A Moment to Reflect and Celebrate Woden Valley Early Learning Centre

It has taken us some time to digest and come to terms with the decision regarding our Excellent Rating application. We poured an enormous amount of work, reflection, passion and heart into this process, and naturally, we had hoped for a different outcome.

Although we were not awarded the overall Excellent Rating on this occasion, we are incredibly proud of what the report recognised about Woden Valley Early Learning Centre.

The Excellent Rating is described as a very high bar, and while the final decision was that our overall rating remains Exceeding National Quality Standard, the report also highlighted significant areas of excellence, leadership and meaningful practice across our service.

Importantly, WVELC was recognised as achieving excellence under Theme 5: Practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth. This is a significant achievement and something we are deeply proud of. Our nature pedagogy, Narragunnawali Garden, outdoor learning environments, community garden, animal care, composting, children’s ecological literacy, and Wellbeing Dog Program were acknowledged as practices that genuinely improve outcomes for children and families.

We are also incredibly proud that WVELC met Criterion 2, with the report recognising our visionary leadership and our contribution to the wider early childhood sector through advocacy, training, mentoring, professional networks, publications, presentations and our ongoing commitment to nature pedagogy. This recognition means so much to us, because our work has always been about more than one service — it is about contributing to a stronger, more connected and more courageous early childhood community.

The report also acknowledged our strong positive workplace culture, our investment in educators, distributed leadership roles, high staff retention, above-ratio staffing, wellbeing supports, and the deep relationships that families experience because of the stability and commitment of our team.

While the outcome was not the one we had hoped for, this report is not a failure. It is a powerful reflection of how far we have come, what we have built together, and where we can continue to grow. It gives us clear direction for the future and reminds us that excellence is not only a rating — it is the everyday work, relationships, advocacy, learning, care and courage that happen across our service every single day.

To our educators, leadership team, Management Committee, families, children and wider community — thank you. This achievement belongs to all of us.

We will continue to reflect, improve, advocate, document, grow and lead with the same passion and purpose that has always guided Woden Valley Early Learning Centre.

There is so much to celebrate — and we are only just getting started.

Reflection: Why WVELC Celebrates a Christmas Party?

As the year comes to a close at WVELC, we take time to reflect on what matters most to our community— connection, belonging, and shared celebration. Planning our end-of-year festivities invites us to consider key elements of the National Quality Standard, including inclusive practice (Quality Area 6), children’s agency and creativity (Quality Area 1), safe and respectful use of images (Quality Area 2), and sustainable and meaningful traditions (Quality Area 3). These principles guide us not only in our daily practice but also in how we come together to celebrate.

While many early childhood services hold a general end-of-year party, WVELC continues a long-standing Christmas celebration. This choice is not made lightly; rather, it is deeply rooted in the history, culture, and spirit of our centre. We acknowledge that Christmas does not represent every culture or belief system, and we approach this with warmth and respect. Yet for WVELC, Christmas has become a cherished tradition—one shaped and carried by generations of families, educators, and community members.

December 2019 — From left: Emma, Shanthi, Mr Mal, Mrs Jan, and Stephanie pictured together at WVELC.

Our Christmas Party is filled with small but meaningful traditions that remind us of where we have come from: the classic diagonal sausage on bread, the beloved Aussie barbie, and the Santa suit passed lovingly from grandparents, to staff members, to dads and other important community members. These gestures, though simple, embody the heart of Quality Area 6—strengthening relationships with families and building a genuine sense of community. More importantly, they carry a message we hold dear: the Christmas spirit of bringing joy and happiness to others.

Tracey and Angie busy at the sausage sizzle, keeping everyone well fed and smiling.

There is something incredibly powerful about watching children, families, and educators come together in shared celebration. In these moments, we see children exercising agency—choosing how they participate, create, perform, or simply enjoy the atmosphere. We see families connecting with one another in warm and meaningful ways. We see traditions being honoured while new memories are formed. And in all of this, we see a living example of belonging, one of the core principles of the Early Years Learning Framework.

Our dedicated committee members, Becky and Erin, running the cake stall with smiles as they support our committee’s fundraising efforts.

Ultimately, our Christmas celebration is more than a party—it is a reflection of our identity as a community. It honours our past, celebrates our present, and embraces the relationships that make WVELC the warm, connected place it is. Each year, we gather not just to mark the end of the year, but to celebrate the joy we share, the culture we have built together, and the simple but enduring traditions that unite us.

Here’s to all our dedicated staff—past and present. Thank you for keeping this tradition alive and for the incredible effort you put into the preparations. Pictured: Janet, Santa (Linden), and Sashika.

What Quality Early Childhood Education Should Look, Feel & Sound Like

(For Australian Families Seeking a Place for Their Child)

Choosing an early learning setting for your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a parent. The early years are a time of rapid development — emotionally, socially, and cognitively — and a high-quality early childhood program lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning and wellbeing.

According to Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), quality education and care are built on relationships — respectful, responsive, and reciprocal — and environments where every child feels secure, confident and included.

So, what does quality actually look like, feel like, and sound like when you visit a service?

Below are what to look for, feel for, and listen for when you visit a service — along with the questions you should ask.

👀 What Quality Early Childhood Looks Like

When you walk into a high-quality early childhood environment, you’ll often see:

• Children actively engaged: exploring, playing, creating, interacting with others and with educators.

• Educators positioned at the children’s level: crouched down, listening, observing, guiding rather than just instructing; but also, actively supervising.

• Play-based, meaningful materials and provocation (not only ‘toys’, children seems to be more inclined to play with carboard boxes than a close ended resource)

• Displays of children’s work, stories and interests — showing that children’s voices matter, that their work is valued (unless it’s not the services philosophy).

• Diversity and inclusion in materials: books, images, toys and experiences that reflect different cultures, languages, abilities and family types.

• A balance of routine and flexibility — you can see predictable structure, but also freedom for children’s curiosity and choice.

  
  

And a key reminder: brand new and pristine spaces don’t always equal quality. A service with fresh paint and fancy toys may look impressive, but the true measure of quality is what happens inside — the relationships, the responsiveness, the depth of learning and connection. Well-worn activity corners where children’s work is evident can often show deeper engagement than a shiny showroom environment.

Questions to ask around “looks like”:

• “How do you plan for each individual child’s interests and learning?”

• “How is the program aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)?

• “How do you support children from diverse backgrounds?”

• “How do you balance a daily routines or rituals with flexibility or spontaneous play?”

💛 What Quality Early Childhood Feels Like

When you step into a service, you should feel a sense of belonging — for both your child and your family. It should feel warm, safe, respectful and inclusive. Ask yourself: Do children and families appear known, welcomed and valued? Are educators calm, attentive and present?

It should feel:

• Welcoming: someone greets you by name, takes time to connect, asks about your child’s day.

• Safe and respectful: children are treated with kindness, their questions are heard, their emotions handled with care.

• Joyful but calm: you hear laughter, you see exploration, but you don’t feel chaos or rushedness.

• Collaborative: you are treated as a partner in your child’s learning, not just a drop-off/pick-up.

• Intentional: there is a sense of purpose behind the routines, interactions and environments.

  
  

Questions to ask around “feels like”:

• “What is your process for orientating new children and families to the service?”

• “How do you support children in transition (for example, when moving from one room to another, or from home to the service)?”

• “What is your educator turnover rate?

• “What’s your safeguarding statement and process — how do you keep children safe, what training do staff have?”

• “How do you involve families in partnership?”

👂 What Quality Early Childhood Sounds Like

Listening can tell you a lot. The sounds of a high-quality service include:

• Children’s voices — children narrating their play, asking questions, collaborating, problem-solving with peers.

• Educators’ voices — calm, encouraging, responsive, asking open-ended questions, scaffolding thinking, sometimes firm but never angry or dismissive.

• Conversations between children and adults — not just instructions, but meaningful back-and-forth exchanges.

• Moments of play, laughter, storytelling, singing, and also quiet reflection or concentration.

  
  

Questions to ask around “sounds like”:

• “How do you support children’s language and communication development through everyday interactions?”

• “What opportunities do children have to express their ideas, make choices and reflect on their learning?”

• “How do educators respond when children initiate a question or a new idea?”

🌱 Why the First Five Years Matter

These early years are absolutely foundational. Research tells us that by the age of five:

• A child’s brain is approximately 90% of adult size.

• Connections between brain cells (synapses) are forming at an extraordinary rate — millions per second in the earliest years.

• The experiences children have — their relationships, emotional security, stimulation and environment — shape the architecture of their brain and therefore their capacity for learning, behaviour and health across life.

In short: the quality of the early years matters immensely. This is why selecting the right early learning service is so important.

✅ Final Thoughts

Quality early childhood education in Australia isn’t about the latest gadgets or the most glamorous building. It’s about relationships, responsiveness, inclusion and purpose. When you visit services, pay attention to how things look, feel and sound — and ask the right questions.

A quality early learning environment should:

• Look like discovery, play and inclusion.

• Feel like belonging, safety and connection.

• Sound like curiosity, conversation and joy.