Quality ratings
In NSW, the display of a service’s overall National Quality Standard rating has been redesigned to help families better understand and engage with your quality improvement journey.
Your advocacy and discussions with families about the quality ratings display will help increase awareness that, over time, will lead to continuous improvement in the provision of quality early childhood education and care services.
NSW Quality Ratings certificate
The Quality Rating certificate is designed to give families important information, at-a-glance, about the overall rating of your service as well as against each of the quality areas.
It is important to remember that quality ratings are not a pass or fail system. Quality is measured on a spectrum, and every service’s continuous improvement journey is unique.
Quality Ratings video for services
Voiceover
NSW is introducing a family-friendly quality ratings guide to explain the Education and Care Quality Ratings.
Visual
The screen opens with an NSW Government logo and the heading: ‘The NSW Department of Education - Education and Care Quality Ratings’
The next screen opens with a white on blue drawing of an outline of a day care centre.
Followed by a Star graphic of the ratings system displaying the four coloured stars and multi coloured tick and what they represent with:
- Pink representing ‘Significant Improvement Required'
- Yellow representing ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard’
- Green representing ‘Meeting National Quality Standard’
- Blue representing ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
- Multi coloured tick representing ‘Excellent Rated by ACECQA’
Voiceover
This graphic displays your existing quality rating.
Visual
Heading saying : The NSW Department of Education, Education and Care Quality Ratings.
Followed by a Star graphic of the ratings system displaying the four coloured stars and what they represent with:
- Pink representing ‘Significant Improvement Required'
- Yellow representing ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard’
- Green representing ‘Meeting National Quality Standard’
- Blue representing ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
- Multi coloured tick representing ‘Excellent Rated by ACECQA’
Voiceover
Bright and bold and easy for parents to understand, ratings will need to be displayed in a prominent place where they can easily be seen by anyone entering the service including potential families.
Visual
Screen shows graphic displaying the ratings system with the four stars and multi coloured tick.
Each star is a different colour with pink representing ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ Yellow representing ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ Green representing ‘Meeting National Quality Standard,’ Blue representing ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’ and the Multi coloured tick representing ‘Excellent Rated by ACECQA’
Next to the stars the criteria on which the centres are judged are listed:
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Below that there is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Visual
You use this as an opportunity to talk to families about your rating, and your continuous Quality Improvement Journey. Quality ratings identify both your service’s strengths, and areas for improvement.
Voiceover
The yellow ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard’ is displayed and adjacent is the criteria on which the centres are judged is listed:
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Next to that there is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard
Voiceover
As you know, the ratings are not a pass or fail system. Each service is on their own journey of continuous quality improvement. Quality is measured on a scale and ratings are designed to promote continuous improvement.
Visual
The blue ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’ is displayed and adjacent is the criteria on which the centres are judged is listed:
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Next to that there is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Voiceover
Conversations with families about your rating will give them a better understanding of the practices that make your service unique.
Visual
Graphic displaying poster of the full ratings system including the coloured stars, judging categories and measuring criteria
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing Arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Adjacent to that is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Following is a NSW Department of Education statement that the system has been assessed against the National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care and these ratings have been awarded in accordance with the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
Voiceover
Find out more on the Education NSW website.
Visual
NSW Government logo and to learn more go to: education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education
Quality Ratings video for family day care
Voiceover
NSW is introducing a family-friendly quality ratings guide to explain the Education and Care Quality Ratings
Visual
The screen opens with an NSW Government logo and the heading: ‘The NSW Department of Education - Children’s Education and Care Quality Ratings’
The scene then transitions to show a line drawing of a family day care centre then a graphic of the new 4 Star ratings system appears displaying the four coloured stars and what they represent with:
- Pink representing ‘Significant Improvement Required,
- Yellow representing ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’
- Green representing ‘Meeting National Quality Standard,’
- Blue representing ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
- Multi coloured tick representing ‘Excellent rated by ACECQA.’
Voiceover
The easy-to-follow star graphic gives families important information about the strengths and areas for improvement of your Family Day Care scheme.
Visual
Star graphic displaying ‘Working towards National Quality Standard’ level rating.
Voiceover
You can use this as an opportunity to talk to families about your rating and your continuous Quality Improvement Journey.
Visual
Alongside the graphic showing ‘Working towards National Quality Standard’ is the criteria the level is measured by.
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing Arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Adjacent to that is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Voiceover
This might include conversations about the way you implement quality standards in your practice.
Visual
Graphic showing ‘‘Meeting National Quality Standard’ and the measuring criteria:
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing Arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Adjacent to that is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Voiceover
Importantly, the ratings are not a pass or fail system.
Visual
Graphic showing ‘‘Exceeding towards National Quality Standard’ and the measuring criteria:
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing Arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Adjacent to that is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Voiceover
Quality is measured on a scale and ratings are designed to promote continuous improvement.
Visual
Graphic showing ‘‘Exceeding towards National Quality Standard’ and the measuring criteria:
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing Arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Adjacent to that is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’.
Voiceover
Talking to families about the quality ratings will give them a greater understanding of the unique features of your service.
Visual
Graphic displaying poster of the full ratings system including the coloured stars, judging categories and measuring criteria
1. Educational program and Practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing Arrangements
5. Relationship with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Governance and leadership
Adjacent to that is a bar chart showing the rating level the centre has achieved for each category of the star standards. The first bar shows the centre has ‘Significant Improvement Required,’ the second bar ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard,’ the third bar ‘Meeting ‘National Quality Standard’ and the fourth bar ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’
Following is a NSW Department of Education statement that the system has been assessed against the National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care and these ratings have been awarded in accordance with the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011.
Voiceover
Find out more on the Education NSW website.
Visual
NSW Government logo and to learn more go to: education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education
Quality ratings resources
All services are on a journey of continuous quality improvement, supported by the department. Services are encouraged to talk to families about their continuous quality improvement journey.
The department has developed some resources to help guide your conversations with families, or to share more information about Quality Ratings with families:
- Conversations with families guide (PDF, 280KB) - to support your conversations with families about your quality rating and improvement plan
- Family flyer (PDF, 166KB) - information handout for families
- Poster (PDF, 166KB) - to display at your service to promote quality ratings
Arabic
Simplified Chinese
- Conversations with families guide - Simplified Chinese (PDF, 362KB)
- Family flyer - Simplified Chinese (PDF, 178KB)