Come with us as we reflect on the triumphs of the year gone by – a year marked by some fantastic achievements in our 2023 Assessment and Rating results. Amidst the spectrum of our services, several have achieved Exceeding themes in several quality areas.

Themes and Quality Areas

Theme 1- Practice is embedded in service operations

Theme 2- Practice is informed by critical reflection

Theme 3- Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or community

QA1		Educational program and practice
1.1	Program	The educational program enhances each child’s learning and development.
1.1.1	Approved learning framework	Curriculum decision-making contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators.
1.1.2	Child-centred	Each child’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program.
1.1.3	Program learning opportunities	All aspects of the program, including routines, are organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child’s learning.
1.2	Practice	Educators facilitate and extend each child’s learning and development.
1.2.1	Intentional teaching	Educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions.
1.2.2	Responsive teaching and scaffolding	Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and extend children’s learning through open-ended questions, interactions and feedback.
1.2.3	Child directed learning	Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions that influence events and their world.
1.3	Assessment and planning	Educators and co-ordinators take a planned and reflective approach to implementing the program for each child.
1.3.1	Assessment and planning cycle	Each child’s learning and development is assessed or evaluated as part of an ongoing cycle of observation, analysing learning, documentation, planning, implementation and reflection.
1.3.2	Critical reflection	Critical reflection on children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, drives program planning and implementation.
1.3.3	Information for families	Families are informed about the program and their child’s progress.
QA2		Children’s health and safety
2.1	Health	Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and promoted.
2.1.1	Wellbeing and comfort	Each child’s wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation.
2.1.2	Health practices and procedures	Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
2.1.3	Healthy lifestyle	Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child.
2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practised and implemented.
2.2.3	Child protection	Management, educators and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to identify and respond to every child at risk of abuse or neglect.
QA3		Physical environment
3.1	Design	The design of the facilities is appropriate for the operation of a service.
3.1.1	Fit for purpose	Outdoor and indoor spaces, buildings, fixtures and fittings are suitable for their purpose, including supporting the access of every child.
3.1.2	Upkeep	Premises, furniture and equipment are safe, clean and well maintained.
3.2	Use	The service environment is inclusive, promotes competence and supports exploration and play-based learning.
3.2.1	Inclusive environment	Outdoor and indoor spaces are organised and adapted to support every child’s participation and to engage every child in quality experiences in both built and natural environments.
3.2.2	Resources support play-based learning	Resources, materials and equipment allow for multiple uses, are sufficient in number, and enable every child to engage in play-based learning.
3.2.3	Environmentally responsible	The service cares for the environment and supports children to become environmentally responsible.

 

	Concept	Descriptor
QA4		Staffing arrangements
4.1	Staffing arrangements	Staffing arrangements enhance children’s learning and development.
4.1.1	Organisation of educators	The organisation of educators across the service supports children’s learning and development.
4.1.2	Continuity of staff	Every effort is made for children to experience continuity of educators at the service.
4.2	Professionalism	Management, educators and staff are collaborative, respectful and ethical.
4.2.1	Professional collaboration	Management, educators and staff work with mutual respect and collaboratively, and challenge and learn from each other, recognising each other’s strengths and skills.
4.2.2	Professional standards	Professional standards guide practice, interactions and relationships.
QA5		Relationships with children
5.1	Relationships between educators and children	Respectful and equitable relationships are maintained with each child.
5.1.1	Positive educator to child interactions	Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
5.1.2	Dignity and rights of the child	The dignity and rights of every child are maintained.
5.2	Relationships between children	Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships.
5.2.1	Collaborative learning	Children are supported to collaborate, learn from and help each other.
5.2.2	Self-regulation	Each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts.
QA6		Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
6.1	Supportive relationships with families	Respectful relationships with families are developed and maintained and families are supported in their parenting role.
6.1.1	Engagement with the service	Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions.
6.1.2	Parent views are respected	The expertise, culture, values and beliefs of families are respected and families share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing.
6.1.3	Families are supported	Current information is available to families about the service and relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.
6.2	Collaborative partnerships	Collaborative partnerships enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing.
6.2.1	Transitions	Continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing information and clarifying responsibilities.
6.2.2	Access and participation	Effective partnerships support children’s access, inclusion and participation in the program.
6.2.3	Community engagement	The service builds relationships and engages with its community.
QA7		Governance and Leadership
7.1	Governance	Governance supports the operation of a quality service.
7.1.1	Service philosophy and purpose	A statement of philosophy guides all aspects of the service’s operations.
7.1.2	Management systems	Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service.
7.1.3	Roles and responsibilities	Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and understood, and support effective decision-making and operation of the service.
7.2	Leadership	Effective leadership builds and promotes a positive organisational culture and professional learning community.
7.2.1	Continuous improvement	There is an effective self-assessment and quality improvement process in place.
7.2.2	Educational leadership	The educational leader is supported and leads the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment and planning cycle.
7.2.3	Development of professionals	Educators, co-ordinators and staff members’ performance is regularly evaluated and individual plans are in place to support learning and development.

 

Services that achieved Exceeding themes in 2023

Check out the following breakdown from our Pedagogy and Practice team of which of our services achieved Exceeding themes in 2023.

FORSTER OOSH	Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
Standard 1.1	YES	YES	YES
Standard 1.2	YES	YES	YES
Standard 1.3	YES	YES	YES
Standard 2.1	YES
Standard 2.2	YES
Standard 3.1	YES
Standard 3.2	YES
Standard 4.1
Standard 4.2	YES	YES
Standard 5.1	YES	YES	YES
Standard 5.2	YES	YES	YES
Standard 6.1	YES	YES	YES
Standard 6.2	YES	YES	YES
Standard 7.1	YES
Standard 7.2		YES

 

GLOUCESTER OOSH	Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
Standard 1.1	YES
Standard 1.2	YES
Standard 1.3	YES		YES
Standard 2.1	YES
Standard 2.2	YES
Standard 3.1	YES
Standard 3.2	YES
Standard 4.1	YES
Standard 4.2	YES
Standard 5.1	YES
Standard 5.2	YES
Standard 6.1	YES
Standard 6.2	YES		YES
Standard 7.1	YES		YES
Standard 7.2

 

EDGEWORTH OOSH	Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
Standard 1.1
Standard 1.2
Standard 1.3
Standard 2.1	YES
Standard 2.2
Standard 3.1
Standard 3.2
Standard 4.1	YES
Standard 4.2
Standard 5.1
Standard 5.2
Standard 6.1
Standard 6.2
Standard 7.1
Standard 7.2

 

GLENDALE OOSH	Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
Standard 1.1
Standard 1.2
Standard 1.3
Standard 2.1
Standard 2.2
Standard 3.1	YES
Standard 3.2	YES
Standard 4.1
Standard 4.2
Standard 5.1
Standard 5.2
Standard 6.1	YES
Standard 6.2
Standard 7.1	YES
Standard 7.2

 

THE JUNCTION OOSH	Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
Standard 1.1	YES
Standard 1.2
Standard 1.3	YES
Standard 2.1
Standard 2.2
Standard 3.1
Standard 3.2
Standard 4.1
Standard 4.2
Standard 5.1
Standard 5.2	YES
Standard 6.1
Standard 6.2
Standard 7.1
Standard 7.2

 

STOCKTON OOSH	Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
Standard 1.1	YES
Standard 1.2	YES
Standard 1.3	YES	YES
Standard 2.1
Standard 2.2
Standard 3.1
Standard 3.2
Standard 4.1	YES
Standard 4.2
Standard 5.1	YES
Standard 5.2
Standard 6.1	YES		YES
Standard 6.2
Standard 7.1	YES
Standard 7.2	YES