More than 1150 childcare centres exceed national quality standards, while 178 miss the mark

Almost 180 childcare centres in Victoria don’t meet national quality standards. See where yours ranks with our comprehensive database.

Papilio Early Learning, Point Cook has been "Exceeding" according to National Quality Standards. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Victorian early learning centres have raised the bar when it comes to delivering quality childcare, with services in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs leading the state.

More than 1150 early education providers in Victoria are “exceeding” the National Quality Standards (NQS), a Saturday Herald Sun analysis of Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) data has found.

The data also reveals more Victorian centres are exceeding standards than in New South Wales, while the number is double that of Queensland.

Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs boast the highest number of centres with the “exceeding” rating.

This includes Parkdale Family and Children’s Centre in Mordialloc, Bayview Preschool in Frankston and Olinda Avenue Kindergarten in Springvale.

A further eight services achieved a rating of “excellent” – the highest NQS score a childcare centre could receive.

Among those centres were Melton Montessori Early Learning Centre in Melton West – which last year had a rating of “exceeding” – and Gowrie Victoria Broadmeadows Valley in Melbourne’s north.

The NQS, as outlined on the ACECQA website, assesses seven key quality areas impacting child outcomes, including educational programs, health and safety, staffing, and the physical environment.

While 3018 Victorian centres were deemed to be meeting standards, just under 180 services were found to be delivering inadequate care.

Some of these centres were based in regional areas where there are staffing challenges, while just under 30 centres were based in the northern suburbs and 17 in the west.

Meanwhile, two centres – Maria Montessori Pre School and Early Learning Centre in Thomastown and Play House Family Day Care in Preston – were rated “significant improvement required”.

Affinity Education Group chief compliance and quality officer Dr Lesley Jones said the NQS sets the benchmark for early childhood education.

“(It) is important in clearly determining essential compliance for all operators (and is) vital to the delivery of safe, quality care,” she said.

While the NQS is a helpful research tool for families, Dr Jones said parents should consider all factors when choosing the right childcare centre for their child.

“Families should also feel comfortable and connected with the team on the ground, satisfied with the level of care they observe and make choices that suit their lifestyle and family circumstances,” she said.

One centre “exceeding NQS” was Affinity Education’s Papilio Early Learning in Point Cook.

Centre manager Jess Andison chalked up the early learning provider’s success to its dedicated, longstanding team who bring “consistency, experience and passion”.

“We take immense pride in our service; it’s reflected in everything we do, from the relationships we build to the environments we create and drives us to continually deliver quality service, day in and day out,” she said.

The centre offers specialised enhancement programs such as Spanish language classes, yoga, sport and music, along with an in-house menu that’s freshly prepared daily by dedicated chefs.

Papilio Early Learning, Point Cook offers specialised enhancement programs such as Spanish language classes, yoga, sport and music. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

It also conducts internal benchmarking each year in line with all of Affinity’s centres to ensure it always achieves the highest standards.

“We place a strong focus on building meaningful connections with children and their families, actively seeking their feedback and involving them in our journey of continuous improvement,” Ms Andison said.

“Achieving an ‘Exceeding’ rating is not just a one-off milestone. It drives us to continually reflect on every aspect of our service and pushes us to raise the bar, to keep evolving our programs, strengthening our relationships, and refining our practices.”

Originally published as More than 1150 childcare centres exceed national quality standards, while 178 miss the mark