AUS: Practical ways to improve your NQF/NQS Score in Quality Area 3

Quality Area 3: Physical Environment Overview

The physical environment is crucial for:

1. Contributing to children’s wellbeing, creativity, and developing independence.
2. Providing a diverse range of experiences that promote children’s learning and development.
3. Keeping children safe.
4. Organizing spaces to reduce the risk of injury.

Standard 3.1: Design

• The design of the facilities should be appropriate for the operation of a service.
• Indoor environments should:
  1. Support the emerging interests of every child.
  2. Reflect the cultures, interests, abilities, and learning styles of every child.
  3. Recognize children as active learners and competent decision-makers.
• Outdoor environments should:
  1. Provide opportunities for unique play and learning.
  2. Complement and extend indoor learning experiences.
  3. Offer children opportunities to be active, make mess and noise, and be wholly engaged in play.
• Considerations for maximizing children’s engagement:
  1. Location of the service.
  2. Amount of space and its arrangement.
  3. Access between indoor and outdoor environments.
  4. Availability and arrangement of furniture, equipment, and resources.
  5. Placement of buildings, fixtures, and fittings.
  6. Internal and external noise levels.
  7. Air quality, ventilation, and access to natural light.

Standard 3.2: Use

• The service environment should be inclusive, promote competence, and support exploration and play-based learning.
• Inclusive environments should:
  1. Be welcoming, home-like, and inviting for children and families.
  2. Cater to different learning capacities and styles.
  3. Encourage children and families to contribute ideas, interests, and questions.
• Promoting competence, exploration, and play-based learning:
  1. Organize environments to provide opportunities for independent play, group interactions, and unstructured play.
  2. Support children’s interaction between indoor and outdoor environments.
  3. Arrange spaces that support access to materials and equipment.
  4. Encourage open-ended interactions, spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery, and connection with nature.

Practical Ways to Improve

1. Design: Ensure that both indoor and outdoor spaces are designed to be safe, stimulating, and appropriate for the children’s age and developmental stage.
2. Maintenance: Regularly check and maintain the premises, furniture, and equipment to ensure they are safe, clean, and well-maintained.
3. Inclusivity: Organize and adapt both indoor and outdoor spaces to support every child’s participation and engage them in quality experiences.
4. Resources: Provide resources, materials, and equipment that allow for multiple uses and support play-based learning.
5. Environmental Responsibility: Implement practices that care for the environment and teach children to be environmentally responsible.