Excellent Rating Notification for Bermagui Preschool

Date first awarded: 16 July 2018
Date re-awarded for the second time: 30 July 2021
Date re-awarded for the third time: 3 July 2024
Valid until: 2 July 2029

Bermagui Preschool  has been re-awarded the Excellent rating by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the highest rating a service can achieve under the National Quality Framework. This is the third time Bermagui Preschool has been awarded the Excellent rating. 
 

The New South Wales based service was recognised for its:

• collaborative partnerships with professional, community or research organisations
• positive workplace culture and organisational values, sustained commitment to professional development and support of educators
• practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth.

Examples of exceptional practice at the service include:

• Continuing an existing partnership with a child psychologist to develop an art therapy program to support children's emotional wellbeing. The partnership was developed in response to children and families experiencing long-term trauma from bushfires within their community. Due to the partnership, the service has now created a purpose-built art therapy room which will be a permanent environment for children to engage in the art therapy program. The child psychologist drew on her work with the service to develop a book on supporting trauma affected children and the official book launch will coincide with the official opening of the service’s art therapy room. 
• Supporting a child-led advocacy program on building safer pathways and pedestrian crossing within their community. The service identified children and families in the community were having trouble accessing facilities in their local area due to a lack of designated safe pathways and pedestrian crossings. This resulted in children engaging in advocacy work, through letter writing, petitions and a meeting with NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads. Through this program, children developed their identities as strong leaders within the community.    
• Developing a specialised succession plan to support educators to up-skill and gain confidence to take on leadership roles. The service developed this plan as they identified that their long-standing service director would soon be retiring and by providing targeted support and initiatives, the service promotes continuity of leadership and commitment to continuous exceptional practice. Through this, an assistant director role was established, and three educators are being supported to complete their Bachelor of Early Childhood.
• As a leader in the sector, Bermagui Preschool has demonstrated their commitment to practice sharing. In Collaboration with Community Early Learning Australia (CELA), the service helped to champion and develop the Early Educators Leaders’ Peer Network and took on the role of Regional Early Education Specialist, both of which work to provide tailored support to educators in rural and remote services. Bermagui Preschool also developed its own support network for individuals in the sector facing finance and administration roles. Additionally, the service has continued its work with the Moodji Farm, which has developed into a social hub that benefits the wider community through sustainable collaborations. 

About the Excellent rating
Services that receive ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’ in all seven quality areas can apply to ACECQA for the Excellent rating. From 1 July 2023, the Excellent rating is awarded for five years. After this time services have the option to re-apply.