Ongoing reflective practice and identifying opportunities for improvement is a collaborative process at Giiguy Gamambi Preschool on Gumbaynggirr Country. Having a strong shared commitment to continuous improvement helped director Beck Graham and her team feel prepared and confident to share their key practices upon receiving their 5-day notice of assessment and rating.

“Our team engages in regular, meaningful discussions about practice, and we collectively determine whether reflections should be recognised as strengths or developed further within the quality improvement plan,” Beck shared.

Staff collaboratively develop strategies, timelines and review processes during these discussions to ensure service practices are reflective of the whole Giiguy Gamambi team.

Service leaders are responsible for documenting these within the service’s quality improvement plan (QIP), which they maintain via the NSW Early Learning Commission’s Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal.

The service uses the portal consistently throughout the year as part of their critical reflection processes to drive quality improvement and outcomes for children, their families and the community.

Beck explained that using the portal helped streamline the process of sharing information with the Commission prior to their assessment and rating and supported conversations with the authorised officer during the visit.

“Sustained, consistent effort in quality practice positioned us well to confidently and successfully engage in A&R, even with only 5 days’ notice,” Beck said.

“We did not feel there was a need for extensive additional preparation, as [our self-assessment information in the portal] provides a comprehensive overview of our service context, including the needs of our children, families and community,” she added.

During the assessment and rating visit, Giiguy Gamambi took steps to share their service context with authorised officers. The team informed officers of cultural programs taking place on the day so they could observe the activities. One authorised officer also joined the morning transport run, which provided insight into the service’s importance for families and community.

“During observations, both officers remained visible but were not intrusive,” Beck said. “This was particularly important given the presence of Elders in our service, who can feel uncomfortable with perceived judgement or strong departmental presence. Their respectful approach supported a culturally safe environment.”

Giiguy Gamambi’s assessment and rating visit took place in the second week of Term 1, which meant children were still settling into the environment. Two members of the leadership team had also only returned to work for the year the day prior. Rather than viewing these as challenges, Beck and her team used the opportunity to showcase their embedded practices.

“We openly discussed this with the authorised officers and demonstrated our co-regulation strategies in practice to ensure they could understand how we support children through this transition period,” Beck said.

The visit also coincided with the onset of a cyclone event, she added. “We responded by confidently demonstrating our emergency preparedness procedures, maintaining a calm and assured approach,” she said.

While the 5-day notice period produced some nerves, Beck reflected that, overall, the process ‘provided an opportunity to demonstrate that our practices are embedded and sustainable, even in the absence of key personnel’.

Giiguy Gamambi Preschool was assessed and rated as Exceeding National Quality Standard following the visit.

Changes to assessment and rating in NSW commenced in 2023, with the increased use of partial reassessments to improve the currency of quality ratings. Notice periods for assessment and rating were reduced to 5 business days in July 2024 as part of a phased implementation. Five-day notice periods promote the assessment of the quality of education and care that children experience every day.