What Happens in an Assessment & Rating Visit?

An assessment and rating visit is how your service earns its published quality rating under the National Quality Framework (NQF). For many providers it can feel like a high-stakes exam, but it is better understood as a structured conversation about the quality of education and care you already deliver every day. This guide walks through what the process involves, how to prepare, and what your rating means once it is published.

Who conducts the assessment

Assessment and rating is carried out by your state or territory regulatory authority, not by ACECQA and not by the Commonwealth. An authorised officer assesses your service against the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the relevant requirements of the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations.

The seven quality areas cover educational program and practice, children’s health and safety, the physical environment, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, partnerships with families and communities, and governance and leadership. Together they describe what quality looks like in practice.

The Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

The Quality Improvement Plan is the backbone of the whole process. Every approved service is required to have a current QIP, and it does two jobs. First, it is your honest self-assessment against each quality area. Second, it records the improvements you are working towards and how you intend to get there.

A strong QIP is a living document, not something written once and filed away. Authorised officers read it before they arrive, so it shapes their understanding of your service from the outset. The best preparation you can do is to make sure your QIP genuinely reflects your current practice, includes clear and specific improvement goals, and shows evidence of reflection rather than generic statements.

Preparing for the visit

You will be notified before your assessment, which gives you time to get ready. Preparation is less about staging a perfect day and more about being able to show your normal practice clearly.

Practical steps that help:

• Review your QIP and update it so it matches what is actually happening in your rooms.
• Make sure key documentation is current and easy to locate, including policies, records, and educator program planning.
• Talk with your team so everyone understands the quality areas and can speak confidently about their practice.
• Walk through your environment with fresh eyes, checking that it supports children’s safety, learning, and wellbeing.

The goal is confidence, not performance. Educators who can explain why they do what they do will always present more convincingly than a service that has simply tidied up for the occasion.

What the visit involves

On the day, the authorised officer spends time observing, talking, and reviewing. At a high level the visit usually includes:

• Observation of educators and children during routines, play, and learning experiences.
• Discussion with the nominated supervisor, educators, and sometimes families about how the service operates.
• Sighting documentation such as records, policies, and program planning that demonstrate compliance and quality.

The officer is looking for genuine, embedded practice across the quality areas, gathered from multiple sources rather than a single moment. Most visits take place across one or more days, with the length depending on the size and complexity of your service. After the visit, the officer assesses the evidence and your service is given a draft report before the rating is finalised, which gives you an opportunity to provide feedback.

Understanding your rating

Once finalised, your service receives a rating for each of the seven quality areas and an overall rating. The published rating levels are:

• Significant Improvement Required
• Working Towards NQS
• Meeting NQS
• Exceeding NQS
• Excellent

Meeting NQS means your service meets the National Quality Standard. Exceeding NQS recognises practice that goes beyond the standard in defined ways. Working Towards NQS indicates the service is safe but has areas to improve, while Significant Improvement Required is reserved for serious concerns that the regulatory authority will act on. The highest level, Excellent, is awarded separately by ACECQA on application and is only open to services already rated Exceeding NQS.

Your rating must be displayed at the service and is published online, so it is visible to families comparing options. It is a snapshot in time, and ratings can and do change at the next assessment. A “Working Towards” result is not the end of the story; it is a clear roadmap for what to focus on next.

This guide is general information, not advice. Assessment and rating is conducted by your state or territory regulatory authority.

If you would like support before your next assessment, get in touch. Our performance audits and optimisation help you see your service the way an authorised officer will, sharpen your QIP, and prepare your team with confidence. We also offer licensing and accreditation support for services at earlier stages, and you can brush up on the key terms in our glossary.