03 JunCongratulations to Albert Park Kindergarten on achieving an ACECQA ‘Excellent’ rating
ELAA is thrilled to learn that one of our members, Albert Park Kindergarten, has recently received an ‘Excellent Rating’ from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
The Excellent rating is the highest rating an education and care service can achieve under the National Quality Framework. The awarding of the Excellent rating by ACECQA indicates that a service is embracing continuous quality improvement and practice, and are evolving over time to improve outcomes for children and families at the highest level. It also recognises providers who are champions of quality improvement, innovative leaders beyond the service, and are raising the bar on quality education and care for Australian children.*
“On receiving the news that our 2018 Assessment had resulted in an Exceeding rating across all 7 Quality Areas, we made the decision to apply for the Excellent rating, ” says Albert Park Administration Director – Jenny Whelan. “After downloading the materials from the ACECQA website, we produced a written submission across the topics of excellence in practice, visionary leadership and maintaining excellence. The process itself provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the distance travelled both for ourselves as a service, and as the sector, since the first pre-2012 whisperings of “the NQF is coming …”. Albert Park’s ‘Excellent Rating’ application process was led by Jenny, Brett Hedger (City of Port Phillip Greenhouse Programs Officer), and parent / Committee of Management member, Miranda Schuppan.
The ACECQA case officer’s report accompanying Albert Park’s ‘Excellent’ rating recognised that the centre had evidenced exceptional practice across the three themes of:
1 Collaborative partnerships with professional, community or research organisations
2 Commitment to children that respects, reflects and celebrates culture and diversity, including place of origin
3 Inclusive partnerships with children and families.
Based on the evidence provided, an additional theme of “Practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth” was added by the case officer to recognise the work the service has undertaken with regard to environmental responsibility.
ELAA would like to congratulate Albert Park Kindergarten on its achievement. We have enjoyed working, in a consultative capacity, with Jenny and the educators at Albert Park over recent years including a number of programs which have party contributed to their ‘Excellent’ rating.
*source: ACECQA website.
