Inclusion, quality, and digital practice
QA1, QA2, QA3, QA4, QA5, QA6, And QA7
National Quality Framework And National Quality Standard
The National Quality Framework sets the national system for quality, safety, compliance, assessment and rating, and continuous improvement in education and care services.
Big Picture
Where NERPSA Fits
NERPSA services operate within the National Quality Framework, often called the NQF. The NQF provides the national system for education and care services across Australia.
Staff do not need to memorise every part of the framework. What matters is understanding that everyday practice at NERPSA — supervision, relationships, curriculum, records, environments, family partnerships, staffing, governance, inclusion, and continuous improvement — connects back to this wider system.
The NQF In Plain Language
National Law
The legal foundation for approved providers, services, nominated supervisors, educators, regulatory authorities, and compliance obligations.
National Regulations
The detailed operational requirements for areas such as staffing, records, policies, procedures, notifications, health, safety, and supervision.
National Quality Standard
The national benchmark used to assess and improve education and care across seven Quality Areas.
Approved Learning Frameworks
The curriculum frameworks that guide planning, teaching, assessment, reflection, inclusion, and outcomes for children.
Assessment And Rating
The process used by regulatory authorities to assess service quality against the National Quality Standard.
Continuous Improvement
The ongoing process of reflection, review, improvement, evidence gathering, and strengthening practice over time.
NERPSA In The NQF System
This is a simple way to understand how the system connects. The wider framework sets the requirements. NERPSA, as the Approved Provider, creates the governance, systems, policies, staffing arrangements, and supports that help services put those requirements into everyday practice.
National Law And Regulations
Legal and operational requirements.
ACECQA
National guidance, resources, and support for the NQF.
Victorian Department Of Education
Victorian regulatory authority for education and care services.
National Quality Standard
Seven Quality Areas that describe quality education and care.
NERPSA
Approved Provider and employer for NERPSA services.
Approved Learning Frameworks
Curriculum, planning, reflection, and learning outcomes.
NERPSA Services
Services operate under NERPSA governance and local procedures.
Service Leaders And Staff
Daily practice brings the framework to life.
Children, Families, And Communities
The purpose of quality, safe, inclusive education and care.
The Seven Quality Areas
Quality Areas
View The Seven Quality Areas
Open this guide for a simple summary of the seven Quality Areas and how they connect to everyday practice.
NERPSA As Approved Provider
Approved Provider
NERPSA’s Role
NERPSA is the Approved Provider for its services. This means NERPSA has organisation-wide responsibility for governance, systems, policies, compliance, staffing, notifications, quality improvement, and ensuring services operate in line with the NQF.
Services
How Services Fit
NERPSA services operate under NERPSA governance while also reflecting their own local communities, teams, programs, environments, children, families, and service procedures.
Daily Practice
How Staff Bring The Framework To Life
Staff contribute to NQF compliance and quality through everyday actions. This includes active supervision, safe environments, respectful relationships, curriculum decisions, inclusion, family communication, privacy, accurate records, professional conduct, and following NERPSA policies and procedures.
The Quality Area references at the top of each induction section are included to show how each topic connects to the broader quality framework.
Key Roles In The System
ACECQA
ACECQA provides national guidance and resources connected to the National Quality Framework.
Victorian Department Of Education
In Victoria, the Department of Education is the regulatory authority for education and care services. It monitors and supports compliance with the National Law, National Regulations, and NQF requirements.
Approved Provider
The Approved Provider has legal responsibility for operating approved services and ensuring they meet requirements under the National Law, National Regulations, and NQF.
Service Leaders And Staff
Nominated Supervisors, Responsible Persons, persons in day-to-day charge, Educational Leaders, teachers, educators, casual staff, and other staff all help put NQF expectations into practice.
Quality In Everyday Routines
Connected Practice
One Routine Can Connect To Many Quality Areas
Quality is not separate from everyday work. A routine such as arrival, group time, mealtime, outdoor play, toileting, rest, or departure can connect to children’s safety, relationships, environment, curriculum, family communication, staffing, records, inclusion, and governance at the same time.
Supervision And Safety
Staff position themselves well, monitor risk, maintain ratios, and respond early when children need support.
Relationships
Staff use respectful language, respond to children’s cues, and support children’s dignity and agency.
Curriculum And Learning
Routines create opportunities for communication, independence, social learning, wellbeing, and meaningful participation.
Governance And Records
Staff follow procedures, complete records accurately, protect privacy, and communicate through the correct pathways.
Assessment, Rating, And Evidence
Evidence Of Practice
Quality Must Be Visible In Daily Practice
The NQS is used in assessment and rating, but it should also be visible in everyday service practice. Evidence of quality may include what staff say, what staff do, how children are supported, how families are included, how environments are maintained, how records are completed, and how the service reflects and improves.
Staff contribute to evidence of quality by following agreed procedures, communicating clearly, documenting accurately, participating in reflection, and raising ideas or concerns that can improve practice.
Quality Improvement
Continuous Improvement
Quality Is Ongoing
The NQF is not only about meeting requirements. It also supports ongoing reflection and quality improvement.
NERPSA services use reflection, staff discussions, feedback, observations, family input, incident learning, policy review, professional learning, and quality improvement processes to strengthen practice over time.
Staff contribute to quality improvement by asking questions, reflecting honestly, sharing ideas, following agreed processes, and raising concerns when something can be made safer, clearer, or better for children, families, or staff.
Useful Resources
National Law And Regulations
ACECQA information about the National Law and National Regulations.
Open Resource
Required Induction Activity
Connect One Quality Area To Your Role
Choose one Quality Area that connects strongly to your role. Think about how it shows up in everyday practice, such as supervision, relationships, curriculum, health and safety, environments, family partnerships, leadership, records, inclusion, or professional conduct.
During service orientation, notice how that Quality Area is supported through local procedures, team communication, routines, records, environments, and interactions with children and families.
The NQF Is Part Of Everyday Practice
Quality, safety, compliance, and improvement are built through the way staff plan, supervise, communicate, document, reflect, include, support, and care for children every day.