Update on 2024-25 Assessment and Rating

In November 2024 we published our 2024-25 regulatory priorities and targets. In this financial year, we will increase the number of services rated under the current 2018 National Quality Standard (NQS) by 20%, as well as undertake assessment and ratings of 20% of total services in South Australia.

For services previously rated under the former 2012 NQS, we will undertake a full assessment and rating, in which we include a pre-assessment and rating visit. Further information can be found in our August 2023 bulletin on assessment and rating.

For services rated under the current NQS we will be undertaking partial reassessments, mainly for services who have not been assessed and rated before 1 September 2020. This aligns with the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care's recommendation in August 2023 that we clear the backlog of services who have not been assessed and rated in the last three years.

We will select services for partial reassessment and then undertake a visit to reassess and rate:

• quality area 1 - educational program and practice
• quality area 2 - children's health and safety
• standard 5.1 - relationships between educators and children
• standard 7.1 - governance
• any other area that we identify through our initial analysis.

Approved providers and services will receive a commencement letter, which will request their Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) and a completed self-assessment tool and supporting evidence.

From 2025-26, we will continue to increase the number of services that we assess and rate to achieve the Royal Commission's recommendation that every early childhood education and care service is assessed and rated at least every three years.