Partnerships with Families

Collaborative relationships with families are fundamental to achieving quality learning outcomes for children. We advocate for open communication, respectful consultation, and genuine collaboration in your child’s early learning community.

Collaborative Family and Community Partnerships

Montessori Academy is a supportive learning community for children and their families that is united by shared views about how to best support children’s overall wellbeing, learning, and development. Families are encouraged to take an active role in our community by providing feedback, contributing to decision-making, and participating in our education programs. We support families in their role by providing them with access to relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.

Ways to Contribute to Your Child’s Centre

  • Fill in the ‘WOW’ Moment Cards to share your child’s interests
  • Provide feedback on the Learning Web for your child’s classroom
  • Volunteer to host a learning experience based on your career, culture, interests, or special skill
  • Provide feedback via our Family Communication App
  • Welcome new families to the centre community
  • Fill in the NQS surveys each month
  • Attend parent information sessions
  • Get involved in centre events such as Book Week, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, cultural events, and Grandparent’s Day
  • Participate in sustainability, environmental, and charity initiatives
  • Provide feedback on the centre’s Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

Ways we Collaborate with Families and our Communities

Family Feedback

Montessori Academy encourages families to engage with the service and contribute to service decisions by:

  • Inviting families to review and survey our performance against the seven areas of the National Quality Standards
  • Interpreting feedback from our Family Community App to input into the centre’s Quality Improvement Plan
  • Hosting active Parent Information Nights that invite families to take part in decision-making about the centre
  • Inviting families to take part in centre events
  • Encouraging families to host learning experiences and share their career, culture, and interests

Community Support Services

Montessori Academy ensures that current information is available to families about the service, relevant community services, and resources to support parenting and family well-being by:

  • Displaying information about relevant community services in the foyer of each service
  • Making resources and information available in multiple languages
  • Actively promoting cultural diversity
  • Communicating with families regularly about relevant community and support services via email
  • Having an open-door policy where families are welcome to share their feedback and ask for support

Classroom and School Transitions

Montessori Academy supports continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing information and clarifying responsibilities by:

  • Taking a collaborative approach to communication about toilet training, changing sleep-schedules as children get olde, and routine changes
  • Effectively coordinating room transitions with children, their families, and educators
  • Seeking feedback on how to better support children and families during the transition process
  • Providing resources about local primary schools, how Montessori Academy support school readiness, and school partnerships
  • Hosting Parent Information Nights
  • Hosting Graduation events to celebrate children’s transition to Primary School

Family Views Are Respected

Montessori Academy actively encourages families to share their culture, values, beliefs and expertise and to share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing by:

  • Inviting families to share their culture, values, and beliefs in their child’s ‘All About Me’ form that is used to introduce new children to the centre
  • Interpreting feedback from our Family Community App to input into the centre’s Quality Improvement Plan
  • Providing families with a choice about whether their child participates in birthdays and cultural events
  • Encouraging families to host learning experiences and share their career, culture, and interests

Community Engagement

Montessori Academy services build relationships and engage with their community by:

  • Seeking out partnerships with local community services, schools, libraries, relevant local businesses, and community groups
  • Hosting cultural events that celebrate the diversity reflected within our communities
  • Informing families  about relevant community and support services via email
  • Hosting incursions and excursions to build relationships and engage with the local community
  • Making all Montessori Academy childcare services places of welcome

Access and Participation

Montessori Academy implement effective partnerships to support children’s access, inclusion and participation in the program by:

  • Actively supporting early intervention and partnering with families to seek out relevant support services
  • Welcoming and respecting all children and families
  • Designing services to support inclusion with ramp access, disability parking, lifts and mobility aids where possible
  • Actively including children of diverse abilities in all aspects of the Montessori Education Program and daily routine
  • Connecting families with support services relevant to their child