Exceeding guidance for Standard 1.2: Practice

Overview

The following guidance is questions for services to ask of their own practice to consider whether their service Exceeds the NQS in Standard 1.2.

Questions to guide reflection on practice for Standard 1.2

Exceeding theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations

• How do educators, the educational leader and co-ordinators demonstrate a deep understanding of the requirements of the Standard, the concepts and the component elements, and a commitment to high quality practice at all times?
• How are all educators:
  • consistently deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in all of their decisions and actions that impact on children’s learning and development?
  • consistently and respectfully responding to each child’s ideas and play to facilitate and extend each child’s participation, learning and development?
  • consistently taking every opportunity to extend each child’s learning through open-ended questions, interactions, feedback and the provision of resources?
  • consistently considering and promoting the agency of each child, and supporting each child to make a range of choices and decisions to influence events and their world?
  • confidently making curriculum decisions throughout the day, week or month to ensure each child’s participation, learning and development is facilitated and extended?
• Are all educators and the educational leader able to explain how their educational practice connects to:
  • the approved learning framework/s and facilitates and extends each child’s learning and development?
  • the service philosophy and supports the service’s broader vision for quality?
• How does the observed and discussed approach to facilitating and extending children’s learning and development:
  • consistently align with the service philosophy?
  • consistently demonstrate a strong commitment to the principles and practices of the approved learning framework/s?

Exceeding theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection

• How is the service’s educational practice approach to facilitating and extending children’s learning and development:
  • reflective of robust debate, discussion, and opportunities for input by all educators, and informed by critical reflection and past incidents?
  • informed by current recognised guidance?
• Is any change to the service’s approach to facilitating and extending children’s learning and development understood by all and implemented appropriately?
• How do all educators and the educational leader regularly reflect, individually and with each other on:
  • their educational practice approach to facilitating and extending children’s learning and development?
  • alternate practice approaches to facilitating and extending children’s learning and development?
  • implementation of changes to strengthen their practice over time?
  • social justice and equity implications of their educational practice to ensure that practice considers the circumstances and rights of every child at the service?
  • opportunities to cultivate deep respect for, and knowledge of, the cultural diversity of the broader community in educational practice, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures?
  • theoretical and philosophical influences on their practice, including the theoretical perspectives identified in the approved learning framework/s?
  • how they draw on theoretical and philosophical influences and how they have influenced practice over time?

Exceeding theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community

• How does the service’s educational practice approach to facilitating and extending children’s learning and development:
  • reflect the unique geographical, cultural and community context of the service?
  • welcome, respect and draw on the voices, priorities and strengths of the children and families at the service?
• How do all educators:
  • consistently and meaningfully engage with children’s families and/or the community to draw on family and/or community understanding of each child’s knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities, interests and learning and development in order to facilitate and extend children’s learning and development?
  • actively seek out the voices, perspectives, and views of children throughout the day, and draw on this input to facilitate and extend children’s learning and development?
  • draw inspiration from the unique geographical, cultural and community context of the service to facilitate and extend on children’s learning and development?