Day 4: National Quality Standards (NQS)

Welcome to Day 4 of my exploration into creating a comprehensive childcare portfolio! Today, I focus on the National Quality Standards (NQS), a cornerstone of quality childcare in Australia. 

Today, I observed how the center works to meet the seven quality areas of the NQS. I focused on Quality Area 1 (Educational Program and Practice) and Quality Area 5 (Relationships with Children). I noticed how intentional teaching was embedded within play and how educators formed secure, respectful relationships with each child. I began to think critically about how to contribute meaningfully to the quality improvement plan.

Let's delve into some key questions to help you reflect on and showcase your understanding and application of the NQS.

Challenges in Documenting NQS

Meeting Specific Requirements for Each Quality Area: I observe that the NQS covers a wide range of areas, from relationships with children to educational programming, safety, and leadership. Making sure that every aspect is documented thoroughly and reflects the specific standards can be a bit like fitting pieces of a puzzle together (Department of Education, 2022).

How I Tackle It: I make sure to refer to the NQS framework regularly, using it as a checklist when documenting. It’s also helpful to regularly review documentation templates to ensure they align with the standards and stay consistent in how I present the information.

Explaining NQS to Parents

I learned how to explain NQS to parents by discussing it with my room leader. I asked her a few questions that helped me to understand this better

I ask,

  • How do we ensure children's health and safety? (Quality Area 2) (ACECQA, 2023).

  • What strategies do we use to foster positive relationships with children? (Quality Area 5) (ACECQA, 2023)

  • How are we involving families in the learning process (Quality Area 6)? I learn that parents may not be familiar with the NQS or its terminology, so it’s important to explain it in simple, clear language. For instance, instead of focusing on jargon like “staffing arrangements,” I could say, "We ensure that there are qualified and experienced staff members to look after your child and provide the best learning opportunities."

Activity

 

🌱 Activity: “Our Garden of Feelings”  A Social-Emotional Learning Experience
Age Group: 3–5 years (Preschoolers)
Duration: 30–40 minutes
Location: Outdoor or indoor quiet space

Learning Intentions:
Support children in identifying and expressing emotions through emotional literacy.

Trusting relationships are built through co-learning and storytelling approaches.

Intentional teaching fosters participation and engagement.

Links to the NQS:
Quality Area 1: Intentional teaching extends children’s emotional well-being.

Quality Area 5: Educators foster respectful teacher-student bonds through sensitive discussions and shared activities.

Activity Description:
Start with a Welcome Circle. Present a basket of laminated emotion flowers (happy, sad, excited, worried). Educators guide children with questions to explore emotions.

Children create "emotion flowers" with craft petals representing feelings and stems showing healing methods.

As children share their flowers, educators demonstrate understanding and listen attentively.

Display flowers on a board titled “Our Garden of Feelings” to revisit during the week.

Educator’s Role:
I observe and document children’s emotional and social behavior.

I use open-ended questions and affirm children’s feelings.

I reflect on the experience to enhance future planning and improvement strategies.

EYLF Learning Outcomes:
Outcome 1: Children develop personal identity and self-awareness.

Outcome 3: Children demonstrate strong well-being.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.

 

Ready to Showcase Your NQS Understanding?

Contact us today to discuss how we can help you build a portfolio that effectively demonstrates your expertise and commitment to the National Quality Standards.