Approved Learning Frameworks

Under the National Law and Regulations, Dallas Early Learning Centre is required to base its educational program on an approved learning framework. This should focus on addressing the developmental needs, interests and experiences of each child, while taking into account individual differences.

Dallas Early Learning Centre bases its program on the following victorian approved learning framework : Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework The National Quality Standard (NQS) is a key aspect of the National Quality Framework (NQF) and sets a high, national benchmark for early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care services in Australia.

It gives services and families a better understanding of a quality service, helping families to make informed decisions about the services providing education and care to their child. The NQS brings together the 7 key quality areas that are important to outcomes for children.

  1. Educational program and practice
  2. Children’s health and safety
  3. Physical environment
  4. Staffing arrangements
  5. Relationships with children
  6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
  7. Leadership and service management

The NQS contains 18 standards with two or three standards in each quality area. These standards are high-level outcome
statements. Under each standard sit elements that describe the outcomes that contribute to the standard being achieved. There are
58 elements in total.

Assessment and rating of services

Services are assessed and rated by their regulatory authority against the NQS, and given a rating for each of the 7 quality areas and an overall rating based on these results.

Find out more on the assessment and rating process and quality ratings.

Quality ratings of assessed services are published on the national registers and on the Starting Blocks website.

There are three concepts that come from the Early Years Learning Framework and that is Belonging, Being and Becoming.

  • Belonging – acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities.
  • Being – recognises the significance of the here and now in children’s lives.
  • Becoming – reflects the process of rapid and significant change that occurs in the early years as young children learn and grow.

Play activities planned by our educators allow children to naturally develop and have the opportunity to guide their own learning. Activity outcomes and individual observations on your child are documented in your children’s files to assist in extending their skills and abilities.

Working in partnership with families, our educators use the learning outcomes to guide their planning for children’s learning. In order to engage children actively in learning, our educators identify the children’s strengths and interests, choose appropriate teaching strategies and design the learning environment.

Our routines allow time for individual play/learning, small group play/learning and large group play. We encourage children to be curious, to ask questions and learn from each other, their environment and the stimulus we provide them.