Down The Rabbit Hole Together:A Team Journey

Overview

What are theNational QualityStandards

An outline of eachquality area

Quality ImprovementPlans

National Quality Framework

THE LAW

THE REGULATIONS

Regulations

As of the January 1, 2012: Establishment of the Australian Children’sEducation and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)www.acecqa.gov.au Ph-1800 181 088

ACECQA provides: National Leadership in promoting quality andcontinuous improvement in early childhoodeducation and care and school age care inAustralia.

Approved Learning Frameworks

Belonging, Being andBecoming: The EarlyYears LearningFramework for Australia

My time, Our Place:Framework for SchoolAge care in Australia

NQS Area 1Educationalprogram &

practice

National Quality Standards (NQS)

Quality Area 1 Educational Care and Practice

Quality Area 2 Children’s Health and Safety

Quality Area 3 Physical Environment

Quality Area 4 Staffing Arrangements

Quality Area 5 Relationships with children

Quality Area 6 Collaborative partnerships withfamilies and Communities

Quality Area 7 Leadership and Service Management

Observe, Discuss and Sight

The assessor will:

Observe what children, families, educators andco-ordinators are doing e.g. caring, friendly,respectful interactions

Discuss issues around why and how particularpractices occur in the service. They will engageeducators in this discussion.

Sight documentation provided as evidence tosupport particular practices

Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

ACECQA has produced a guide todeveloping a QIP

The QIP will:

Develop a picture of currentpractice to confirm strengths

Prioritise areas of improvement

Identify the outcome

or goal sought

Reflection timeQA1 Educational program and practice

How do we get to know each child and their strengths,abilities and interest? What EYLF Principles and Practicesunder pin this?

QA2 Children’s health and safety

How do we keep up to date with current information aboutsafe sleeping practices? Is this relevant to any other Standard?

QA3 Physical environment

What are the strengths of the environment? What barriers dowe need to overcome? How can the principles and practicesof the EYLF and the other standards support us?

Through a different lens

Another way to approach the self assessment

process:

Learning environments

Routine times

Philosophy

Your QIP must include a copy of your service philosophyand reflect your beliefs and values by:

Outlining the principles under which the service operates

Reflecting the principles of the National Law, and theEarly Years Learning Framework

Underpinning the decisions, policies and daily practicesof the service

Assisting in planning, implementing and evaluatingquality experiences for children

Reflecting a shared understanding of the role of theservice with children, families and the community

The Journey

Gatherfeedback

Identifystrenghts &

improvements

DevelopQuality

ImprovementPlan

Implementimprovement

strategies

Activity

Identify strategies to involve educators, families,children, the community and management in the

self assessment process

Area 1Educational Program and Practice

Regulation 73 -Educational program

This quality area of the National Quality Standardfocuses on ensuring that the educational program andpractice is stimulating and engaging and enhanceschildren’s learning and development.

Anna is exploring letters using themagnets. She is drawing and narratingstories with her friends and finally she isbeginning to write her name. Skills aregrowing and learning capacities areextended. ‘Becoming’ reflects thisprocess of rapid and significant change.

NQS Area 1 Educationalprogram & practice - Howeducators assessment andevaluation leads to futurecurriculum decision makingthat extends children’slearning

Area 1Educational Program and Practice

Area 2 - Children’s Health & Safety

This quality area of theNational Quality Standardfocuses on safeguardingand promoting children’shealth and safety.

Regulation-79-Serviceproviding food & beverages

Area 2Children’s health and safety

Area 3Physical Environment

This quality area of theNational Quality Standardfocuses on the physicalenvironment and ensuringthat it is safe, suitable andprovides a rich and diverserange of experiences thatpromote children’s learningand development.

Regulation 103-110-Physical Environment

Area 3Physical Environment

Area 3Physical Environment

Area 4 - Staffing

This quality area of theNational Quality Standardfocuses on the provision ofqualified and experiencededucators, co-ordinators andnominated supervisors who areable to develop warm,respectful relationships withchildren, create safe andpredictable environments andencourage children’s activeengagement in the learningprogram.

Regulation 118-154 covers educationalleader, ratios, supervision, qualifications.

Area 4 - Staffing

Area 5 - Relationships with Children

This quality area of theNational Quality Standardfocuses on relationships withchildren being responsiveand respectful andpromoting children’s sense ofsecurity and belonging.Relationships of this kind freechildren to explore theenvironment and engage inplay and learning.

Area 5 - Relationships with Children

Area 6 - Collaborative partnershipswith families and communities

This quality area of the NationalQuality Standard focuses oncollaborative relationships withfamilies that are fundamental toachieving quality outcomes forchildren and communitypartnerships that are based onactive communication,consultation and collaboration.

Area 6 - Collaborative partnershipswith families and communities

Strengths 6.3 - We have resourced our local community through theestablishments of relationships. Through excursions weare building partnerships in the local community with theschool, nursing home and shopping centre. We recognisethe connection between children, families andcommunities. We recently entered in the local dragonboat race as a community team to show an activepresence in our local community.6.3.1 - We keep open communication with the agenciesworking within our service, e.g. Care south and Barnardos.We document referrals made to other agencies. We offera referral information service to families.

Strengths - Area 6 QIP

Area 6 - QIP

Standard/element6.3.4

The service builds relationships and engagestheir local community

Identifiedissue

The service does not raiseawareness of Aboriginal andTorres Straight Islandercommunities, includingacknowledging the traditionalowners of the land and localelders or demonstrate a respectfor community protocols.

Key Improvements sought for QA6

Area 6- QIP

Standard/

Element

What Outcome or

goal do we seek?

Pri

ori

ty How will we get this

outcome

Success measure By Progress

Notes

6.3.4

The service

builds

relationships

and engages

with their

local

community

The service raises

awareness of

Aboriginal and

Torres Strait

Islander

communities,

including

acknowledging the

traditional owners

of the land and

local elders and

demonstrates a

respect for

community

protocols

M 1.Reserachappropriate protocols

2.Research who is inthe local Aboriginaland Torres straitislander community

3. Inviterepresentatives to theservice to discusswhat we would like toachieve

1. Appropriateprotocols arefollowed

2.Contact with theAboriginal andTorres Strait Islandercommunity

3.Representativesvisit the service

4. Strategies are putin place to maintainand resource therelationship

Dec

12

Area 7 - Leadership and servicemanagement

This quality area of the National QualityStandard focuses on effective leadership andmanagement of the service that contributes toquality environments for children’s learning anddevelopment.Well-documented policies and procedures, well-maintained records, shared values, cleardirection and reflective practices enable theservice to function as a learning community.Appropriate governance arrangements are inplace to manage the serviceAn ongoing cycle of planning and review,including engagement with families, creates theclimate for continuous improvement.

Regulation-Chapter 2-approvals And CertificatesPart 2.2-service Approvals

Area 7 - Leadership and servicemanagement

Looking ahead

What will your next step be?

Who will take responsibility?

What will you need to dodifferently?

Australian Children’s Education and Care QualityAuthority (ACECQA): Guide to developing a QualityImprovement Plan

Australian Children’s Education and Care QualityAuthority (ACECQA): Guide to the National QualityStandards

Early Childhood Australiawww.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au

References