.svg){kind=small}
July 22, 2026
Last updated: July 2026
When you tour a preschool or long day care centre in Castle Hill, you will hear educators described as "Certificate III," "Diploma," or "Early Childhood Teacher." These are the three qualification levels recognised under the National Quality Framework, the law that governs every approved education and care service in Australia. A Certificate III is a foundational early childhood qualification. A Diploma is more advanced, and at least half of a service's rostered educators must hold one, or be actively working towards one. An Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) holds a bachelor's degree or higher and leads the educational programme in the room.
NSW also sets its own minimum staffing rules on top of the qualification requirements. Services must maintain a ratio of one educator to ten children aged 36 months up to preschool age, and once a service cares for 25 or more children preschool age or under, it must roster at least one qualified Early Childhood Teacher, with the number required rising as enrolment grows. These are legal minimums, not a ceiling, so it is worth asking any Castle Hill preschool how its own staffing compares with what the law requires.
Every educator working directly with children in an approved NSW service holds, or is actively working towards, one of three recognised qualification levels, each carrying a different scope of responsibility.
An educator who is still studying can count towards these requirements while training. Under ACECQA's "actively working towards" provision, someone enrolled in a Certificate III can count at that level while making satisfactory progress, and someone who has completed at least half of a Diploma course can count at Diploma level.
The number of Early Childhood Teachers a NSW centre-based service must roster scales with how many children preschool age or under it educates and cares for, under regulation 272 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. A service needs at least one Early Childhood Teacher once it reaches 25 children, and that requirement steps up further as enrolment grows into the 40s, 60s and 80s. These are legal minimums: a service can, and some do, run more teachers than the law requires.
An educator-to-child ratio is the minimum number of qualified educators who must be directly, physically working with children at any one time, and NSW sets a higher standard than most other states for children aged three and over.
Ratios are calculated across the whole service, not room by room, giving a centre some flexibility to move educators between rooms as long as every age group's ratio is still met. Only educators who are physically present and actively engaged with children count. An educator on a rostered break, or doing administrative work away from the children, cannot be counted, even if still on the premises. These figures are legal minimums; individual services can and do run at a stronger ratio than the law requires.
Each qualification level carries a distinct, complementary role rather than a hierarchy of "better" and "worse" educators. Certificate III training focuses on supervision and supporting the programme; a Diploma educator typically leads a room and contributes to curriculum planning; an Early Childhood Teacher carries responsibility for the programme as a whole. A quality room relies on all three levels working together. What is worth checking is whether a service invests in qualifications and ongoing training above the legal minimum at every level, not just its ECT headcount.
The clearest way to understand a service's real staffing, rather than just its legal minimum, is to ask directly on a tour.
For the full list of questions worth taking with you on the day, see our guide to the questions worth asking on a preschool tour. Staffing and qualifications are also one of the areas assessed when a service is rated against the National Quality Standard, covered in our guide to the National Quality Framework and what an NQS rating actually tells you. For a broader look at what else to weigh up, read our complete guide to choosing a preschool in Castle Hill.
A Diploma typically leads to room leadership and curriculum support, while an Early Childhood Teacher holds a bachelor's degree or higher and leads the educational programme.
Yes. Every educator counted in a service's ratios must hold, or be actively working towards, at least a Certificate III, and at least half must hold, or be working towards, a Diploma or higher.
It depends on enrolment. Under regulation 272, the requirement starts at one ECT once a service reaches 25 children preschool age or under, and rises in steps as enrolment grows.
No. Both are centre-based services under the same Education and Care Services National Regulations, so the same qualification levels, ratios and ECT requirements apply to both in NSW.
Yes. Under ACECQA's "actively working towards" provision, an educator making satisfactory progress in an approved course can be counted at that qualification level before finishing it.
A strong ratio is one useful signal, but it works alongside qualifications, staff continuity and how a service actually runs its day. Asking about all of these on a tour gives a fuller picture than any single figure.
Kings Road Long Day Preschool is a long day care service in Castle Hill, Meeting the National Quality Standard. The centre runs two Early Childhood Teachers, double the one ECT required for a service of its size, alongside Diploma and Certificate III qualified educators, including a kitchen educator. Staff ratios run at 1:8 or better, ahead of the required 1:10, and average staff tenure is 5.4 years, so children build relationships with educators who are still there the following year.
Wallaby Class (3 to 4 years) and Kangaroo Class (4 to 5 years) follow the Learning for Life approach, built around the Three Rs of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience, with Kangaroo Class using the Carnine phonics method for school readiness. Kings Road Long Day Preschool has served Castle Hill families since 1989 as a small, inclusive, multicultural community, operating 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
The best way to understand any centre's real qualifications, ratios and day-to-day staffing is to see it in person. Book a tour of Kings Road Long Day Preschool or get in touch with any questions about our team.
