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July 6, 2026
Last updated: July 2026
The National Quality Framework (NQF) is the system that regulates and rates every approved education and care service in Australia. It covers long day care, preschool, family day care and outside school hours care under one national law and one quality standard, no matter which state a service operates in.
Under the NQF, each service is assessed against the National Quality Standard (NQS), seven quality areas covering the educational program, safety, staffing, and leadership. In NSW, the NSW Early Learning Commission is the regulatory authority that visits services, checks them against the NQS, and issues a public quality rating.
For Castle Hill parents comparing centres, that rating is one independently verified, government-issued measure of quality you can check before you even book a tour. This guide covers what the NQF includes, what each rating level means, what changed in the standard from January 2026, and how to check any centre's current rating. For the bigger picture on what to look for when choosing a Castle Hill preschool, see our complete preschool guide.
The NQF is the national system, introduced in 2012 through an agreement between all Australian governments, that regulates early childhood education and care and outside school hours care services across the country. It replaced a patchwork of separate state systems with one national law, one standard, and one rating scale, whether a service calls itself a long day care, a preschool, or a family day care (read more on the difference between childcare, preschool and long day care in NSW if you are comparing service types).
The NQF has four parts:
The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) oversees the NQF nationally, while each state and territory runs its own regulatory authority to carry out visits and issue ratings. In NSW, that is the NSW Early Learning Commission, which became the state's independent regulator on 1 December 2025 (previously this function sat inside the NSW Department of Education) and now regulates more than 6,000 early childhood services statewide.
The NQS groups everything a quality service must do well into seven quality areas. A service is rated against each one, then given an overall rating based on the combined result.
An NQS rating shows how a service performed against the seven quality areas at its most recent assessment, from a service needing urgent improvement through to the rare "Excellent" award.
Meeting NQS is not a starting point to be improved on later. It means a service is delivering quality education and care in every one of the seven areas, right now.
An authorised officer from the state or territory regulatory authority visits the service, observes practice, checks documentation, and talks with educators against the seven quality areas. In NSW, the NSW Early Learning Commission carries this out, using a risk-based approach that reassesses lower-rated services more often. Since July 2024, services get 5 business days' notice of a visit, so it reflects everyday practice rather than a specially prepared day, and some reassessments now cover 4 of the 7 quality areas rather than a full revisit. A rating can move up or down at the next assessment, or sooner if a serious incident occurs.
From 1 January 2026, ACECQA refined the NQS to sharpen its focus on child safety in two quality areas. Element 2.2.3, in Quality Area 2, was renamed "Child Safety and Protection," explicitly requiring management, educators, and staff to understand their role in identifying and responding to a child at risk of abuse or neglect. Quality Area 7 was similarly strengthened, with new wording in Standard 7.1 and Element 7.1.2, so governance and leadership are assessed on how well they prioritise child safety in practice, not only on paper.
This means the NQS a service is assessed against today has a sharper focus on child safety than it did in 2025, worth knowing when reading a rating or asking about it on a tour.
Every approved service's current NQS rating is public. Look it up through ACECQA's national registers, or the "Find a service" search on StartingBlocks.gov.au, the Australian Government's early childhood information site for parents.
Before relying on a rating alone, check a few things:
A rating is a strong starting point, but it works best alongside your own visit, questions, and impressions of the educators and environment on the day.
Kings Road Long Day Preschool is rated Meeting National Quality Standard, most recently assessed 1 November 2024 with nil compliance actions, across all seven quality areas.
We have been part of the Castle Hill community since 1989. Our Learning for Life approach and the Three Rs, Respect, Responsibility and Resilience, sit alongside the NQS as the framework for what happens in our Wallaby Class and Kangaroo Class every day. We are a smaller centre by design, open 8am to 5pm, and welcome an inclusive, multicultural community of families.
No. A service must already be approved to operate under the National Law before it opens. The NQS rating is a separate, ongoing quality assessment.
Meeting NQS is the national benchmark: quality in all seven areas. Exceeding NQS means at least four of the seven areas go beyond the standard, including at least two of Quality Areas 1, 5, 6 or 7.
There is no fixed cycle. NSW's risk-based approach reassesses lower-rated services more often, and a serious incident can trigger an earlier visit at any service.
Yes. A rating reflects the most recent assessment and can move up or down at the next one. It is not a one-off certificate.
Search ACECQA's national registers, or use the "Find a service" tool on StartingBlocks.gov.au.
Meeting National Quality Standard, assessed 1 November 2024, with nil compliance actions recorded.
An NQS rating tells you a lot on paper, but the best way to know if a preschool is right for your family is to see it in person. Book a tour of Kings Road Long Day Preschool, or get in touch if you have questions about our programme, our NQS rating, or enrolments for 2027.
