Meet Karen-Service Manager Sparrow Early Learning Morley

Hi my name is Karen, I hold a Diploma of Children’s Services and I have worked in the Early Learning industry for over 20 years, 14 of which I have spent here at the Morley centre. I have an amazing boy who grew up within our centre and still loves to come and visit some of his old educators.

Working with children has always been a great passion of mine and I believe that with nurture, care and dedication children will have the opportunity to grow into the leaders of the future. Over my 14 years here at Morley it has been an absolute pleasure to educate and watch the development of some of the children grow from Babies all the way through to high school. It has been extremely rewarding being a part of their journey through the early years.

The first years of children’s development is so important and something I am passionate about, I believe it is our role as educators to foster and assist in developing children’s interests, strengths, curiosity, imagination and understanding of the world around them while celebrating all the children’s wonderful firsts and the little moments and milestones as they grow.

At Sparrow Morley our team is built of passionate, enthusiastic, dedicated and loving educators who strive to create a supportive, safe and secure environment for all of our children, families and community as a whole. I am very proud of the dedication, love, and commitment that our Educators put into practice every day with our children and families, and I feel really privileged to work alongside them and to mentor them into being the best versions of themselves.

I welcome your feedback, sharing of ideas and encourage your involvement for continual improvements within the Service. I am dedicated to focusing on meeting the needs of our families, the greater community.

I am passionate about leading a team of caring, dedicated and professional educators in creating a safe, secure and welcoming environment that supports the learning of our future leaders.

Our team here at Sparrow Early Learning Morley look forward to meeting you and your beautiful family and working alongside you in your child’s early learning journey.

 My qualifications & experience:
● Diploma of Children’s Services – Early Childhood Education and Care
● Over 16 years of experience in Early Childhood Education and Care

“The Sparrow Way combines proven international early learning methods to create a unique and purposefully contemporary practice designed for today’s society. Guided by the principles of Reggio Emilia childcare and underpinned by The Early Years Framework for Australia, we embrace children’s inherent abilities to learn and develop, creating an environment for them to find solutions through exploration, discovery and invention, marveling in everything around them. The Sparrow Way is our method of working with children based on these beliefs and principles.” 

- The Sparrow Early Education Team

The Sparrow curriculum is thoughtfully planned by our educators and shaped by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Being guided by the EYLF and National Quality Standards (NQS) ensures we offer high quality learning programs that are responsive to children’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities.

Programs are play-based, child-driven and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach with a strong emphasis on nature and outdoor learning experiences.  Educators carefully design environments that stimulate curiosity and provide opportunities for hands-on learning experiences that are reflective of real life.

Play is viewed as a powerful tool for children to explore, discover and make meaning of the world around them. Activities are largely open-ended, providing a wide variety of natural resources and materials which stimulate imagination and foster creativity, problem-solving and meaningful interactions with friends and educators. 

Children are encouraged to express themselves through various mediums, such as art, music and dramatic play, allowing them to develop a deep sense of autonomy, confidence and joy in their learning journey.

The Sparrow team values the role of families as children’s most important teachers and our educators foster positive and collaborative relationships with families. Parents are encouraged to contribute their ideas for programming, learning activities and the overall operation of the service. 

Our inclusive open-door policy welcomes parents to visit our service, engage in discussions with educators and participate in children's learning. Our educators maintain open and continuous communication with families, ensuring a strong connection between the children's home learning environment and their educational experiences at the centre. During pick-up and drop-off times, educators are readily available to engage with families and gladly share insights into the children's progress, well-being and participation. 

The use of the Storypark communication app provides daily updates, photos, and videos, fostering regular connections between educators and families. Parents also receive frequent communication through emails, newsletters, displays, notices, information evenings, special events, and Facebook.

• Planned and delivered by qualified Early Childhood Teachers
• Government Accredited
• School Readiness focus
• Transition to School program including school visits & transition reports

Sparrow Early Learning centres provide high quality kindy programs led by qualified Early Childhood Teachers. While the curriculum remains play-based, these programs follow a more structured approach to teaching and learning experiences to prepare children for transitioning into a primary school environment. There is a careful balance maintained between child-led and teacher-led learning activities.

Our Early Childhood Teachers cater to the individual needs of each child and in collaboration with parents, ensure that children are adequately equipped with the skills and experience required for a smooth transition to “big school”. Ongoing assessment of children’s progress and development is carefully documented and communicated with families and transition statements can be shared with future schools to facilitate a smooth transition to school. 

Attending kindy at their familiar Sparrow Early Learning centre makes the transition from the long day care setting less intimidating and children can continue their early learning journey in a safe and familiar environment, surrounded by friends and familiar educators. It also means families can enjoy the flexibility of extended care hours and continued care during school holiday periods. All meals and snacks are provided, adding to the convenience for busy families.

At Sparrow, safeguarding is not just a system - it is a culture.

Safeguarding the Sparrow Way is about safety, respect, protection and genuine care every day, in every interaction, for every child.

Our safeguarding approach is built around seven core priorities - Supervision, Prevention, Awareness, Responsibility, Respect, Observation, and Well-being.

Together, these priorities guide how we think, act, decide and respond in our work with children. They form the foundation of safe practice across all Sparrow services and outline what it means to uphold our duty of care with integrity, awareness, and consistency.