Educational programs for children and young people in school age care

Quality programs for school age children and young people in services such as outside school hours care (OSHC) settings, are developed to support and guide children and young people in all areas of their wellbeing, learning and development.

Programs are developed in ways that take into account each child’s interests, strengths, experiences, culture and abilities. These settings include before school care, after school care and vacation care programs

All services approved under the National Quality Framework (NQF) are required under the National Law to have an educational program that is based on an approved learning framework. These include education and care services that cater for school age children before and after school and on school holidays.

The approved learning framework for services for school age children and young people is:

My Time, Our Place (MTOP): Framework for School Age Care in Australia V2.0 2022

There is no set way a program must look for school age children and young people.

Programs will look different dependent on the:

• setting (for example education and care can be delivered to school age care as part of an OSHC program offered at a school, or as part of a family day care scheme or in a long day care centre)
• environments and context
• knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests of the children and young people attending
• unique service philosophy and approaches to educational theories
• families using the service and the community in which the service is located.

Programs are not intended to be an extension of the school day, instead the focus is on the learning opportunities afforded by play, leisure and recreational experiences.

The educational program is:

• planned by educators in collaboration with children, young people and their families
• based on the children and young people’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests
• changing and evolving as new interests and ideas emerge
• inclusive of routines (such as afternoon tea and transitions from school), which are organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child’s learning
• planned to enable children and young people to build relationships and friendships, test out ideas, challenge each other’s thinking and build new understandings
• play-based, offering an opportunity to expand children and young people’s thinking and enhance their desire to know and to learn, promoting positive dispositions towards learning.
• focused learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators.

The five learning outcomes outlined in My Time Our Place provide the foundation for the educational program. Although each program will look different, promoting the learning outcomes will be a focus of the activities, experiences and environments.

The learning outcomes are:

Outcome 1: Children and young people have a strong sense of identity

Through this outcome, children and young people learn about themselves and develop their own identity through their experiences with other children and young people, their families and communities. Educators will support children and young people to explore their identities by interacting with others, encouraging them to overcome challenges and engage in decision making. As children and young people develop their sense of identity, they explore different aspects of physical, social, emotional and cultural learning through play and leisure opportunities, relationships and friendships.

Outcome 2: Children and young people are connected with and contribute to their world

This outcome recognises that children and young people learn, grow and develop within a range of different communities (both local and global). Children and young people who are closely connected to these communities are supported to have a positive sense of identity. Educators will encourage children and young people to be active contributors to their world through responsive relationships that are based on their interests, knowledge, ideas, theories and skills. Educators will support children and young people to explore notions of diversity and difference in positive ways and assist them to explore concepts of fairness and discrimination. Educatorscollaborate with children and young people to create relationships and environments where all children and young people can contribute in meaningful ways.

Outcome 3: Children and young people have a strong sense of wellbeing

Wellbeing relates to both physical and psychological aspects. When children and young people have a strong sense of wellbeing it encourages their feelings of belonging, trust and security. Educators support children's and young people’s wellbeing by providing them with the capacity to develop their resilience, manage their emotions and develop self-regulation skills. Educators provide (or will provide) opportunities for passive and active leisure to support children and young people to relax, refresh and engage in enjoyable and engaging experiences. When educators respond sensitively and respectfully to children's and young people’s emotional states, they are building their confidence and encouraging their sense of wellbeing.

Outcome 4: Children and young people are confident and involved learners

Through this outcome, children and young people develop understandings of concepts, and engage in creative thinking and inquiry processes to support their lifelong learning. Educators will create diverse and challenging learning environments that encourage children's engagement and participation in purposeful experiences. This is achieved by educators acknowledging and incorporating children's and young people’s interests, ideas, theories, skills and knowledge and encouraging children’s and young people’s participation in decision-making about the program. When children and young people are confident and involved in the program, they challenge and extend their own thinking, participate in collaborative interactions and negotiations, experience a sense of justice and develop dispositions of citizenship such as empathy and moral reasoning.

Outcome 5: Children and young people are effective communicators

This outcome recognises that children and young people use a range of communication tools to connect with others, express themselves and engage in relationships with others as listeners and speakers. Through this outcome, children and young people develop confidence and effective communication skills to support their relationships with others in their community. Educators will support children and young people to communicate through a range of tools including digital technologies and media and use music, dance and drama to extend their knowledge and convey ideas. Literacy and numeracy are also important aspects of communication that educators will incorporate into the program to assist the development of communication skills.

The best way for families to find out about the program is to speak with educators and service leaders in the service.

Some useful questions that families can ask include:

• What activities and experiences are provided for children and young people in the service?
• How is the daily program accessible for families?
• How do the educators in the service decide what activities, materials and experiences are provided for children and young people? How do educators collaborate with children and young people to plan for and implement the program?
• How do educators find out whether children and young people are benefiting from and enjoying the program being provided?
• How can families be involved in planning and evaluating programs for children and young people?

Many services will explain the way they structure programs to families during the enrolment and orientation process or through documentation such as a family handbook or orientation pack.

All families have the right to ask educators about the program that is planned for their child or young person, and information should also be shared with families about their child’s or young person’s learning, development, achievements and any issues or concerns that may be identified.

A quality educational program will also incorporate information from families about their child’s knowledge, skills, ideas, abilities, cultural backgrounds, interests and experiences outside of the service.

Although services may take different approaches to their communication with families, some of the ways that services may share information include:

• Daily conversations with families during drop off and pick up
• Meetings for families to reflect on and contribute to program planning and decision making
• Creating surveys, topical forms or other requests for families to contribute to the educational program.

To find the best approach to supporting your child or young person in the educational program, speak with your service educators.