Goodstart Thornton

At Goodstart Early Learning Thornton, our vision is to provide a culturally safe environment where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and community members feel secure, respected and supported at all times within our Centre. Our Centre will visually represent the identity of our families and community, and be a place where all feel welcome, included and safe.

We envision the children, families, staff and community working collaboratively to respectfully develop knowledge, enabling us to respectfully embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ traditions and perspectives into curriculum and practice. Our vision is for children to be actively engaged in exploring and respecting the Land, the languages and diverse lore of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to teach all children about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ histories and the continuing impacts of colonisation on the present. Our vision is to support children to recognise and take action against racism and inequality, standing together for a better Australia for all.

We will learn from past barriers to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ perspectives become included as a natural part of our ways of working. Our Reconciliation Action Plan will become a regular discussion in team meetings and all educators will be increasingly active in driving change.

To support the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, our centre will contribute financially to local First Nations run businesses by increasingly purchasing their goods and services to better support the wider community whilst embedding culture and relationships.