About Us

We are a not-for-profit OOSH service run by a volunteer parent management committee.

We are on the grounds of Thornleigh West Public school and provide care to the school community and the wider local community. We offer before and after school care, and vacation care.

We are approved to cater for up to 200 children per session, and operate under the NQF, National and State regulations. We are current assessed as being an exceeding service under the National Quality Framework.

We offer a play-based program with emphasis on learning through play. Our program consists of a range of activities, experiences and environments that promote the development of children’s life skills, and supports their learning and wellbeing.

Philosophy

TWOOSH provides quality care and play-based education to school-aged children to meet the needs of families at Thornleigh West Public School and the wider community.

At TWOOSH, each child is welcomed, included and nurtured. Our Child-focused approach allows us to accommodate the growing and changing needs of the children. We celebrate, value and embrace the diversity of our children, families and TWOOSH community.

We recognise the importance of play and providing children with choices and challenges; we have a flexible, free-play approach which is supported by the ‘My Time, Our Place’ Framework. We have a strong focus on physical health and well-being in our routines, menus, and program. This is modelled and promoted by our educators through interactive experiences and physical activities, including ‘risky play’.

Our natural and home-like environment facilitates a sense of comfort and safety, stimulating children’s well-being and development. Through access to our diverse spaces, we endeavour to promote environmental responsibility and sustainability by providing children with opportunities to respect and care for the land.

We value and celebrate the traditional custodians of the land, the Dharug peoples.

We foster connections between land, people and community which enables children to become engaged, confident, and responsible individuals; encouraging them to meaningfully contribute to their community.

We recognise the importance of positive mental health and well-being. We aim to provide a safe and supportive space for children, families and educators by facilitating trusting and reciprocal relationships. Our educators play an invaluable role in delivering our mission, values and philosophy. We strive to support and celebrate the personal growth, professional development and wellbeing of all TWOOSH educators.

Vision and Mission

Our mission is:

To advocate, influence, support and drive the improvement of quality outcomes for school age children within Thornleigh West Public School, the wider community, and the OOSH sector.
To ensure all families and children have the same experience and access to quality OOSH programs.
To be an innovative provider of quality care and learning within the sector, striving beyond excellence in all we do, and advocating for positive change.

Values

Childhood
We recognise childhood as a special time in itself; a time for all children to be immersed in secure and trusting environments that allow them to explore, play, discover and develop. We believe in the importance of creativity, imagination, and play as a fundamental part of being a child. Our biggest value is on FUN, and letting children be children

Respect
We value honesty, kindness and respect; respect to people, ourselves, resources, and the land. We promote accountability for children and educator’s own work, relationships, interactions and actions.

Leadership
We are driven by the pursuit of quality and encourage others to share that journey. We are passionate, lead by example, share, and help support others to develop leadership within our service, and within the OOSH sector

Innovation
We actively seek opportunities to explore new ideas and commit to ongoing growth and quality improvement. We are dedicated to continual professional learning and organisational development. We collaborate and explore new ideas and different ways of thinking, and encourage a growth mindset within our team.

Diversity & Inclusion
We recognise that everyone has their own culture, beliefs, values and strengths contributing to our rich and diverse community. We embrace and advocate for the rights of all children to access our service. Inclusion is an integral part of our program and we strive to embed inclusive practices to promote a feeling of belonging at TWOOSH for all children.

Community
We recognise the community as an integral part of our service, and that relationships with children, educators, families and the community will benefit all stakeholders. We aim to empower children to be responsible and engaged members of our community, and an asset to it. We show children the importance of giving and helping others in need, and how little things we do can mean big things to others. We work closely with our school, local and OOSH communities to build positive networks with them and provide support where possible to ensure the wellbeing of our community and the people within it.

Organisational Culture
TWOOSH would be nothing without our educators; we value the importance on building positive, collaborative, and supportive teams. We recognise that all positive change and improvement starts with our team of educators and we value their contribution to the service. This culture is reflected in the delivery of a high-quality program