CEO Karen Weston on the ECA Conference and Beyond

Learning from Gowrie NSW’s model of pedagogical leadership

Twice a year, the Gowrie CEOs meet face to face, and this time was especially meaningful as it was the first such meeting for Gowrie Queensland’s new CEO Elizabeth Death. During the visit we spent time at Erskineville Early Education and Care Centre, one of Gowrie NSW’s original services.

We heard a presentation from Gowrie NSW’s Michelle Richardson, Executive Director of Pedagogy, on pedagogical leadership where she highlighted a significant project where they had developed a Charter of Children’s Rights alongside the NSW Office for Youth. This was a beautiful piece of work which was developed during Children’s Week in close consultation with children attending Gowrie NSW services. Learning more about their model of support for staff, I was struck by how closely their blended model of coaching, online learning and pedagogical expertise aligns with our own approach to supporting educators. It was intriguing to see how they have deliberately positioned their own teachers as researchers and experts, backed by practical guides and tangible classroom resources which they’ve developed in-house.

The ECA conference in Victoria

The Early Childhood Australia conference is happening this week and it’s a genuine privilege to be hosting it here in Victoria, with a strong contingent of our own staff attending. We’re excited to be hosting study tours at three of our own services during the conference—at Broadmeadows Valley, Carlton Learning Precinct and The Harbour. Several of our inter-state Gowrie colleagues will also be visiting and we look forward to welcoming them to Melbourne. Hosting the conference on home ground means that more of our people could take part than usual, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with Gowrie colleagues visiting from interstate.

Personally, I’m eager to hear from Claire Warden, whose focus on outdoor learning environments resonates deeply with our own practice at Gowrie, and Dr Anne Kennedy AM.

We are proud to Gowrie Australia sponsor a notebook for every delegate, featuring artwork by Simone Thomson on the cover. We are extremely proud to have a number of our own professionals presenting—best of luck to Bassima Al Hadi, Jade Dunne, Dr Sue Plowright, Sam Newbury, Philippa Almack-Kelly and Rebecca Po. Good luck to you all and congratulations on your contribution to an esteemed event.

A Director-General’s visit

A recent highlight was hosting Queensland Education Department, Director-General, Sharon Schimming and Deputy Director General, Early Childhood, Tania Porter, and Victoria’s Deputy Secretary for Early Childhood, Bronwen Fitzerald, at our Carlton North service. They were joined by VCAA CEO Andrew Smith and representatives from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Their visit was prompted by interest in how Victoria has continued to use the Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool (EYALT)—an observation tool which has seen changes in how many services view and record how children attending funded kindergarten programs learn and develop.

It’s a genuine privilege to have a Director-General take the time to sit with our educators, ask real questions, and see the tool in use through a teacher’s eyes. A teacher from our Carlton North service, Evie, was able to present her perspectives to them, and highlight how the tool is used by a teacher. My thanks to the Queensland Department and QCAA for making the trip and for taking time to consider how they can provide tangible supports to professionals in their home state.