Educational leadership

What is an Educational Leader?

The educational leader in children’s education and care services has an influential role in inspiring, motivating, affirming and also challenging or extending the practice and pedagogy of educators. The role is a collaborative endeavour involving inquiry and reflection, which can significantly impact on the important work educators do with children and families.

The role of the educational leader is the focus of Standard 7.2 of the National Quality Standard – Governance and leadership. Where effective leadership establishes a culture of reflective practice to encourage continuous improvement across all aspects of the service, the role of educational leader supports this culture and community through leading the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment, as well as the planning cycle. The educational leader is supported by the service’s leadership team to effect positive change, including playing an integral role in mentoring, guiding and supporting educators.

What are the requirements and responsibilities of the Educational Leader?

The role of the educational leader is primarily to:

• collaborate with educators and provide curriculum direction and guidance
• support educators to effectively implement the cycle of planning to enhance programs and practices
• lead the development and implementation of an effective educational program in the service
• ensure children’s learning and development are guided by the learning outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework and/or the Framework for School Age Care or other approved learning frameworks.

ACECQA National Education Leader

ACECQA and its National Education Leader, Rhonda Livingstone are committed to assisting the education and care sector to implement the National Quality Framework while supporting providers, educational leaders and educators in the important work of enhancing outcomes for children and families.

Regular articles by our National Education Leader are published as National Education Leader posts on ACECQA’s We hear you blog.

The Educational Leader Resource

Effective leadership builds and promotes a positive organisational culture and professional learning community (NQS Standard 7.2).

ACECQA, recognising the important role of the educational leader, and in response to sector feedback, has developed The Educational Leader Resource. This resource is a collection of practical advice, resources, case studies, research, reflections and references to support new, experienced or future educational leaders, as well as approved providers.

The Resource provides information for educational leaders in all service types in all states and territories. It is not intended to be read from cover to cover – rather, it has been designed as a resource that can be referred to as needed.

The Resource has been designed as an online PDF document and will be updated as required. For updates about the Resource, subscribe to the ACECQA Newsletter.

Educational Leadership in Family Day Care: Stories from the Field

The Educational Leader Resource Addendum for Family Day Care

The Educational Leader Resource Addendum for Family Day Care brings to life the stories and experiences of educational leaders in family day care from around Australia. ACECQA recognises that the role of the educational leader in family day care has unique aspects that provide challenges and opportunities worthy of recognition and celebration through its own addendum.

Each story in the addendum highlights a critical strategy that builds the effectiveness of educational leaders’ practice. The stories come from practitioners working in a diverse range of services and highlight practices that confirm the essential role of educational leaders in family day care.

Positioned alongside the resource, the ideas and strategies speak directly to those who are in the educational leader role in family day care services, those who are considering taking on the role, and those who support them.

The Addendum is free to download to add to your existing Educational Leadership Resource. 

Outside School Hours Care: Educational Leadership in Action

The Educational Leader Resource Addendum for Outside School Hours Care

The Educational Leader Resource Addendum for Outside School Hours Care brings together a topic based collection of information, reflections, practical ideas and experiences of educational leadership in outside school hours care. ACECQA recognises that there are unique aspects to the role of the educational leader in outside school hours care, providing challenges and opportunities worthy of recognition and celebration through its own addendum.

The information comes from Australian and international research, and practitioners working in a diverse range of services and highlight practices, research, ideas and knowledge that confirm the essential role of educational leaders in outside school hours care. It is presented in the addendum as individual topics which can be considered on their own or collectively. 

Positioned alongside the resource, the ideas and strategies speak directly to those who are in the educational leader role in outside school hours care services, those who are considering taking on the role, and those who support them.

The Addendum is free to download to add to your existing Educational Leadership Resource. 

The Educational Leader Resource videos 

To support the Educational Leader Resource we have a series of videos to accompany the Resource. Like the Resource, these videos are designed to be dipped in and out of as needed.

Educational leadership resources

There are a range of other resources to support the role of educational leader that can be found in the Resources & Research area of our website. On the Videos page are various interviews, presentations and webcasts.

ACECQA has also compiled a range of resource links that you may find useful in your educational leader role. The resources are grouped under each quality area on the National Quality Standard page of our website. Quality Area 1 resources may be particularly useful in leading the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment and planning cycle at your service.

If you would like to request the ACECQA National Education Leader, or another member of the ACECQA team, speak at an education and care event or conference use our Speaker Request form.