Lobethal kindy gets 'Excellent' rating again

Lobethal Community Kindergarten is “extremely proud” to have received an Excellent rating from ACECQA for the second time.

Since getting the rating in 2018, the kindergarten has continued to evolve and continuously improve. This is despite a bushfire decimating its outdoor learning space in 2019 and, of course, the pandemic.

Lee Munn, Director of Lobethal Community Kindergarten, said she was proud of the resilience of her staff, the children and the community.

“Every challenge and obstacle that we have had to overcome has been critically reflected upon through each stage: planning, implementation and reflection,” she said.

“The structures we have previously established that are now embedded into our work continue to support continuous improvement in all aspects of our service.”

The past few years saw the service establish a creche with Department of Human Services to support families during the Cudlee Creek bushfire, support one of its families through the loss of their baby and reimagine its bush kindy program to focus on the regeneration of Bushland Park after the fires.

The team also created a wellbeing hub for parents, shared knowledge of sustainability with Lenswood Primary School, and brought the community together through the creation of a cookbook.

“We have adapted to meet the needs of our children, families and community during the most difficult of times,” said Lee.

“We listened to our community and responded with love and generosity through the ongoing development and continued investment in authentic relationships.

“Prioritising our work around what our community needed in the toughest of times saw us focussing on what really mattered: our children, our families, our community and our land!”

The service has maintained its high standards through challenges and kept growing.

“Our ability to focus on thriving through adversity, rather than just simply surviving, has seen us come together and connect stronger than ever.” 

The Excellent rating is the highest an education and care service can achieve under the National Quality Framework. 

Services that receive an Exceeding rating in all seven areas of the National Quality Standard can apply for the overall Excellent rating.