PA Hospital Early Education Centre

Name: Emma Walker

Tell us about your career in Early Childhood. How long have you been working in the industry?
I embarked on my journey in the field of Early Childhood Education in 2010, beginning as a trainee educator at the Ashgrove centre with QCCS. Over the years, my role evolved from a trainee to an Assistant Director, taking on responsibilities as an Educational Leader both at the service and company levels. Additionally, I’ve served as a trainer & assessor and eventually progressed to the position of Centre Director.

Tell us about the relevant qualifications you hold that assists you in your position?
I hold a Diploma of Early Education & Care. I also have current first aid, CPR and child protection certificate. Over the years I have also attended many professional development workshops, training sessions and seminars.

When did you first join the QCCS team?

I first joined the QCCS team in 2010. I rejoined the team in 2024 after having a couple of years out of the industry. 

What do you find most rewarding about your career in Early Childhood?
The most fulfilling aspect of my career in Early Childhood is fostering genuine relationships and connections with both children and their families, and being an integral part of their formative years. Witnessing children’s growth and development, guiding them as they learn and acquire new skills, is incredibly humbling and rewarding.

Why should families choose PA Hospital Early Education Centre?
Families should choose PA Hospital Early Education Centre because we prioritise creating a nurturing and stimulating environment where children can thrive. Our centre boasts exceptional facilities, including captivating playgrounds designed to foster safe yet adventurous play experiences. We recognise the importance of risky play in children’s development and have carefully crafted our spaces to encourage exploration and learning. Additionally, our dedicated staff members value the individuality of each child and family, ensuring that every member of our community feels welcomed and supported. By choosing PA Hospital Early Education Centre, families can rest assured that their children will receive quality care and education in a setting that promotes growth, curiosity, and connection to the world around them.

Why do you choose to work for QCCS?
I choose to work for Queensland Childcare Services (QCCS) because of the organisation’s commitment to excellence in early childhood education. QCCS values its staff members and prioritises creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. Additionally, I am drawn to QCCS’s dedication to providing high-quality care and education to children, as well as its focus on fostering strong relationships with families and the broader community. Working for QCCS allows me to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and their families while being part of a professional and passionate team.

Welcome to PA Hospital Early Education Centre and Preschool. Our Centre is located on the grounds of Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba. We are easily accessible for PA Hospital employees and also a convenient distance from Centro Buranda Shopping Centre as well as the bus way.

We have been rated as an Exceeding Centre by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)!

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 May 2009 and caters for 75 children aged from birth to school age.

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 (French), 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.

Bush Kindy Program
Our children eagerly anticipate their fortnightly Bush Kindy sessions. Each session runs for approximately one hour and begins with a short walk to the bush land located on the hospital grounds.

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 Turrbal 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.

Hey Dee Ho Music Program
Our professional Music Program is facilitated by ‘Hey Dee Ho Educational Services’. Hey Dee Ho visits our Centre fortnightly. The program is an educational music experience where children learn the concepts of beat, rhythm, tempo, pitch and dynamics in a play-based environment. https://heydeeho.com.au/ourprograms/#music

Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words and is known to accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression.

Hey Dee Ho understands that each child has their own unique set of needs and interests. They have developed a range of activities to address the varied developmental needs of all children from birth. From relaxation and mindfulness to playing musical instruments to high energy dances, Hey Dee Ho programs engage and enhance children’s learning and fine motor development while giving them plenty of opportunity for fun.

Little Scientists
Our Centre is proud to be a Certified Little Scientists House. This program is run daily by demonstrating our commitment to hands-on, inquiry-based learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. It is designed to recognise services and schools that promote an active learning environment, incorporating best practice elements such as inquiry-based learning, metacognition and co-construction.

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.

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.

Swimming Program
PA Hospital 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, in 5-week blocks and taught by fully qualified swimming instructors.

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