Giiguy Gamambi Preschool shares how embedded practice supported Exceeding NQS result

A NSW preschool rated Exceeding National Quality Standard (NQS) has shared how ongoing critical reflection and continuous improvement helped its team approach assessment and rating with confidence under the state's five-business-day notice period.

Giiguy Gamambi Preschool, located on Gumbaynggirr Country, recently shared its assessment and rating experience with the NSW Department of Education, highlighting the value of maintaining an up-to-date quality improvement plan (QIP) and embedding reflective practice throughout the year.

The service was rated Exceeding NQS following the visit. 

Director Beck Graham said the Giiguy Gamambi team regularly discusses practice and collectively determines whether its reflections should be recognised as existing strengths or developed further through the QIP.

Educators also work collaboratively to develop strategies, timelines and review processes, helping to ensure the service's documented practices reflect the perspectives and work of the whole team.

Service leaders document this work through the NSW Early Learning Commission's Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal, which the service uses consistently throughout the year to support critical reflection and continuous improvement. 

Ms Graham said maintaining this information helped streamline what needed to be shared with the Commission ahead of assessment and rating and supported discussions with authorised officers during the visit.

“Sustained, consistent effort in quality practice positioned us well to confidently and successfully engage in A&R, even with only 5 days’ notice,” she said.

The team did not feel extensive additional preparation was necessary because its existing self-assessment information provided a comprehensive picture of the service and the needs of its children, families and community. 

During the assessment and rating visit, the team took deliberate steps to help authorised officers understand Giiguy Gamambi's service and community context.

The officers were informed about cultural programs taking place on the day so they could observe the activities, while one joined the service's morning transport run to gain further insight into the preschool's role for families and the community.

Cultural safety was also an important consideration during the assessment process.

Ms Graham said the authorised officers remained visible without being intrusive, which was particularly important with Elders present at the service.

“Their respectful approach supported a culturally safe environment,” she said. 

The timing of the assessment and rating visit presented the team with circumstances that could not have been addressed through last-minute preparation.

The visit occurred during the second week of Term 1, when children were still settling into the preschool environment. Two members of the leadership team had also returned to work for the year only the day before the visit.

Rather than viewing these circumstances as barriers, the team discussed them openly with the authorised officers and demonstrated the co-regulation strategies used to support children through the transition period.

The visit also coincided with the onset of a cyclone event.

Ms Graham said the service was able to demonstrate its emergency preparedness procedures while maintaining a calm approach.

Reflecting on the experience, she said the process provided an opportunity to demonstrate that the service's practices were embedded and sustainable, including in the absence of key personnel. 

NSW reduced the assessment and rating notice period to five business days in July 2024 as part of phased changes that commenced in 2023.

According to the NSW Early Learning Commission, the shorter notice period is intended to support assessment of the quality of education and care children experience every day.

The Commission also reminds services that assessment and rating is not intended to be an event requiring special preparation, but an opportunity to demonstrate regular practice. 

Giiguy Gamambi's experience provides a practical example of that approach, with regular self-assessment, collaborative reflection and an actively maintained QIP providing the foundation for the service to demonstrate its practice when the assessment notice arrived.

For service leaders, the experience also highlights the value of ensuring quality improvement processes are understood and contributed to across the team, rather than being treated primarily as documentation prepared for assessment and rating.

Further information about the service's experience is available in the NSW Department of Education's Giiguy Gamambi Preschool case study.