The 2024 KindiCare Excellence Awards have been announced and we’re excited to share that Winston Glades Early Education Centre & Preschool is our Joint National Winner and Joint State Winner in Queensland, with a perfect KindiCare Rating of 10.0! 

This Ipswich centre is also one of the few centres in Australia to hold an Excellent rating from ACECQA, and all these accolades are a testament to the huge passion and professionalism that underpins this ‘little childcare village.’  

Nominated Supervisor, Lisa Harris, explains that Winston Glades is a place where everyone is connected, committed and valued – and the centre’s great success comes from its investment in its people.  

The team at Winston Glades are leading the way as active researchers, consistently pursuing innovative practices to achieve exceptional outcomes for all children, and they have great support from above.  

The owners of Queensland Childcare Services, Lydia and Jack Amouzandeh, value the importance of ongoing learning and professional development, and they continually support the team to reach their highest potential, by encouraging participation in training and growth opportunities. 

Winston Glades’ educators have access to lots of professional development, which empowers them to share their passion and knowledge with the children; and there are some ahhh-mazing on-site perks, including a massage chair and aromatherapy, to ensure they feel calm and happy! 

At this Award-winning centre, the educators advocate for the children and learn with them, and a great example of this is Winston Glades’ incredible outdoor area.  

This space backs onto bushland, and instead of getting their playground designer to come up with something for them, the team researched what would be best, and actively asked their childcare village what they wanted.  

Lisa says, “We collected data about the outdoors to learn what would benefit our early learners, and our team also received training from play expert and Wearthy founder, Lukas Ritson.  

“This happened before and after the playground build, and it really opened our mindset for further development in courageous play.” 

Lisa says, “We also collaborated with the children, parents and local community when designing the playground, and shared all their voices with the team at Wearthy, who were then able to bring our shared vision to life. 

“Along the way, we heard that the children wanted easy access to the Bush Kindy area outside the centre, so we could visit pretty much every day, and lots of climbing things in the outdoor play space, including a tree and monkey bars.” 

The outdoor area also has a bush tucker garden and a little river that the children absolutely love. 

Educational Leader, Wendy Van den Berg says, “The outdoor play space caters to all children’s needs, abilities and mindsets, whether it is engaging their curiosity, experimenting with cause and effect, or allowing them to explore their sense of thrill with risk-taking.” 

And explore that sense of thrill they do!  

Courageous play is actively encouraged at Winston Glades, and whether under-fives are climbing a tree outside or carrying glassware inside, they’re encouraged to be capable, confident little people.  

Lisa explains that, “Rather than worrying that things will go wrong, our educators use language to create awareness and empower the children to problem-solve. 

“For instance, if they start climbing the tree and lose their confidence, we encourage them to think about their next step, and often, other children will help them out.  

“We use glassware for all ages, and instead of worrying about breakages, we set the children up for success. So, we might say, ‘Use two hands to hold the bowl, because it’s glass and it’s special.’” 

Lisa explains that, “For us, it’s about letting the children take that risk so they can reach their fullest potential. And the message we share at the centre, and out in the sector, is that if you value the children and believe they are capable, then they can do it.”   

And, of course, the educators practice what they preach!  

The team has a great sense of self-belief, and instead of sticking to what they know, Wendy says, “We continually step out of our comfort zone. When we are feeling comfortable, we know that it’s time to get out there and learn, network and push ourselves even further.” 

Lisa agrees and says, “We are very open about sharing our journey and how far we’ve come, and we are courageous. We share and collaborate a lot, with a real passion for curriculum, and we do try to be leaders of change by empowering others.”  

This approach has won the team lots of fans in their little village and the early learning sector, and Winston Glades’ leaders and educators feel proud to know they are making a difference. 

They’re also very happy to sink into that massage chair while at work, and we congratulate Winston Glades on the wonderful culture they’ve created and the KindiCare Excellence Awards they’ve won!  

 

Learn more about Winston Glades Early Education Centre & Preschool 

Information correct as at 1 July 2024