Exceeding rating for UYCH OHSC
In February this year our Yarra Junction out of school hours care service was visited by Joanne from the Department of Education and Training who assessed and rated our service over a two day period. This included spending time in the out of school hours care church building watching the children and educators interact, assessing our bus service, speaking with Educational Leader and Coordinator Bree and her assistant Taylor and discussing processes with Alison (Manager) and Paige (Centre Director).
We are excited to announce that based on Joanne’s findings, our Yarra Junction out of school hours care service received a rating of Exceeding for each quality area and an overall rating of EXCEEDING!
Achieving this is a step closer to an excellence rating which can only be awarded by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. As of December 2015 only 15% of OSHC services had been rated the Exceeding rating which makes us very proud to be in that percentage.
The National Quality Standard (NQS) sets a national benchmark for the quality of children’s education and care services across Australia. As the NQF progresses, every service in the country will be assessed on its progress in meeting the quality standard.
The centre was assessed and rated across 58 elements, 18 standards and 7 quality areas.
These areas were:
Educational program and practice
Children’s health and safety
Physical environment
Staffing arrangements
Relationships with children
Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Leadership and service management
This is what the assessor had to say about us:
“Learning opportunities were embedded throughout the programs, routines and transitions and children were constantly exposed to rich learning opportunities that were delivered in a manner to maximise each child’s involvement and engagement in learning.”
“Interactions with each child were consistently warm, responsive and built trusting relationships that promoted children’s sense of security and belonging.”
“Conversations between educators and children during games of Uno or when a child was observed sitting on an educator’s lap while they ate an apple were indicative of the strong foundation of knowledge held by each educator in relation to each child and their families.”
“Professional standards were embedded in practice, interactions and relationships and this promoted positive relationships and a safe and predictable environment both for children and adults”
“Children were actively involved in being environmentally responsible and supported to consistently continue this involvement within the program and in the local community.”
“Appropriate resources were available to support the rest needs of children, such as the couch area arranged with cushions and blankets for children to snuggle up in.”
It is with great pleasure that we all say thank you to the passionate and dedicated educators at Yarra Junction OSHC, Bree, Taylor and Andrea. This exceeding rating could not have been achieved without their expertise, commitment and incredibly high standard and dedication they bring to work each day. With their professional and caring ability and motivation we now look forward to applying for the excellence rating. We extend our gratitude to our children and families for their continuous feedback and involvement in our service.
For further information on UYCH Out of School Hours Care services in Yarra Junction and Mt Evelyn click here.
