ACECQA Newsletter Issue 10 2017

2017 National Law and Regulations changes commence hero image

National Law and Regulations changes commence

Changes to the National Law and Regulations have commenced in all states and territories (except Western Australia). Read the updated National Law and Regulations.

A new Guide to the National Quality Framework (NQF)* is available on the ACECQA website, along with a number of information sheets and resources to help you understand and implement the changes.

In the coming months, we will showcase these resources and help you prepare for the revised National Quality Standard (NQS), which commences in all states and territories from 1 February 2018.

Find out more about the changes to the National Quality Framework.

*The Guide to the NQF will be updated in early 2018 to reflect the revised NQS from 1 February 2018. We are currently assessing a print on demand service for introduction closer to February 2018.

Removal of supervisor certificate requirements

Female educator point outing a photograph in a book to two little girls

A key change to the National Quality Framework is the removal of supervisor certificate requirements*.

This change reduces red tape by allowing providers to make decisions about who can be the responsible persons in their services.

We have received many enquiries around this change. The Responsible person requirements for approved providers information sheet is a useful resource to help understand this change.

Key things to know include:

Persons in day-to-day charge

A person no longer requires a supervisor certificate to be placed in day-to-day charge of a service.
As of 1 October 2017, a person may be placed in day-to-day charge of a service if:
- the approved provider or a nominated supervisor determines they meet the minimum requirements outlined at new Regulation 117B of the Education and Care Services National Regulations, and
- the person provides written consent.
The approved provider or a nominated supervisor must consider the minimum requirements outlined at new Regulation 117B for each person to be placed in day-to-day charge of a service, including those previously covered by prescribed class provisions such as school principals and those in charge of school campuses.
A person who previously provided written consent to be in day-to-day charge of the service will not need to provide consent again from 1 October 2017.

Nominated supervisors

As of 1 October 2017, there can be more than one nominated supervisor at each service.
Approved providers are responsible for ensuring any person they nominate as a nominated supervisor meets the minimum requirements outlined at new Regulation 117C of the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
Approved providers can add or change nominated supervisors for a service by giving notice to the regulatory authority through the NQA IT System, including the new person’s written consent to the nomination.

*Supervisor certificates continue in Western Australia until these changes are introduced by 1 October 2018.

Stories from the sector: Changes to the National Quality Framework

Female educator sitting outside with three small children on a sunny day

We know the children’s education and care sector is always keen to hear from other educators about their practice, how they work on continuous quality improvement and the way they manage change.

This month on We Hear You, we talk to four educators about how they are responding to the changes to the National Quality Framework (NQF) at their services.

Strengthening transition partnerships

Two school girls laughing

The transition from education and care to primary school is an important milestone in every child’s life. It is an active and dynamic process of change, a period that can be both challenging and exciting.

The education and care and primary school sectors play an important role in building collaborative partnerships and establishing effective transitions that support children through change, helping them confidently continue on their learning journey.

Research from the OECD Starting Strong V report on the transitions from early childhood education and care to primary schooling highlights the importance of continuity and collaboration in supporting quality transitions and assisting children and families to navigate the culture shifts between the stages of early education.

National Quality Standard and approved learning frameworks

An emphasis on strengthening partnerships and continuity in the transition process is also evident in the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the approved learning frameworks, which highlight connections and continuity in bridging learning experiences across different settings. This helps children to continue shaping their identities and to feel secure, confident and comfortable with the process of change.

While the report emphasises the transition between education and care to school based settings, there is a more broad-stroke definition of ‘transition’ provided in the NQS and approved learning frameworks. This should guide your thinking about other notable transition periods within education and care and more widely across the education continuum, for example, the transition from school to outside school hours care and vacation care, and from primary to secondary education.

Developing a ‘common language’

In the education sector, education and care services and primary schools are similar in many ways and should provide a continuum of support and learning for children. But each part of the education sector has some variance in the terminology used across settings, for example, ‘learning framework’ and ‘curriculum’. There are a number of useful resources that can assist in developing a ‘common language’ between education and care and primary schooling, helping in the strengthening of transition relationships that can better support the continuity of children’s learning and experiences:

Foundations for learning, a joint paper developed by Early Childhood Australia (ECA) and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), describes the relationships between the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Australian Curriculum, and how they can jointly provide an articulated pathway of learning from education and care into school and beyond.
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) provides community-level data on children’s development to help education and care services and primary schools to understand and share views of children’s strengths and needs, and identify opportunities for, and barriers to, effective transition. It also encourages professional conversations and working together to support locally determined strategies and actions.
Some services working in collaboration with local schools develop a transition to school statement. These statements are another practical tool for sharing information with parents and helping schools to be ready for each child. The information provides a summary of children’s learning, development and needs, which can be useful in supporting individualised transition approaches for both children and families.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) define the knowledge, practice and professional engagement needed for high quality, effective teaching that improves student learning outcomes. The Standards offer a common language to promote engagement and describe professional knowledge and practice.

Each of these resources can assist in forging meaningful partnerships between the education and care service, families and the child’s primary school to provide continuity of support for children’s learning in the vital early years. Developing collaborative, respectful networks, a strong ‘common language’ and shared understanding will build great local partnerships which deliver effective transition strategies. The common goal shared by each part of the education sector and families is to create high quality educational experiences for each child at every stage of his or her learning journey.

Latest ACECQA Enquiries customer survey

Young girl playing on a toy phone

ACECQA runs a regular enquiries survey to track the experience of everyone seeking assistance and information. The survey helps us assess the performance of the team and identify any areas that could be improved for the sector, families and stakeholders.

The latest survey shows ACECQA was most often contacted about qualifications assessment, the approved qualifications list, the National Law and Regulations and the changes from 1 October, especially responsible person requirements and nominated and certified supervisors.

Our Enquiries team has continued to build on the generally positive feedback received in previous surveys. The overwhelming majority of respondents were highly satisfied with the customer service they received, with 77% reporting being ‘somewhat satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’.

The ACECQA Enquiries team answers questions about the National Law and Regulations, including questions on qualifications and ratio requirements, as well as directing service providers to useful resources and the relevant state and territory regulatory authority for enquiries related to approvals, assessment and rating, and compliance issues.

You can contact the ACECQA Enquiries Team on 1300 422 327 or email enquiries@acecqa.gov.au