A Guide To The National Quality Standard (NQS)

Your children are precious. That’s why we follow the strictest Australian standards here at Edge Early Learning. While your children are having fun playing and learning, we’re also working hard to ensure they feel safe, cared for and respected.

What is NQS in childcare?

You may have seen the acronym NQS and wondered, what is NQS? It’s a set of standards set by the Australian Government that all Australian childcare services strive to meet. It establishes a consistent standard for how children should be looked after in Australia, covering everything from the safety of their playroom and playground to the qualifications of their carers and the quality of the education being provided. Services are assessed and rated on how well they meet each of the seven standards.

What are the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard (NQS)

1. Educational program and practice – supports early learning and development through tailored activities and teaching.
2. Children’s health and safety – ensures children are cared for in a safe and hygienic environment.
3. Physical environment – provides safe, well-maintained and stimulating spaces for play and learning.
4. Staffing arrangements – requires qualified, caring and adequately trained staff to meet children’s needs.
5. Relationships with children – focuses on creating positive, nurturing relationships with each child.
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities – encourages open communication and involvement with families.
7. Governance and leadership – ensures strong leadership, ongoing improvement and effective operations.

How the NQS helps parents

Quality assurance: The NQS provides a benchmark for quality childcare in Australia to ensure children’s wellbeing, learning and development needs are met.

Consistency across centres: Childcare providers across Australia are held to the same NQS standards, giving children access to the same standard of care regardless of their location.

Informed choices: NQS ratings give parents a tool to assess and compare their childcare options, so they can choose a service that meets or exceeds quality standards.

The NQS rating process

Each childcare centre is individually rated by the regulatory authority in its state or territory. The rating process is comprehensive and includes:

• self-assessment and quality improvement planning;
• information gathering;
• onsite visit;
• feedback on draft report;
• final report and notice of final ratings issued to provider, and;
• publishing ratings.

How parents can interpret NQS ratings

Centres must display their rating on site. Parents can also view a centre’s rating by searching the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority national register. The ratings are:

Excellent: Service promotes exceptional education and care, demonstrates sector leadership and is committed to continually improving. Services must be rated Exceeding NQS in all quality areas to apply for this rating.

Exceeding NQS: Service goes beyond the requirements of the NQS in at least four of the seven quality standards, with at least two of these being quality areas 1, 5, 6 or 7.

Meeting NQS: Service meets the NQS in all seven areas.

Working Towards NQS: Service provides a safe education and care program and has one or more areas identified for improvement.

Significant Improvement Required: Service does not meet any of the seven areas or a section of the legislation and there is significant risk to the safety, health and wellbeing of children. The regulatory authority will take immediate action.

Provisional: Service has not yet been assessed.

NQS and Edge Early Learning

Staff at Edge Early Learning strive to provide the highest standards of care for children. Parents and caregivers are always welcome to speak to their local director about their centre’s NQS rating.