Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre earns Excellent rating
Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre has been awarded the Excellent rating from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
ACECQA Board Chair Rachel Hunter congratulated the Hervey Bay based service for this recognition, the highest rating achievable under the National Quality Framework (NQF).
“Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre exemplifies quality education and care through partnerships with community organisations and a commitment to respect and celebrate local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture,” Ms Hunter said.
Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre analysed Australian Early Development Census data to identify that children in its community needed extra support to develop the skills required to successfully transition to school. To address this, the service partnered with the KidsMatter mental health and wellbeing initiative to explore how educators can work with families and community services to develop common practices and share responsibility for children’s wellbeing.
To share learnings from this collaboration and improve practice in the wider community, Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre invited other services to attend professional development workshops and learn from expert speakers.
The service encourages children to engage with their own and other cultures and traditions. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is reflected throughout the service’s operations, including the development of a range of resources with local artists. The service works alongside local elders to build community partnerships and to embed their advice and guidance into programming.
“Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre is a leader in its community and I congratulate the service for its efforts to raise the bar on quality education and care,” Ms Hunter said.
The Excellent rating is an integral part of reinforcing the value of quality education and care under the NQF. Services that receive an overall rating of ‘Exceeding the National Quality Standard’ can apply for the rating.
More information is available on the ACECQA website.