<aside> <img src="/icons/accessibility_green.svg" alt="/icons/accessibility_green.svg" width="40px" /> SOEL acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land we meet, play and learn on, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
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SOEL is a family-run business first established in 1974.
We pride ourselves on understanding the needs of our community while providing quality education and care to children and their family groups.
SOEL draws perspective and insight from many different disciplines, philosophers and pedagogy from Australia and overseas.
The Municipal Schools of Reggio Emilia, Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori, as well as our own observations and interactions, influence our philosophy and practice.
SOEL has centres in Nedlands, West Leederville, Subiaco, North Fremantle, North Perth, Como, and Attadale.
We act with honesty, confidence and fairness, with respect for the dignity and rights of others. We take responsibility for ourselves, our decisions and our actions.
We are explorers of the world: open-minded, asking questions, researching, investigating, being innovative and learning through wondering, trial and error and experimentation.
We show empathy, compassion and respect as we thoughtfully consider the world, our own ideas and experiences and those of others, and take responsible action.
We overcome challenges through our own resourcefulness and determination, as well as the support of others.
We advocate for children and childhood, exploring new ideas and developing innovative strategies that enable local, national and global citizenship.
Our Schools of Early Learning are important, decisive places where families, educators, children, and the environment support all those involved to be themselves: original, individual, and whole.
We believe children are strong, capable, and resilient researchers, exploring themselves and their environment. We believe children have the ability, dexterity, and passion to devour knowledge, requiring only the freedom to explore and experiment. We are nurturers and caregivers, providing a safe environment for this exploration to take place, but we are also collaborators and co-researchers.
We believe that children are competent individuals, each of whom we seek to know and respect. We gain insight into each child's characteristics and the interests through collaborating with families, listening to the child, and observing their actions and interactions.
Based on these discoveries we build environments and opportunities for them children to explore and develop their thoughts and understandings safely and to express these in any of the hundred languages of children, which include drawing, sculpture, dramatic play, movement, and music.
We believe it is vital that children feel they have ownership over their own space and learning so they feel confident and comfortable. We facilitate this by planning routines, activities, and projects around children’s own sense of time and rhythm rather than the clock. We provide beautiful and well thought out environments, which the children become directly involved in creating and caring for.
Although our practice is primarily influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning, we believe our children are best served by drawing perspective and insight from many different disciplines, philosophers, and pedagogy, from Australia and overseas. We stay abreast of the research into early childhood, regularly assess and examine our processes and practice in the light of new ideas and seek to integrate the best elements of each.
Our philosophy and practice is thus informed by that of the Municipal Schools of Reggio Emilia, research into children’s rights and advocacy, anti-bias approach, attachment theory – Circle of Security and Phoenix cups, other best practice which we engage with, as well as our own observations and interactions.
By championing our children’s learning through thought-provoking and creative encounters, we construct meaningful experiences that meet our families’ and community’s expectations.
Children breaking new ground
We act with honesty, confidence and fairness with respect for the dignity and rights of others. We take responsibility for ourselves, our decisions and our actions.
We are explorers of the world: open-minded, asking questions, researching, investigating, being innovative and learning through wondering, trial and error and experimentation.
We overcome challenges through our own resourcefulness and determination, as well as the support of others.
We show empathy, compassion and respect as we thoughtfully consider the world, our own ideas and experience and that of others and take responsible action.
We advocate for children and childhood, exploring new ideas and developing innovative strategies that enable local, national and global citizenship.
The philosophy and practice at the Schools of Early Learning recognises the importance of the Rights of the Child. It is the cornerstone that allows us to see the needs of the whole child and take into consideration all areas of their development. Children need parents, teachers and the community to be constantly researching, refining and looking at practice.
Children need a safe secure environment that challenges and stimulates. This environment allows time for discovery, reflection, experimentation and for revisitation.
Children need a space to discover, to learn and to fail. This space needs to be theirs, it’s a place for Mum and Dad to visit, to learn about, to be interested in, but not to control.
Children need to learn how to form peer relationships, resolve conflicts, to make mistakes, to forgive and be forgiven. Children need to learn about feelings and about right and wrong. (This needs to be lived, not told).
Children need to understand the concept of mutual respect. Respect for others and respect for the environment.
Louise Thomson completed a Diploma of Childcare in 1985 and has worked as a Team Leader and Centre Director both in Australia and overseas. Louise was involved in the accreditation process as one of the original validators from the National Childcare Accreditation Council. Louise has been a Director of the Schools of Early Learning since 1989. Balancing considerations of the bigger picture with the individual needs of families and staff, Louise brings her knowledge, experience and attention to detail to the daily operations of SOEL.
Sarah Giambazi completed a Diploma of Childcare in 1990 and has worked in centres both overseas and in Australia. In 2000 she became a validator for the National Childcare Accreditation Council and accredited services all around Australia. Sarah has been a Director at the Schools of Early Learning since 1997. Her passion and energy bring innovation and flexibility to the environments and educational programs that support children’s being, belonging and becoming.
Genevieve Giambazi completed a degree in Visual Arts (Curtin University) in 1999, a degree in Graphic Design (Sydney Graphics College) in 2002 and a Certificate III in Children’s Services in 2014. As Creative Director, Gen supports educators to create environments that inspire wonder and awe. Gen oversees the Studio programme, opening pathways for children’s investigations, mindsets for respecting children’s voices and attitudes that allow the children to be who they are, to imagine and to have fun.