Stronger school and OSHC partnerships support children’s safety, inclusion and wellbeing

ACECQA’s new resources help schools and outside school hours care services strengthen communication, clarify responsibilities and support children across their day.

For children attending outside school hours care (OSHC), the school day involves moving between spaces, routines and groups of adults. How well schools and OSHC teams work together can influence whether those experiences feel connected, safe and supportive.

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has released resources to help schools and OSHC services strengthen these relationships, with practical guidance on communication, shared environments and children’s wellbeing.

Many OSHC services operate on school grounds, sharing facilities and becoming an important part of the school community. These arrangements create opportunities for collaboration, while requiring clear expectations about access, responsibilities and decision-making. 

Schools and OSHC services work within different legislative, organisational and professional contexts. Understanding each other’s responsibilities provides a foundation for respectful relationships and informed decisions.

ACECQA notes that school leaders may not always be familiar with the National Quality Framework (NQF), approved provider obligations or educational leadership roles in OSHC. Similarly, OSHC teams may need clearer information about school processes and communication pathways.

Regular conversations can help both teams clarify responsibilities, plan transitions and address challenges early. Recognising OSHC educators’ expertise in children’s development, relationships and wellbeing also supports their participation in the broader school community. 

ACECQA’s Strengthening partnerships: a guide for schools and OSHC services explores how arrangements for facilities, storage, outdoor areas and access affect service operations and children’s experiences.

For OSHC services, access to appropriate spaces is closely connected to supervision, inclusion and the delivery of engaging programs. Changes to school facilities or shared-use arrangements therefore need to consider the service’s operational and regulatory requirements.

The guide identifies practical areas for collaboration, including maintenance, emergency management, medical procedures, delivery and collection, and the use of approved spaces. Agreed processes help teams understand their responsibilities and support continuity across settings. 

Children experience school and OSHC as connected parts of their day. Coordinated transitions and appropriate information sharing can help adults respond to children’s strengths, interests and support needs.

The guide highlights opportunities to coordinate wellbeing strategies, support reasonable adjustments and communicate with families and allied health professionals where appropriate.

These partnerships can be particularly important for children with disability, developmental delay or neurodivergence, children experiencing vulnerability or trauma, and those entering unfamiliar settings.

Cultural safety is also central. Children’s experiences are shaped by relationships and opportunities to see their identities, cultures and communities recognised and respected. 

Children and young people should have opportunities to contribute to decisions about shared spaces, transitions, routines and program experiences. Information sharing must also maintain privacy and confidentiality.

For families, clear communication helps explain whom to contact, how decisions are made and how the school and OSHC service work together. 

The partnership suite includes:

• Strengthening partnerships: a guide for schools and OSHC services — practical guidance for respectful collaboration.
• Who’s Who in an OSHC Service — a visual guide to common roles and responsibilities.
• Benefits of OSHC: Impact Snapshot — an overview of OSHC’s contribution to children, families, schools and communities.

Available through ACECQA’s OSHC materials page, the resources can be used individually or together to support conversations, reflection and planning. 

The resources sit alongside broader work to strengthen OSHC’s visibility within the Guide to the NQF.

Updates introduced on 1 July 2026 strengthened school-age care content across all quality areas in Section 3, which covers the National Quality Standard and assessment and rating.

The changes include additional OSHC-specific reflective questions, more breakout boxes and prompts to help authorised officers observe, discuss and sight evidence. ACECQA says the additions recognise OSHC’s distinctive context and support more consistent assessment and rating practices. 

For school leaders, approved providers and OSHC teams, the partnership resources offer a starting point for reviewing current arrangements and agreeing on practical improvements that support children throughout their day.