Assessment and rating is an official evaluation process where early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are assessed and rated by state or territory regulators against the National Quality Standard (NQS).
This system helps parents understand the quality of care provided and encourages services to continuously improve. In Australia, this is guided by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and managed locally by regional authorities like the NSW Department of Education.
What the Process Involves
- Self-Assessment: Services regularly review their own practices and create a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP).
- Site Visit: Trained authorised officers visit the service—often with minimal notice—to observe everyday routines, talk to staff, and review records.
- Evaluation: Services are judged across seven key quality areas:
- Educational program and practice
- Children’s health and safety
- Physical environment
- Staffing arrangements
- Relationships with children
- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
- Governance and leadership
Understanding the Quality Ratings
Services receive a rating for each category and an overall grade:
- Excellent: Awarded by ACECQA for exceptional leadership and commitment.
- Exceeding National Quality Standard: Goes above and beyond requirements in multiple areas.
- Meeting National Quality Standard: Meets all seven quality benchmarks.
- Working Towards National Quality Standard: Safe, but has specific areas identified for growth.
- Significant Improvement Required: Fails to meet critical safety or operational requirements.
Why It Matters for Families
- Transparency: Ratings are displayed at the service and published online via the StartingBlocks.gov.au finder to help parents make informed choices.
- Confidence: It provides peace of mind that strict national health, safety, and learning benchmarks are upheld.