KIAMA Preschool has achieved high honours as part of a national assessment system.
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The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority is the national body guiding the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care.
The National Quality Standard (NQS) is a key aspect of the NQF, and sets a national benchmark for early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care services in Australia.
Every service in the country will be assessed to ensure it meets the quality standard.
The overall rating summarises a service's performance across the seven quality areas.
There are five rating levels within the national quality rating and assessment process: Excellent rating, awarded by ACECQA; Exceeding National Quality Standard; Meeting National Quality Standard; Working Towards National Quality Standard; and Significant Improvement Required.
Earlier this month, Kiama Preschool was informed it had gained an overall Exceeding rating.
The school currently cares for children from about 76 families each week.
Director and nominated supervisor Maria Whitcher said they were adjudged to be at the Exceeding level in all quality areas.
Mrs Whitcher has been working at Kiama Preschool for 27 years, and she said this was an achievement they had been building towards for some time.
This was the first time they had been assessed under this ratings system, and said it was testament to the hard work of the service's dozen staff members.
"When we got the rating, we were very pleased with ourselves," she said.
"I don't think you can get to an Exceeding rating if everyone doesn't pull together and do their bit.
"Staff and the management committee played a big role, and the families.
"It feels really good to be acknowledged as a quality service.
"It's good to know everything that needs to be in place is in place."
Services rated Exceeding overall are eligible to apply for the Excellent rating level, although Mrs Whitcher said they planned to enjoy their recent achievements before considering pursuing further honours.
Mrs Whitcher said the future for early childhood education and care remained somewhat uncertain.
She believed further changes within the industry could occur in the near future.
