Quality Area 5 has two standards that focus on relationships between educators and children, and between children and their peers.
There are three Exceeding themes that services will need to demonstrate for a standard to be rated Exceeding NQS. A rating of Exceeding NQS means going above and beyond what is expected at the Meeting NQS level for a standard.
The following three themes must be demonstrated in service practice for a standard to be rated as Exceeding NQS:
Theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations
Theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection
Theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
The following guidance is provided to assist services and assessors to consider if practice demonstrates the Exceeding themes at the level required for a rating of Exceeding NQS. The indicators provided are not exhaustive, and services may demonstrate Exceeding level practice for Quality Area 5 in a variety of ways that suit their particular operating environment and approach to practice.
Standard 5.1 Relationships With Children
Exceeding theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations
• Educators, the educational leader, and the co-ordinator demonstrate a deep understanding of the requirements of the standard, concepts and the component elements, and a commitment to high quality practice at all times.
• Each educator’s practice reflects a deep commitment to building and maintaining respectful and equitable relationships with each child.
• At all times, interactions between educators and children across the service support each child to feel secure, confident, and included, maintain each child’s dignity and rights.
• All educators are able to explain how their relationships with children are guided by an understanding of and commitment to, building trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included respecting the dignity and worth of each child protecting and ensuring children’s rights.
• The observed and discussed approach to relationships between educators and children consistently aligns with the principles and practices of the approved learning framework/s, consistently aligns with the service’s philosophy, policies and procedures.
Exceeding theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection
• The service’s approach to relationships between educators and children reflects robust debate, discussion, and opportunities for input by all educators, and is informed by critical reflection and past incidents is informed by current recognised guidance.
•Any change to the service’s approach to relationships between educators and children is understood by all and implemented appropriately.
• All educators systematically reflect on their interactions with children across the service and on opportunities to further enhance children’s lifelong learning and sense of belonging within the service and the child’s world, demonstrate self-awareness and are purposeful in the consideration of the theoretical perspectives that influence their pedagogy and the practice across the service.
• The service team reflect together to consider the social justice and equity implications of educators’ approaches to relationships with children to ensure interactions support the dignity, rights, cultures and best interests of all children, including children who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, challenge stereotypes and biases in promoting and maintaining a culture of inclusiveness.
• Engage in robust debate and discussion in which personal, professional and organisational values that influence relationships between educators and children are identified and discussed.
Exceeding theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
• The service’s approach to building and maintaining respectful and equitable relationships with each child, reflects the unique geographical, cultural and community context of the service, welcomes, reflects and draws on the voices, priorities and strengths of the children and families at the service, contributes to a culture of inclusiveness and sense of belonging for children and families at the service, is strengthened by meaningful relationships with families and the community, seeks, values and considers family input to inform ‘Interactions with Children’ policy and practice.
Standard 5.2 Relationships With Children
Exceeding theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations
• Educators, the educational leader, and the co-ordinator demonstrate a deep understanding of the requirements of the standard, concepts and the component elements, and a commitment to high-quality practice at all times.
• All educators confidently and effectively facilitate co-operative and collaborative learning opportunities, in appropriate group sizes, to ensure that every child is consistently supported to collaborate, learn from and help others, demonstrate a consistent approach to behaviour guidance to ensure that each child is supported at all times to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others, and communicate effectively to resolve conflict.
• All educators are able to explain how their support of children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships is guided by an understanding of and commitment to, creating supportive environments that enable children to collaborate, learn from and help each other, supporting each child to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts.
• The observed and discussed approach to supporting children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships consistently aligns with the principles and practices of the approved learning framework/s, consistently aligns with the service’s philosophy, policies, and procedures, including the behaviour management/guidance strategy.
Exceeding theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection
• The service’s approach to supporting children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships, reflects robust debate, discussion, and opportunities for input by all educators, and is informed by critical reflection and past incidents, enables the identification and implementation of opportunities to strengthen practice, is informed by current recognised guidance.
• Any change to the service’s approach to supporting children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships is understood by all and implemented appropriately.
• Educators demonstrate self-awareness of the theoretical perspectives that influence their pedagogy, and the practice across the service, and show that they are committed to continuous improvement.
• The service team reflect together to consider the social justice and equity implications of educators’ approaches to facilitating co-operative and collaborative learning opportunities and behaviour guidance, engage in robust debate and discussion in which personal, professional and organisational values that support children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships are identified and discussed.
Exceeding theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community.
• The service’s approach to supporting children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships, reflects the unique geographical, cultural and community context of the service, welcomes, reflects and draws on the voices, priorities and strengths of the children and families at the service, contributes to a culture of inclusiveness and sense of belonging at the service, encourages all children to challenge stereotypes and biases, and develop a deep understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the service and the broader community, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
• All educators draw on their knowledge of each family’s strengths and priorities, including behaviour guidance approaches in the home environment, to support children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships, tailor their approaches to supporting children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships in response to input from families and the community.
Reference:
New Guide To The National Quality Framework, Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority