Little Scholars George Street celebrates Exceeding rating

The children, families, educators, leaders and staff which make up the Little Scholars George Street community are celebrating the recent success of the service, which has been named as Exceeding the National Quality Standard (NQS) during a recent Assessment and Rating (A&R) visit. 

Located in the Brisbane CBD, the service educates and cares for 108 children, taking advantage of its inner city location to support children to access iconic cultural spaces including the Queensland State Library, Brisbane Square Library, Queensland Museum, and the Gallery of Modern Art.

“Our team is incredibly dedicated to providing the best early education experience for our little scholars,” Little Scholars founder Jae Fraser said. 

“The Exceeding rating is a testament to their hard work, innovation, and commitment to the children’s development. They consistently go above and beyond to create a nurturing environment where each child can thrive, while also supporting families by making Little Scholars a true home away from home.”

Little Scholars’ Collective Curriculum emphasises how much of its educational experiences are child led, and this was noted in George Street’s assessment.

“Educators and service leaders actively sought the perspectives, opinions, and voices of children, families, and the community,” the authorised officer’s assessment noted, adding that the team “demonstrated a strong, ongoing commitment to meaningful, authentic, and regular engagement to inform the program.”

Other points of note in the A&R report included the collaboration Little Scholars has with families, and that the community supported educators in designing and implementing programs that promote belonging, valued each person’s unique contribution, and created a sense of wellbeing and calm throughout the service.

The Children’s Council, a key initiative present in all Little Scholars services, is an example of this approach. 

The Council, composed of children, their early childhood teacher, and educational leader, meets monthly to gather feedback on the children’s kindergarten experience and empower them to participate in decisions affecting their campus. The child-led meetings offer invaluable insights into the children’s interests and perspectives.

Families – many of whom work in the surrounding business, organisations and services of the CBD – are supported with on site parking, a valet service, breakfast provisions and take home meals to support them to manage the at times challenging aspects of the CBD commute. 

“Given our proximity to government departments, law firms, and entertainment venues, we know our parents have demanding schedules,” Mr Fraser explained. “That’s why we’re committed to providing these additional services that make a difference in their daily lives.”

Advice for other services going through A&R

With the experience of a successful assessment and rating under their belts, the Little Scholars George Street team have the following advice for a successful experience:

“Trust your team and all the things you have been working on every day. Create your evidence folders, we have one on Google Drive for electronic documentation and one hard copy. The more you have in the evidence folders the better as it really helps prompt you through the day,” Amy Robertson, campus manager said. 

“Also, think about what makes your service different from any other.”

For Educational Leader Ricky Glasson, staying calm and supporting the team is crucial. 

“Be there for your team! Team members may need you physically in the room or just for moral support, be their cheerleader! Also, don’t be afraid to mentor and guide the team in earshot of the assessor,” Ricky advised. 

“Remember that you work in an amazing centre, and you should be proud of everything that you do. A&R is your time to shine, nothing to be nervous about. One thing that really helped me was that the educators truly knew all the children and their family preferences, values and cultures. We were able to explain to the assessor all the individualized approaches we took for families,” she continued.

Nursery Studio Lead Brianna Winterstein said referring to, and reflecting on, everything written in program cycles and portfolios is important. 

“It is a great asset to have it all in front of you as you can help settle the nerves by reading the information to the assessor,” she said. “It’s better to have too much information rather than not enough, just keep talking to the assessor.”

Ultimately, this advice worked for Little Scholars’ George Street team, with the recent result reflecting the hard work and dedication of the community. 

Learn more about Little Scholars George Street here.