Excellent Rating Notification for Immanuel Early Learning Centre

Date Excellent Rating Awarded:  11 June 2024 
Date Excellent Rating Valid until:  10 June 2029 

Immanuel Early Learning Centre (IELC) 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 Sunshine Coast 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:

• IELC responded to its families' concerns in accessing allied health services by integrating a multiprofessional team including a Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and psychologist to work alongside educators with children at the service. The service allocates funds for individual needs-based assessments, and implements allied health sessions at times that best suit the children. Improved outcomes have been identified for children and families, leading to early detection of additional needs, implementation of early intervention and providing a collaborative team to support children and families. To support children who have transitioned to formal schooling, the service facilitates ongoing sessions with allied health professionals before and after school in a dedicated therapy space. The allied health professionals are supported by an Inclusion Support Officer who facilitates mentorship for all educators. Regular access to active coaching while working directly with children has fostered continuous professional development, enhanced collaboration and empowered educators to integrate new strategies across the service.
• IELC was an integral part of the development of a neuro-play program, Mind Bubbles. This program supports children's regulation skill development and fosters a common language around emotional wellbeing. Initially, IELC engaged as a pilot service and led collaborative critical reflection between its primary allied health professionals and the program’s neurologist. This program not only enhanced children's emotional regulation, but also empowered IELC educators through team professional development and coaching, leading to its extension across different age groups. The neuro-play program has become a nationwide program available online across the education and care sector due to its mutually beneficial partnership.  
• In response to a specific need identified by IELC, a therapy dog was introduced to the service’s daily routines, providing a calming presence across the service. The therapy dog quickly became crucial in supporting children through moments of dysregulation and grief, enhancing their emotional wellbeing. IELC has strategically enhanced its transition to formal schooling initiatives where the therapy dog spends time in the school with the children during their transition phase.  
• As a leader in the sector, IELC provides a strong commitment to the early intervention, regulation and transitional needs of its children. The service has developed exceptional collaborative partnerships across multiple programs and initiatives, with its influence spanning across generations and countries. The service has taken into consideration many contextual factors in its program developments including service location, individual needs of children, families and the community.  

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.