We support the inquisitive little minds who are just starting their discoveries of the world in a beautiful studio.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we believe it’s vital that all Australians show support and learn about the crucial impact that culture, family, and community play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
We embed these cultures into our everyday learning programs such as participating in experiences that celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Learning is supported through the pedagogy of the educators in embedding cultural competence, creating awareness, respect and understanding to diversity. We strive to ensure our campuses are inclusive and welcoming and our partnerships within our communities and our families are invited to become part of our learning programs.
Educators explore and foster storytelling, music, and creativity to engage children’s understanding to culture through our programs. Our campuses not only place emphasis to share cultural traditions to celebrate Indigenous culture but promote rich experiences to create awareness and understanding to our local Indigenous community.
We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into our campuses, to help our Little Scholars and educators learn, acknowledge, and celebrate the history and traditions of the people who were the traditional owners of the land on which we play, learn, and grow.
Our Little Scholars learn about their Traditional Custodians of the land on a weekly and daily basis in a variety of different ways. They explore their first nations culture, engaging in traditional song and dance, and connect to their land in meaningful ways.
Jae, our founder, along with all members of our leadership team, support educators to embed Indigenous culture within our curriculum.
At Little Scholars, we constantly and continuously reflect on our cultural curriculum and programs, how to strengthen these opportunities and connections, and provide our educators and our children with a range of opportunities to build and extend their knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Our vision for reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community is about transformation – transformation that moves us from ignorance and racism to respect, from inequity and prejudice to justice, and from inaction and fear, to hope. It is in this transformation, both personal and organisational, that the promise of a strong future for every Little Scholar is realised.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan can be found in each of our campuses. Ask your campus manager.
We extend our knowledge on Indigenous Australian culture with Billie Musk, our Indigenous Education Consultant, who offers an exceptional Cultural Inclusion Program via her workshops and campus visits as a part of our curriculum at Little Scholars.
We also get regular visitors such as Miss Lalania from Paperbark Cultural Consultancy, who teaches children about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture by telling dreamtime stories.
All of our campuses have Indigenous dolls, so that our Little Scholars learn about Aboriginal culture and connect to it through play.
We welcome local elders to our campuses to engage in conversation with children and share their knowledge and experiences with our Little Scholars.
Educators complete professional development sessions on Embedding Aboriginal Perspectives in Early Childhood with Koori Curriculum. Some services also utilise their educators of Indigenous descent to educate and support embedment to culture within the curriculum.
Deception Bay, which has a larger Aboriginal population, also holds ‘Indigenous morning tea’ to invite families of indigenous culture to provide feedback to the programs.
Many of our campuses go on excursions to visit cultural and environmental centres such as The Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the Gold Coast and Redlands IndigiScapes Centre to learn more about the history, significant sites and environmental features that have played an important part in the lives of Aboriginal people for thousands of years.
During bush kinder, we engage in Dadirri, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘inner deep listening and quiet still awareness and waiting’. So while out enjoying nature, the children and educators sit with a bit of space from each other and pay close attention to what they can hear, see, smell and feel.
Our intergenerational ‘Grandfriends’ program connects young children and seniors – two increasingly segregated population groups in society – once every fortnight; improving the mental and social development of the children whilst helping to alleviate challenges of isolation and dementia commonly faced by seniors.
Our intergenerational program has been going for almost as long as Little Scholars has! Some of our campuses started informal visits to local aged care homes back in 2015.
Jae Fraser, founder and managing director of Little Scholars, says intergenerational care initiatives are backed by research and are producing extremely positive developmental outcomes for young children, giving them a healthier understanding of the world around them.
“Having frequent interaction with people who are one or even two whole generations older than themselves, can help children become more accepting of differences – especially when it comes to disability – as well as helping them learn about the natural aging process and reduce potential fear of elderly people,” says Jae.
Isolation and feelings of loneliness are a serious threat for older people, because they’re more likely to live alone, lose family members and friends, suffer from chronic illness and hearing loss. Statistically, one in four older (over 65) Australians live alone. Of those who live alone, according to a 2017 Australian Bureau of Statistics survey, about 12% didn’t receive visitors in a three-month period, and older men were reported to be less likely to have been visited, at 17%.
In a 2020 Royal Commission report, of the Australians who reported knowing someone in aged care facilities, one third never contacted the people they know, and one in five never visited.
Social isolation has also been linked to mental illness, emotional distress, suicide, the development of dementia, premature death, physical inactivity, poor sleep, and biological effects, including high blood pressure and poorer immune function.
For Little Scholars, this was a no brainer to help.
“It all began when our leadership team attended an intergenerational forum where we learnt that 16% of people in Australia are over 65 years of age and 45% of these people have reported feelings of loneliness. That’s a huge number and made us want to act,” says Jae.
Intergenerational programs provide invaluable learning opportunities for children across various developmental areas, and Little Scholars has long recognised the benefits of bringing together the young and the young-at-heart.
Little Scholars’ early education curriculum, supported by the Early Years Learning Framework, places a strong emphasis on developing the social and emotional wellbeing of children. By connecting with seniors, children gain a deeper understanding and respect for others, especially those facing physical and aging challenges, fostering empathy, patience, and awareness. These bonds help children connect with the world around them in unique ways, developing their communication skills, confidence, and respect.
Intergenerational relationships allow children to participate in diverse relationships and communities, enhancing their understanding of various cultures, heritages, backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives. They also take pride in sharing these experiences with their grandfriends, creating a reciprocal learning environment.
With our intergenerational program, the children visit with their grandfriends fortnightly. They do crafts, play games, sing songs, share morning teas and have meaningful chats. For their young-at-heart mates, the visits help alleviate challenges of isolation, and brings joy, feelings of self-worth, developing new friendships, silliness, and fun.
“Celebrating the role older community members play in the development of children is something to be fostered and celebrated. The program is one of the most popular aspects of our services, we’ve found our community loves finding occasions to see the different generations come together and share in a common experience,” Jae says.
At Little Scholars we are committed to being environmentally responsible and teaching children to also learn about the part they play in looking after the environment and the effects we have on the future.
Each of our campuses has an environmentally-responsible plan and a delegated sustainability officer who is in charge of motivating and inspiring the team to action and achieve the campus’s goals. It’s our goal to foster a culture of sustainability within each campus, empowering children to become more environmentally conscious.
We embed our environment plan into our daily programs and practices, and some of the ways we achieve this include:
To help our littlest scholars understand and embrace sustainability, we engage them in simple yet impactful activities:
We are committed to your child’s care, education and development each and every day. We pride ourselves on the level of care we offer and the difference we are making in your child’s life for a better tomorrow.
There's a reason nine out of 10 families who visit our campuses choose to enrol. Your child's journey to discover starts here.
Shannon tells us how his son Charlie has built wonderful relationships with his educators, his friends and even his family during his time at Little Scholars.
Matty tells us how Little Scholars has helped his children gain independence and allow his wife and him to maintain a balance with their professional lives!
Our Little Scholars dads share how their children have blossomed in our care!
At Little Scholars, we provide tailored, age-specific early learning and childcare across four key stages: nursery, toddlers, pre-kindy, and kindy. Our expertly designed programs cater to the unique needs and developmental milestones of each age group.
In our nursery program, we care for our youngest learners, creating a warm and secure environment where they can start to explore the world around them. Our nurturing toddler program encourages active engagement and discovery, fostering our active little ones’ growing curiosity. When children step into our pre-kindy group, we introduce more structured learning to inspire creativity and independent thought. Finally, our kindy program offers a comprehensive curriculum that prepares them for the exciting journey of school life.
No matter the stage, at Little Scholars, we are committed to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment where your child can thrive, learn, play and grow, setting a strong foundation for their future.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we’re dedicated to shaping bright futures and instilling a lifelong passion for learning. With our strategically located childcare centres in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we provide tailored educational experiences designed to foster your child’s holistic development.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
