It’s celebration time at Bright Beginnings Children’s Centre in Taree, with the team officially awarded an Exceeding National Quality Standard (NQS) rating in their recent Assessment and Rating.
This achievement is a proud moment for the educators, families, and wider community, and marks a huge milestone for the centre, which was last assessed at Meeting in 2019. Now, Bright Beginnings joins the top-performing centres across NSW and Australia recognised for delivering education and care that goes beyond compliance, with continuous improvement and strong outcomes for children at the heart of what they do.
What “Exceeding” Means
The National Quality Standard sets the benchmark for early childhood education and care in Australia. Services rated Exceeding NQS demonstrate practice that is:
- Beyond the requirements in at least four of the seven quality areas
- Consistently embedded in service operations
- Shaped by a culture of continuous improvement
- Delivering positive outcomes for children’s learning, wellbeing, and development
For families, this means confidence that their children are thriving in a safe, nurturing, and inspiring environment every day.
Spotlight on Educators and Leadership
For Centre Manager Jan Williams, who has been part of the Bright Beginnings community for more than 20 years, the Exceeding result is the culmination of dedicated teamwork and focused improvement since the centre joined Affinity Education Group in December 2024.
“After we were acquired by Affinity, our new Quality Advisor asked about our Quality Improvement Plan - we proudly showed her 18 focus areas,” laughs Jan. “Her first advice was ‘choose three!’”
With renewed focus, the team worked intensively on three core areas:
- Embedding Child Safe Standards across practice
- Enhancing outdoor environments with support from an Affinity-funded playground upgrade
- Deepening connections with the community
Jan says the support made a big difference. “Joining Affinity last year, I did feel nervous but quickly realised I still had a voice, and different support than under our previous owner. The training is amazing, and it’s clear Affinity wants us to feel confident that we can succeed.”
Educators at Bright Beginnings say the result belongs to everyone. “We all feel proud that our hard work and commitment to children’s wellbeing and learning has been recognised,” one team member shared.
Children and Families at the Heart
When the centre was notified of the upcoming assessment, Jan and her team used the short preparation window to focus on their educators’ wellbeing.
“We wanted our team to feel confident and calm when responding to the Authorised Officer’s questions, so we reassured them, prepared together, and made sure our evidence was ready,” she explained.
The two-day assessment became a positive experience, with educators proud to share their work. “We absolutely love what we do,” says Jan. “After the draft report, we went back with some additional evidence and were over the moon to be awarded Exceeding.”
For families, this rating reflects what they already know - that their children are learning, playing, and growing in a safe and supportive environment.
A Shared Commitment Across Affinity
This result is not only a proud milestone for Bright Beginnings, but also a reflection of the strong culture of quality and continuous improvement across Affinity Education Group.
Currently, 92% of Affinity Education centres that have been through Assessment and Rating are rated Meeting or Exceeding NQS. In 2025 alone, 13% of centres assessed have achieved an Exceeding rating, placing them among the top-performing services in Australia.
Behind the statistics are thousands of dedicated educators who show up every day with passion, professionalism, and care. Bright Beginnings’ Exceeding rating is one example of how this commitment is making a real difference for children and families across Australia.
Achievements like this highlight the importance of ongoing reflection and improvement across the early education sector. At Affinity, centres are supported by dedicated quality and training teams who work alongside educators to ensure children and families receive the highest standards of care and education.
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