Busy Learners Early Education Centre

Name: Sam Lane

Tell us about your career in Early Childhood. How long have you been working in the industry?
My career in Early Childhood started in 1997 at the age of 17 years old. I started off working as an Assistant Educator in the school holidays whilst I completed year 12. I commenced studying my Certificate III in Children’s Services and once completed I moved on to study my Diploma of Children’s Services. I was then lucky enough to be offered the fantastic opportunity of becoming a Group Leader.

In 2004, an opportunity arose at QCCS in their Winston Glades Centre in Flinders View as an Assistant Director which is when I first commenced my career with QCCS. Whilst working as an Assistant Director I also completed my Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services and Certificate IV in Workplace Training & Assessment before being offered a Nominated Supervisor’s position at QCCS’s Woodcrest Centre in Springfield.

In 2007, I moved to Woodcrest to become the Director for 13 years. I love working in the childcare industry and I could not imagine working in another industry.

Tell us about the relevant qualifications you hold that assists you in your position?
I hold my Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, Cert IV in Training & Assessment, First Aid, CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis Certificates.

When did you first join the QCCS team?
I was lucky enough to join the QCCS team in 2004 and have been fortunate to have worked in a variety of positions and Centres within the company.  

What do you find most rewarding about your career in Early Childhood?
After all of these years of working in Early Childhood I still really enjoy working in this industry. I believe the early years to be a vital part of who a child becomes as they grow and develop. I look forward to coming to the Centre every day as each day is a new adventure. Having the ability to be such an important part of children’s development is rewarding in itself. Being a parent myself, I am able to relate and provide support and a listening ear to fellow parents of the Centre.

Why should families choose Busy Learners Early Education Centre?

Busy Learners Early Education Centre is a very unique, family oriented Centre. Our Centre provides high quality care by long term, dedicated and highly qualified staff. 

Our Centre has many long term staff who treat each child and their family members as part of the extended Busy family. At Busy Learners Early Education Centre, we welcome anyone within our community to join our growing family. 

Why do you choose to work for QCCS?
I choose to work for QCCS as QCCS is a family unit and all staff are treated as part of the QCCS family. My personal values, goals and ethics are in line with QCCS. QCCS values the Directors as business owners and staff and Directors are valued as important stakeholders of QCCS. 

What is your most recent achievement?
My most recent achievement has been going through Assessment and Rating in March this year 2023 and receiving EXCEEDING National Quality Standards at Woodcrest Early Education Centre – QCCS. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment and being able to achieve this in such a large service covering four buildings, 15 rooms, 40 educators and up to 266 children.    

Welcome to Busy Learners Early Education Centre and Preschool. We are located on Yulan Street off Freeman Road, Inala. 

Our aim is to provide the highest standard of care to you, the families, as well as to the children who are within our care. Our Centre celebrates diversity, welcoming families with different cultures and backgrounds.

Our hours of operation are from 6am to 6pm. We are open Monday through to Friday, 52 weeks a year (excluding public holidays). Our Centre opened in October 1993 and caters for 75 children aged from birth to school age. We provide before and after school care to school age children as well as vacation care in the school holidays.

We offer a free courtesy bus service which transports children to and from the local schools in the area. We also have the option to transport children to and from home for families who have no access to transport or in emergency situations (conditions apply).

As security is one of our priorities, our Centre has a security door access system which only allows authorised parents/guardians to drop off and collect their child/ren from the Centre via a personal pin code.

At QCCS we understand the importance of building relationships with the Aboriginal Communities by valuing their histories, cultures and their people to help build a more respecting and understanding future for all Australians. Acknowledging Country is a common practice in our services where we respect the continuing connection of Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners and Custodians to the land on which our services stands.

Our Team:
Our team are qualified, friendly and caring staff who are committed to continually improving their skills and knowledge by frequently attending in-service training and seminars. All staff are required to have an up to date First Aid, CPR and Blue Card. All new employees of QCCS attend an Induction Session prior to commencing at any of our Child Care Centres; thus, ensuring they will be well equipped to step into their new role. In addition, we provide regular professional opportunities as well as monthly Centre Director and staff meetings to ensure that all our employees are up to date with industry developments.

Our Centre aims to be at the forefront of industry developments and trends. Therefore, at QCCS your child will benefit from an array of experiences:

• Interactive smart boards
• Dynamic Emergent Curriculum based on the Early Years Learning Framework and Kindergarten Guidelines
• Individual child portfolios. QCCS realises how important it is to be kept informed on your child’s progress and daily activities.
• Healthy nutritious meals including breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
• Sun Safety is a priority with a large percentage of the playgrounds covered with artificial and natural shade. Each Centre aims to avoid sun exposure between 9am-3pm to give the children that added level of sun protection.
• Transition to school programs along with transition statements

Sustainability Focus:
Our Centres are passionate about teaching sustainable behaviours, instilling the knowledge and values that help support sustainable environments. Just some of the sustainable practices that you can expect to see in our services include:

• Educating our children in the use of compost systems within their rooms
• Child tended vegetable and herb gardens, sharing our harvest with families and children
• Appointment of our children to monitor the electricity and water use within our Centre
• Use of recycled materials in our art and craft activities
• Use of donated items by our local communities and businesses
• Use of equipment made from recycled materials

Our Centre have our own pet Chickens which enable the children to learn about the environment and how to live an eco-friendly way. The children get involved by collecting the eggs and taking out the scraps. Chickens are a fantastic learning experience that our teachers incorporate into their programs daily.

We are committed to the implementation of the National Early Years Learning Framework and operate an Emergent Curriculum. Our program is based on the individual needs of the children in our care. Our program is balanced and developmentally appropriate. It has variations, providing for a wide range of individual experiences. These experiences give the children the opportunity to make choices and take on new challenges. Our centre programs are based on the individual child, thus ensuring it does not exclude any one child. Our goal is to inspire delight, curiosity, and inquiry in the classroom. We are very proud to offer the below to all our families at no additional costs:

Kindergarten Program
Our Centre is pleased to be operating a Queensland Government approved Kindergarten Program with a qualified Early Childhood Teacher. This program is aimed at preparing our pre-prep children for primary school. Our Centre implements the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline and focuses on building upon children’s learning and development including literacy and numeracy skills as well as exploring the foundations of mathematics and science. We are committed to developing and building on community partnerships with local schools, Teachers and families to ensure children are being well prepared for their school years.

Families with eligible children attending an approved Kindergarten Program may be entitled to a QKFS Plus Kindy Support Subsidy to assist with the out of pocket expenses of attending the program. To be eligible, families must either:

• Hold a current Health Care Card, Veterans Affairs Card or Australian Government Pension Concession Card
• Identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Have three or more children enrolled in the same year (must be the same age)

Your Centre Director can provide you with further information regarding this subsidy.

Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA)
Our Centre also boasts a second language program (Spanish), we are proud participants in the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) initiative. ELLA is an Australian Government initiative aimed at reviving the teaching of foreign languages in Australian schools, with the aim of significantly increasing the number of Year 12 students studying a language other than English within a decade.

Veggie Fun Program
Veggie Fun for Everyone is a 12-week food literacy program run in our Kindergarten Room, created by our very own Healthy Cooking Company designed to develop a positive attitude toward vegetables in children. The Kindergarten children will be encouraged to explore vegetables, leading to positive experiences and self-directed tasting.

Perceptual Motor Program
Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) activities form a part of our daily routine as your child’s Educators aim to help them become physically active and promote healthy growth as well as development of bones, muscles, flexibility, balance, posture and cardiovascular fitness. It can also help establish connections between different parts of the brain that develop memory and language.

Bush Kindy Program
Our children eagerly anticipate their weekly Bush Kindy sessions. Each session runs for approximately 2 hours and begins with a short bus drive to the Karawatha Forest.

As part of our Bush Kindy Program we learn all about the world around us and connect with nature whilst always acknowledging the traditional landowners – the Yugera people. Children are given the chance to explore and learn new things, climbing, running and inadvertently expanding upon their gross motor skills. Exploring the plants, trees, rocks and water creates spontaneous conversation, interactions and valuable risk-taking opportunities. The sessions are unstructured and initiated by the children, to inspire problem solving and promote self-confidence.

Observing insects/animals in their natural habitat is often a highlight for the children, their excitement and intrigue is always evident in their laughter and smiles. The Educators encourage their inquisitive instincts and questions.

There are many known physical and social benefits to exploring nature and evidence shows that exposure to nature can reduce stress and increase academic performance. This is especially important in the technology driven world we live in where screen time is ever increasing for adults and children alike.

Swimming Program
Busy Learners Early Education Centre has partnered with a local swim centre to provide swimming lessons for children aged 3 to 5 years. The aim of swimming lessons is to teach children how to be safe in and around water. The program runs weekly, all year round, throughout the school term and taught by fully qualified swimming instructors.

Barefoot Nursery

Our Centre runs a ‘Barefoot Nursery’. Upon entry to the Nursery all Educators, guardians and visitors are required to remove their shoes or place a covering over them. Our babies are sensory explorers; therefore, it is important to us to keep our nursery room floors and environment clean and hygienic. The exceptional cleanliness of the ‘Barefoot Nursery’ concept allows our infants to freely investigate their surroundings without being exposed to unnecessary germs and bacteria.

We believe food ingredients should come from the kitchen, not from a lab. From this belief came the inspiration to open our own production kitchen, the Healthy Cooking Company. We aim to create and promote natural and wholesome food with a number of health benefits:

• Organic baby food
• Preservative Free
• No artificial flavours
• Low in sodium & refined sugar
• Naturally sweetened with honey

We promise that our nutrition labels will be free of numbers, so there will be no need to decipher nasty food additives. We are dedicated to providing delicious food that your children will love. Parents can rest assured that their little ones are being provided with a good start with healthy, nutritious morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea meals provided.

As Educators, we believe in teaching children that physical activity can be fun as well as good for our bodies and minds. As a result we coordinate exciting exercise programs within our centres that have been developed by our Sports Dietitian in consultation with Primary School Physical Education Teachers. We want the children in our care to experience the numerous health benefits that regular physical activity can provide such as:

• Stronger muscles and bones
• Long term positive attitude towards exercise
• Reduction in the likelihood of becoming overweight
• Reduction in the likelihood of developing illnesses and diseases

Through this we aim to incorporate at least three hours of physical activity each day into our room routines and programs with:

• Morning physical activity routine
• General indoor physical activity
• Outdoor experiences