ask that you collect your child punctually at the end of a session. This is important as Preschool staff often have meetings and other commitments to attend at the end of sessions. Wednesday session finishes at 12.30 and full day sessions finish at 3:00. Families/carers/delegated people are responsible for signing children out.
Should an emergency arise, which prevents you collecting your child on time or the person collecting your child has changed, please advise us by telephone (8262 2607) and ask for Preschool or via Seesaw message. This will allow staff to reassure your child and alert them to who will be picking them up.
Northfield Primary school has an Out of School Hours service run by Happy Haven, the service is available to Preschool children, if you require it. There is a Stepping Stones Child Care Centre across the road where children can use the service if needed.
Use of Happy Haven or Childcare is an agreement between families and those individual services. Preschool and the other services pass duty of care to each other as per family arrangements.
