Discover the seven quality areas that make up the National Quality Standard (NQS) - your guide to ensuring your child receives the best possible care and education, covering every aspect of your child's development and well-being.
Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice
Ensuring that educational programs are engaging, stimulating, and enhance children's learning and development. For example, a high-quality program might include activities like storytelling, art projects, and outdoor exploration.
Ensuring that educational programs are engaging, stimulating, and enhance children's learning and development. For example, a high-quality program might include activities like storytelling, art projects, and outdoor exploration.
Quality Area 2 – Children's health and safety
Prioritising children's well-being by promoting healthy eating, physical activity, and effective hygiene practices. Examples include providing nutritious meals, supervising outdoor play, and regularly cleaning and sanitising toys and surfaces.
Prioritising children's well-being by promoting healthy eating, physical activity, and effective hygiene practices. Examples include providing nutritious meals, supervising outdoor play, and regularly cleaning and sanitising toys and surfaces.
Quality Area 3 – Physical environment
Creating safe, suitable, and stimulating physical environments that support children's learning and development. For instance, a well-designed environment might include cozy reading nooks, age-appropriate play structures, and natural elements like gardens or water features.
Creating safe, suitable, and stimulating physical environments that support children's learning and development. For instance, a well-designed environment might include cozy reading nooks, age-appropriate play structures, and natural elements like gardens or water features.
Quality Area 4 – Staffing arrangements
Ensuring that qualified and experienced educators are available to support children's learning and development. An example of good practice in this area is maintaining appropriate educator-to-child ratios and providing ongoing professional development opportunities for staff.
Ensuring that qualified and experienced educators are available to support children's learning and development. An example of good practice in this area is maintaining appropriate educator-to-child ratios and providing ongoing professional development opportunities for staff.
Quality Area 5 – Relationships with children
Promoting respectful, responsive, and equitable relationships between educators and children. Examples include using positive language, acknowledging children's feelings, and providing opportunities for children to make choices and decisions.
Promoting respectful, responsive, and equitable relationships between educators and children. Examples include using positive language, acknowledging children's feelings, and providing opportunities for children to make choices and decisions.
Quality Area 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Building strong partnerships with families and communities to support children's learning and well-being. For example, educators might invite family members to share their cultural traditions or connect families with local community services.
Building strong partnerships with families and communities to support children's learning and well-being. For example, educators might invite family members to share their cultural traditions or connect families with local community services.
Quality Area 7 – Governance and leadership
Ensuring that effective leadership and management practices are in place to support high-quality service delivery. An example of good practice in this area is regularly seeking feedback from families and staff to inform decision-making and improve service quality.
Ensuring that effective leadership and management practices are in place to support high-quality service delivery. An example of good practice in this area is regularly seeking feedback from families and staff to inform decision-making and improve service quality.
- 😍 Exceeding NQS
- 😃 Excellent
- 😊 Meeting NQS
- 😞 Working Towards NQS
- 😩 Significant Improvement Required
- 😶 Not Assessed
This dataset covers preschool services from both private Early Learning Centers (ELCs) and public schools.
* SEIFA provides measures of socio-economic conditions by geographic area.
* SEIFA provides measures of socio-economic conditions by geographic area.