SRF Program

  • Environments to Support Inclusion

    VEYLDF Alignment

    ​Item uses these practice principles: Reflective practice, Partnerships with families, High expectations for children, Respectful relationships and responsive engagement, Equity and diversity.

    Description

    Environments to Support Inclusion is a program designed to support teachers and educators to consider the environment as an intentional and purposeful teaching strategy for inclusive practice.

    The program asks educators to consider the belief that every child and family has a unique background, family context, individualised needs and cultural and linguistic differences that can be incorporated into the environment to provide a sense of identity and belonging that supports wellbeing and inclusion outcomes for children.

    The program encourages teachers and educators to reflect on their current learning environment at their service. Participants will be supported to program for their environment, implement strategies to support every child’s culture and develop intentional teaching strategies that nurture every child’s sense of identity, wellbeing, inclusion and belonging.

    Environments to Support Inclusion is offered across three different modalities: a three-part webinar series, a series of monthly network meetings and/or face-to-face consultation as an opportunity to extend and embed practices and strategies presented in the webinars.

    Detailed Costs

    Webinars: $500 (excl. GST). Price includes a 12-month subscription to four pre-recorded webinars for an unlimited number of educators in a service.

    Webinars plus two live online network meetings: $1000 (excluding GST). Price includes access to ongoing Facebook moderated closed group.

    Webinars plus networks plus four 1-hour team or individual coaching sessions working on specific goals and strategies: $2,500 (excluding GST). Cost and offering is scalable to the service budget and goals.

    Implementation Considerations

    Target population: early childhood professionals working with children in the two years before school.

    Program/practice descriptions and details: webinars are pre-recorded and self-paced. Participants will have access to the webinars for 12 months, and will be able to watch them a number of times if required. Network meetings are capped at 10 participants per meeting to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to speak. Networks are closed groups – each network has the same members for 4 months, so participants can form professional relationships with other teachers and for these relationships to evolve as a community of practice.

    Program adaptability: the webinars and network meetings are delivered online and can be accessed by anyone with internet access. Consultants can travel across the state to deliver face-to-face consultations. Network meetings run across the year.

    Staffing: it is recommended that participants receive a total of 4 hours backfill to engage with webinars and reflect on practice and a further 4.5 hours backfill to participate in network meetings. Coaching will be undertaken in the classroom, so additional backfill isn’t required.

    Supervision/Coaching: coaching sessions are available in 4 half-day sessions which cover 2 classrooms.

    Tools and systems: devices with internet connection are required to access webinars and Zoom meetings.

    Priority Area

    Access and inclusion

    Strength of Evidence

    ​Level 5 - Foundational research evidence