Goodstart Early Learning Bathhurst celebrates Excellent rating from ACECQA

The team at Goodstart Early Learning Bathurst, located in regional New South Wales, have secured an ‘excellent’ rating from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). 

With only 42 long day care, out of hours care, family day care and kindergarten/preschools across Australia holding the rating, the Award is a significant stamp of quality for the service. 

Director Emma Kentwell said the award was a huge achievement for the team, once which resulted from many hours of hard work and dedication.

“It’s a measure of their passion and dedication and reflects the effort they make every day in delivering the best possible early learning experience for our children and families,” she said.

In awarding the rating, ACECQA specifically acknowledged the collaborative community partnerships, a commitment to culture and diversity, and creating environments that enhance learning and growth.

An important part of achieving the rating was the recognition of the work undertaken by the team to support and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, with programs including regular opportunities for children to learn and develop a sense of identity while connecting with local community elders. 

Since 2017, the service has made a concerted effort to increase enrolments of First Nations children, and to ensure that children are attending early childhood education. 

Aboriginal children now make up 4.1 per cent of weekly attendances, well above the national average of 2.9 per cent. 

The Bush Kinder program offered by the service was another highlight of the program singled out by ACECQA, which incorporates not only engagement with, and respect for, Country, but also supports Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children to understand local cultural knowledge and protocols and land care more deeply. 

Goodstart CEO Julia Davison said she was extremely proud of the Bathurst team, describing the rating as being “a very important award for the children who attend Goodstart Bathurst as the children are benefitting from a centre that is not just exceeding in all of the seven quality areas – they are one step above. This is definitely something which we hope inspires others centres on their quality journey.” 

The three criteria for being awarded as ‘excellent’ are: 

1. The service exemplifies and promotes exceptional education and care that improves outcomes for children and families across at least three themes.

2. The service demonstrates leadership that contributes to the development of a community, a local area or the wider education and care sector.

3. The service demonstrates commitment to sustained Excellent practice through continuous improvement and comprehensive forward planning.

For further information about the process involved in applying for an ‘excellent’ rating, please see here.