We often talk about centres ‘Meeting’ or ‘Exceeding’ when talking about National Quality Standards, but what does that actually mean?
Education and care services like our Lifelong Learning Centres are all assessed and rated by their State and Territory regulatory authority.
Assessors will visit each service to rate it against the following seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard:
These seven quality areas are made using the standards and elements shown by research to be the most important parts of quality early education and care.
Services then receive a rating for each of the quality areas and an overall rating is given based on these results.
There are five possible ratings a service can receive:
If a centre rates as Exceeding in all 7 quality areas they can apply to be rated Excellent.
Ratings can be a handy guide to help you choose a service or childcare centre for your child. It’s important to look at the rating for each of the seven quality areas as well as the centre’s overall rating when choosing because research shows quality early education and care leads to better health, education and employment outcomes later in life.
We encourage you to discuss ratings with your chosen centre to learn how they are working to meet the National Quality Standard, even if they are yet to be rated.
If you are still unsure about these processes there are also seven things we recommend you look for in a centre tour that will help you spot a high quality early learning centre.
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The ratio between educators and children is clearly shown with a focus on health and safety
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Educators talk to you about your child’s learning and development
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Children’s interests are explored and included in the curriculum
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Children at the centre are shown to be making decisions and encouraged to ask questions and show growing independence
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Children move between indoor and outdoor spaces with ease
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There are opportunities for the children to learn about their community and the wider world
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Children show a strong sense of belonging and comfort within the centre
At Lifelong Learning Centres we pride ourselves on our ratings across our centres and all the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver Quality early childhood services to families across the country. To learn more about your local centre call 1800 CHILDCARE.
*Images have been sourced from the Starting Blocks website.