What we do
Since 2004, we have cultivated a pedagogy that is deeply rooted in reverence, respect and ways of being that weave truth, beauty and goodness throughout our days, igniting enquiry, imagination and delight within all aspects of our village.
“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.”
— Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods.
Our Philosophy
At Gaia's Nest we believe that children have the right to freedom, respect, equality, happiness, fun, education, diversity and a safe, secure and purposeful environment.
They need to be loved and nurtured. Our image of the child guides us to respectfully provide them with every opportunity to succeed as the powerful and capable learners we believe they are and for them to develop according to their own uniqueness within an environment full of beauty, gifts, challenges and provocation. We aim to delight the children as they explore their world and the natural wonders around them as they grow and learn through their play.
Whilst acknowledging that parents are the first educators of their children, we strive to provide an environment to foster and nurture the child’s sense of Belonging, Being and Becoming, establishing a growing identity as we work with families to find ways to connect home and the centre. We will provide a loving ‘home away from home’ to cultivate and support family and community, honour reconciliation and to provide and promote the building of quality attachments between children and educators.
Our holistic philosophy is supported and influenced by the guiding approaches of Reggio Emilia, Rudolf Steiner, Maria Montessori, Emmi Pikler, RIE; Magda Gerber's Resources for Infant Educarers. Constant reflective practice, rich and diverse programmes are being informed by the principles, practices and learning outcomes derived from the Early Years Learning Framework. We support empowerment and mentor-ship of all educators as we embrace the power and the journey of learning as our guiding philosophy.
Gaia -
life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it, in the form of the mother, mother earth.
Nest -
a place where something/someone flourishes, considered together with its inhabitants, at home.
We warmly welcome you to Gaia’s Nest, our home-away-from-home.
This space is our children’s home; they spend their days with us, and it holds their identity, history, and knowing. Our wish for you is to feel equally at home.
Feel free to wander; quietly, reverently, and respectfully around our spaces and pause to listen, smell, and feel what is around you.
Our children are keen tour guides and they will be happy to answer any questions or curiosities you may have. Please remain in view of our children’s educators while exploring with them.
“Receive the children in reverence,
Educate them in love,
And send them forth in freedom.”
Rudolf Steiner
Exceeding!
The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a high national benchmark for early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services in Australia.
The NQS includes 7 quality areas that are important outcomes for children.
Services are assessed and rated by their regulatory authority against the NQS, and given a rating for each of the 7 quality areas and an overall rating based on these results.
We are really proud to receive and share our Assessment & Rating result, a momentous achievement for our team at Gaia’s Nest.
The results acknowledge our advocacy for providing a service that is open to learning and challenging current practices for the better of the community.
Throughout the two day process with an assessor, our educators felt confident and relaxed as they shared their practice, skills and knowledge. The assessor was invited on a bush walk as well as spending time around our campfire with our children.
A great validation for nature pedagogy!
Follow our journey.
