Canberra early learning service honoured with national award for team excellence

A Canberra early learning service has been nationally recognised for its outstanding teamwork, receiving one of Australia’s top education honours at the 31st National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA).

The National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) is one of Australia and New Zealand’s most prestigious education award programs, recognising outstanding educators and early learning teams who demonstrate exceptional commitment, innovation, and impact in their communities. For over 30 years, NEiTA has celebrated teachers and leaders who make a significant difference in the lives of children and families.

The Taylor Child Care and Education Centre, operated by Communities at Work, was announced as the recipient of the NEiTA Seed Award for Early Team Excellence, along with a $10,000 professional development grant to support ongoing educator growth and learning.

The Taylor team is known for its collaborative culture and its unique ‘champion model’ a distributed leadership approach where educators take ownership of specialised areas such as inclusion, wellbeing, sustainability, and cultural responsiveness. This model has contributed to the Centre achieving an ‘Exceeding’ rating across all seven Quality Areas of the National Quality Standard.

The Centre also participates actively in sector innovation, contributing to research partnerships and pilot initiatives aimed at strengthening early childhood pedagogy and outcomes for children.

Centre Director Farah Junaid shared that the recognition reflects the team’s shared purpose, dedication, and commitment to high-quality early childhood education.

“Being acknowledged nationally is a wonderful honour for our service. This achievement truly belongs to our educators their heart, professionalism, and daily commitment to creating environments where children feel seen, valued, and inspired to learn is what makes our Centre exceptional.”

She explained that the award also recognises the strong professional culture the team has built together.

“We’ve worked hard to cultivate a culture grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and genuine care for every child and family. Our educators lead with purpose and embody our belief that they are architects of hope, not babysitters. I could not be prouder of the way they carry this responsibility.”

Farah also expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the team.

“We are extremely thankful to the NEiTA Foundation, Futurity Investment Group, and everyone involved in this process. This recognition affirms the power of teamwork, trust, and shared vision. It encourages us to continue striving for innovation, inclusion, and excellence for the children, families, and community we serve.”