Full list: Top performing childcare centres on Sunshine Coast and Noosa revealed

Sunshine Coast and Noosa childcare centres have been rated some of the nation’s best, however 9 failed to meet industry standards. FULL LIST: How every childcare centre rated.

Two Sunshine Coast kindergartens have been named among the best in the country, beating out thousands of other kindys in the industry rating.

Milford Lodge Child Care Centre in Buderim and Pelican Waters Golden Beach Preschool Kindergarten and Childcare in Golden Beach were awarded an “excellent” rating by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.

The two centres join a select list of only nine Queensland kindergartens in total that received the excellent rating.

Pelican Waters Golden Beach Kindergarten & Childcare recently received an "excellent" rating on their centre. Pictured, Sylvie, 4, educator Tracey Milloy and Reggie, 5. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The rating is the highest rating an education and care service can achieve.

Centres are rated as ‘Excellent’, ‘Exceeding’, ‘Meeting’, ‘Working Towards’ and ‘Significant Improvement Required’.

Owner-manager of the Golden Beach kindy, Sue Inglis, said her team of about 18 staff were thrilled to be recognised once more for their commitment to enriching the lives of their students.

This is the second time the centre has received an excellent rating in six years, with the list being updated about every three years.

Ms Inglis said her kindy focused on providing a space for children to connect with their environment and community.

“Wellbeing for us is the most important thing for us, we believe really strongly if you’re connected to your local place and some sense of belonging there, then you start respecting the people and the place and that’s a really good start to life with these little people,” she said.

Pelican Waters Golden Beach Kindergarten & Childcare recently received an "excellent" rating on their centre. Pictured in the outdoor camp are educator Alyse Monaghan and nature camp coordinator Tyler Inglis with center children. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Ms Inglis said the 52 children who attend the centre are given “every opportunity” to connect with their environment through nature-based learning.

“Those experiences are really important to us, what we choose to do as much as we can so kids have a natural and delightful enjoyable childhood,” she said.

“We have a program twice a week where small group of children go out to nature camp and they engage with their local place.

“It might sound old fashioned but that respect of people and place is so important to have that sense of groundedness.”

There were nine Coast centres which failed to meet industry standards, and continue to work towards meeting them.

Meanwhile, three Coast centres were not rated by ACECQA.

• Sippy Downs Early Learning Centre, Sippy Downs
• Bright Start Specialised early Learning Centre, Kuluin
• YMCA Palmview Outside School Hours Care, Palmview

Editor's Note: Montessori International College Forest Glen- Sunshine Coast Daily is pleased to confirm that in October 2021, the ACECQA updated its data to indicate MIC Forest Glen is now exceeding all NQS. We retract any suggestion that MIC Forest Glen was amongst the worst childcare centres in Sunshine Coast and Noosa. We apologise for any harm this may have caused.

Editor’s Note: Updated Data- Sunshine Coast Daily is pleased to confirm that in October 2021, the ACECQA updated its data to indicate Noosa Outlook Childcare Centre is meeting all NQS. Dalton Drive Early Learning, Maroochydore and Glasshouse Mountains Early Education Centre and Preschool were also previously rated as working towards NQS but ACECQA has since removed the kindergartens from their website. The above data has been updated.