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Quality Area 7 – Governance and leadership
The aim of Quality Area 7 under the National Quality Standard is to support effective leadership and management of the service that contributes to quality environments for children’s learning and development. Well-documented policies and procedures, well-maintained records, shared values, clear direction and reflective practices enable the service to function as a learning community.
An ongoing cycle of planning and review, including engagement with families, creates a setting for continuous improvement.
Governance and Leadership |
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|---|---|---|
| Standard 7.1 | Governance | Governance supports the operation of a quality service. |
| Element 7.1.1 | Service philosophy and purpose | A statement of philosophy guides all aspects of the service’s operations. |
| Element 7.1.2 | Management Systems | Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service. |
| Element 7.1.3 | Roles and responsibilities | Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and understood, and support effective decision making and operation of the service. |
| Standard 7.2 | Leadership | Effective leadership builds and promotes a positive organisational culture and professional learning community. |
| Element 7.2.1 | Continuous improvement | There is an effective self-assessment and quality improvement process in place. |
| Element 7.2.2 | Educational leadership | The educational leader is supported and leads the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment and planning cycle. |
| Element 7.2.3 | Development of professionals | Educators, co-ordinators and staff members’ performance is regularly evaluated and individual plans are in place to support learning and development. |
Quality Area 7 resources:
- ACECQA Self-assessment tool
- Employee management and development kit (Early Learning Association Australia)
- Leading learning circles for educators engaged in study
- Employee performance audits
- Conducting staff meetings: agenda and outcomes (OSHC)
- Educator/staff appraisal training and development
- Self-assessment tool: Professional Learning Plan – PSCA
Governance
- Creating an organisational culture of your dreams
- Learning and growing through professional development
- ACECQA We Hear You blog: Professional development planning
- Professional learning seminars
- Supporting continuous performance improvement through the use of peer appraisals
- Talking about practice: the quality improvement process
- Pursuing best practice: What does it take to drive continuous improvement?
- Using complaints to support continuous improvement
Leadership
- ACECQA Information sheet: Quality Area 7 - The role of the educational leader
- ACECQA We Hear You blog: Educational Leader role: 3 part blog series
- What does it mean to be the Educational Leader in your service?
- The role of the educational leader - pages 5-9
- ACECQA Information sheet: Quality Area 7 - Educational leadership and team building
- NQS PLP - The educational leader
- Talking about practice: The role of the educational leader
- Developing a learning community for educational leaders - pages 6-7
- Sharing educational leadership - pages 16-17
- Being and becoming leaders - pages 37-39
- The dark side of leadership: troubling times at the top
- Leading excellent pedagogy and practice in children’s services
- Enablers for effective professional conversations
- Leadership in education and care - Laurie Kelly
- What does leadership look like in early childhood settings?
- The voice of the educator: Leadership
- Assessing the quality of early childhood education and care
- How to develop and update policies successfully
- Change management in early childhood education and care