Inspire Doncaster achieves Exceeding NQS in all seven quality areas

The Melbourne service's assessment recognised consistent practice across ten rooms, with children's voices, family partnerships and educator mentoring shaping service decisions.

Inspire Early Learning Journey Doncaster has been rated Exceeding National Quality Standard (NQS) in all seven quality areas following an assessment by the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA).

The Melbourne long day care service's assessment visit took place on 13 August 2026. Its rating was issued in September.

The assessment report noted that the service's ten rooms "consistently demonstrated high-quality practice and high-quality programs". Its findings highlighted responsive teaching, respectful relationships with children and families, and leadership arrangements that supported consistency across the service.

Children's participation in decisions was evident in both the educational program and service operations. When families raised concerns about safety in the basement car park, the leadership team reviewed arrival and departure arrangements and developed a separate car park management procedure with children's input.

The report also described an extended inquiry into children's rights. Children explored what different rights meant to them before illustrating and authoring their own books, which remained available in their rooms to revisit with peers and families.

Younger children explored related ideas through age-appropriate songs and educators' language during routines. Family feedback also informed learning about body safety, connecting the educational program with families' priorities.

Everyday conversations helped shape curriculum planning. In one room, children began discussing clothing during a magnetic activity. Educators extended these ideas into investigations of clothing around the world, textiles and ways to reuse old fabric.

Across the service, educators shared programming time and reflected together on how children's voices informed the assessment and planning cycle. The report identified this collaboration as part of the approach supporting programs that extended individual children's learning.

Maintaining consistency across ten rooms was a focus of the service's leadership work. Reflection on the challenges involved led to the development of a support team and mentorship system.

Emerging leaders worked alongside the educational leader as team leaders, coaching colleagues and modelling practice linked to the Quality Improvement Plan. Individual professional development plans and leadership action plans supported the approach.

Room goals aligned with broader service priorities, and progress was reviewed through team discussions and meetings. Educators shared professional knowledge and practical feedback to support agreed approaches across the service.

Staffing arrangements were also reviewed in response to children's needs. Changes to rosters and deployment reduced the need to combine groups and minimised unnecessary transitions, informed by family feedback, illness patterns and educators' reflections.

Family partnerships influenced the experiences and support available to children. Families' interest in water safety helped shape a partnership with a health and lifestyle club for swimming lessons.

Concerns about children's speech and language development prompted workshops with a speech therapist. These included opportunities for questions, information about referral pathways and strategies that could be used at home and within the service.

A Mandarin language program was informed by consultation with enrolled families and local census information. The report recognised its role in supporting children's home languages and sense of belonging.

The educational program combined Montessori approaches with the 8 Ways Aboriginal pedagogy. Educators reflected on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives were explored, extending children's investigations into stories, symbolism and the cultural significance of artworks.

The report also recognised collaborative reconciliation projects involving children, staff and the community. Sustainability was embedded through gardening, worm farming, composting and the reuse of materials, with older children recording plant growth and environmental changes in journals.

ACECQA's Exceeding NQS guidance identifies three themes used to assess practice at the standard level: it is embedded in service operations, informed by critical reflection, and shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community.

At Doncaster, the report recorded families and children as active contributors to the development and review of the Quality Improvement Plan. Their feedback on car park safety, additional support needs and swimming priorities informed changes across the service.

Author: Brian Hammett is Director of Compliance and Business Support at Inspire Early Learning Journey. He supports campus leaders and senior leadership with governance, compliance and operational processes that promote children's safety, wellbeing and quality early learning.