Excellent Rating Notification for Byron Bay Preschool Cavanbah

Date awarded: 18 June 2024
Valid until: 17 June 2029

Byron Bay Preschool Cavanbah (BBPC) has been 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.  

The Byron Bay based service was recognised for its:  

• collaborative partnerships with professional, community or research organisations
• commitment to children that respects, reflects and celebrates culture and diversity, including place of origin
• inclusive partnerships with children and families  
• positive workplace culture and organisational values, sustained commitment to professional development and support of educators.

Examples of exceptional practice at the service include:

• At BBPC, a dedicated Cultural Facilitator (CF) is employed  for two days per week, playing a key role in enhancing practices, programs, and outcomes by embedding cultural experiences. Since 2022, the CF, an educator with a diploma of Aboriginal Culture and Community Development, has been instrumental in leading contextual cultural initiatives and ensuring that each child’s cultural background is acknowledged and valued. Tasks undertaken as part of the CF role include providing cultural briefs for planning, supporting educators in gathering family cultural information, celebrating individual cultural practices, and translating assessment reports into home languages to ensure clear communication with families.    
• BBPC emphasises being present and mindful in nature, through its deepening understanding of Bundjalung Bush Rules. Guided by a local Elder, BBPC integrates key principles of Bunjalung culture, such as respecting nature, sacred sites, and maintaining a balance between taking from and giving back to the land. Educators and children engage actively with nature, expressing gratitude for environmental gifts like wind-borne branches, which are used during creative art experiences.  
  • When encountering wildlife within its service’s physical learning environment, the educators and children research the individual animal’s needs and habitats. For example, when a snake was observed within the outdoor learning environment, the educators and children left it alone and it moved along by itself.  
• Children are actively involved in the risk assessment process, contributing to the identification and mitigation of potential hazards within their physical learning environment. They engage in discussions about various safety concerns, such as fire evacuations and the introduction of new resources. The children document their findings and suggested solutions in a Floorbook, with educators assisting in transcribing their ideas.  
  • This participatory approach extends to policy development, including the update of the service’s sleep and rest policy, which was updated to allow children  recognise their own tired cues following feedback regarding large group rest times.  
  • When a child with a nut allergy was enrolled at BBPC, the children collaborated to develop strategies to minimise the risk of allergic reactions. The children’s strategies were incorporated into daily routines and recorded in the Floorbook.  
• At BBPC, children play an active role during daily morning Preschool Management Meetings (PMM), where they contribute to the agenda and engage in discussions regarding different topics relevant to the running of their room. Educators organise the meeting agendas with input from the children, who are encouraged to propose topics such as ordering resources, resolving conflicts, and managing issues.  
  • During these meetings, children lead discussions, express their concerns, and collaboratively develop solutions, which fosters empowerment and a sense of ownership over their environment. Topics often include establishing behaviour agreements, assessing weather-related risks, and exploring the concept of community.  
  • BBPC highlights that these meetings are integral to developing children's decision-making, problem-solving, and civic responsibility. For example, when children noticed excessive packaging from a supplier delivery, they wrote a letter expressing concerns about environmental impacts and suggested alternatives. They also repurposed the packaging materials for an art project and composted the cardboard.
• To support families facing financial hardship, BBPC offers free enrolment across the week to children from vulnerable backgrounds. This includes families experiencing family stress, poverty, displacement, or other vulnerabilities as identified. Additionally, in extenuating circumstances, outstanding fees are waived for families unable to pay, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder access to quality education and care.

As a leader in the sector, Byron Bay Preschool Cavanbah provides positive outcomes which extends beyond the children and families who access the service. As the children’s understanding of its local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture grows, they become educators themselves, sharing their knowledge with families and contributing to intergenerational learning. In addition, the service supports its local community’s children and families and advocates for early childhood education and care through its commitment to community focused initiatives. The Village Vibes initiatives, facilitated by the approved provider, include regular playgroups and workshops that cater for children from infancy to their transition to school. Through these initiatives, the service staff share information, build trusting relationships, help reduce barriers to participation and advocate for access to early childhood education and care and community health services.