POLICY CONTENT

Everyone has the right to be treated equally and with respect. By helping children to appreciate and accept differences and similarities, we can help prepare them to contribute positively to our multicultural society. Our School ensures inclusive practices which recognize and value the backgrounds and cultures of all children, staff and families. We strive to provide additional support to children and families for whom English is an additional language or dialect to ensure equitable learning outcomes.  
 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 6: Collaborative Partnerships

6.1	Supportive relationships with families	Respectful relationships with families are developed and maintained and families are supported in their parenting role.
6.1.1	Engagement with the school	Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in their school and contribute to school decisions.
6.1.2	Parent views are respected	The expertise, culture, values and beliefs of families are respected and families share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing.
6.1.3	Families are supported	Current information is available to families about the school and relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.
6.2	Collaborative partnerships	Collaborative partnerships enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing.
6.2.3	Community and engagement	The school builds relationships and engages with its community

 

PURPOSE

Diversity enriches life and culture.  We aim to provide and promote a School where children can realise their full potential regardless of gender, race and cultural background. We believe in honouring diversity, striving to engage in respectful interactions with children, educators and families. This will be reflected in our relationships with children and their families and in the resources we provide for the children.   

SCOPE

This policy applies to children, families, educators, staff, management, approved provider, nominated supervisor, students, volunteers and visitors of the School. 

IMPLEMENTATION

The term ‘culturally and linguistically diverse’(CALD) is commonly used to describe people who have a cultural heritage different from that of the dominant Anglo Australian culture, replacing the previously used term of people from a ‘non-English speaking background’ (NESB).  

EAL/D refers to children whose first language is a language or dialect other than English and who may require additional support to assist them develop proficiency in English. 
 
Our School recognises the cultural diversity of our community and implements strategies and programs to promote anti-racism, develop intercultural understanding and develop positive relationships between families, children and staff from all cultural backgrounds. We acknowledge that children from language backgrounds other than English, may require additional support to ensure their successful integration to our School.  
 To create a welcoming and culturally inclusive environment for all children and families our School will: 

• provide translated copies of our Family Handbook and key documents to help explain routines and enrolment procedures 
• create a space to display community information 
• acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land 
• contact our local Aboriginal Education Consultancy Group (AECG) for support on cultural awareness 
• invite community members and elders to our School for professional learning and to do storytelling with children 
• display a calendar of significant cultural events to share with all families 
• discuss appropriate ways of acknowledging and celebrating these events with children and families 
• display photos of children engaged in learning and annotate using languages spoken at home and in English 
• learn how to pronounce children’s names 
• learn greeting in the children’s first language 
• provide a welcoming physical environment that reflects diversity both indoors and outdoors 
• access translation and interpreting support services where required 

Management/ Nominated Supervisor will ensure:    

• enrolment and orientation information can be translated into the family’s home language 
• if any family of a child enrolled at the School is not fluent with the English language, policies and other School information will be provided to that family in a language that is readily understood by the family 
• support will be provided to the family to assist in completing forms and applications to Government agencies as required 
• an interpreting school is accessible to ensure clear communication between the school and family.  Support from interpreting services is available if communication is difficult between staff, children and families.  
• Translating and Interpreting Service 131 450 
• Website: tisnational.gov.au 
• general information, resources and support is obtained from the Department of Family and/or Community Services as required 
• families have the opportunity to influence and shape the School, to review School policies, and to contribute to School decisions with language not being a barrier or hindrance in the process 
• information, including brochures and factsheets are available to families about Community Services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing in their chosen language 
• the expertise of families is recognised, encouraging them to participate in decision making about their child’s learning and wellbeing that are respectful to the family’s cultural background 
• families have opportunities and are supported to be involved in the program and in-service activities that are presented in a way that does not limit them to English speaking families 
• all educators participate in professional learning to build their capacity to help build culturally inclusive environments and learning programs 
• educators have an understanding of Aboriginal English 
• our Statement of Philosophy is regularly reviewed to ensure it reflects the beliefs and values of all family’s culture and language 
• positive family partnerships are developed to enrich children’s development and wellbeing 
• communicate effectively with our culturally and linguistically diverse community 

 Educators will: 

• provide a program and environment that is inclusive of all children and families, promoting to children the importance of showing acceptance of different and diverse cultural practice including home language 
• explore different cultures within the School and encourage children to learn about other cultures as well as their own 
• display Aboriginal artwork and use Aboriginal resources (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, local AECG information) 
• consider the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of all the children in the program and learn common words to assist the child and family 
• be aware of interpretations of body language that may vary across cultures 
• pronounce and spell children’s name correctly 
• find out which festivals and celebrations are important to the children and family to include in the program 
• use picture books, posters and resources incorporating various languages to help develop intercultural understanding 
• ensure that toys and resources represent a variety of cultures and are available as part of the every-day program 
• use everyday routines to extend children’s language 
• sing songs- familiar nursery rhymes from other cultures 
• learn chants and rhymes in languages other than English 
• listen and respond to children- use short sentences, allow pause time to encourage response, listen intently 
• be aware of taking a tokenistic approach when celebrating cultural diversity 
• embed cultural diversity within the program 
• support the maintenance of a child’s first language according to parent’s wishes 
• actively seek information from parents to ensure experiences are implemented in a respectful manner. 

SOURCE

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Victoria. Learning English as an Additional Language in the Early Years (birth to six years). (2011). Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. 
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
Giugni, M. (n.d.). Exploring multiculturalism, anti bias and social justice in children’s services: multiverse.com.au/images/downloads/exploring-mu... 
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
New South Wales Department of Education. Multicultural Education. education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curricu...  
New South Wales Department of Education & Communities. English as an Additional Language or Dialect. Advice for Schools. (2014). policies.education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-doc...  
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018). 
SNAICC- National Voice for our Children snaicc.org.au/policy-and-research/early-chi...