NQS ratings (otherwise known as childcare ratings, quality ratings, and ACECQA ratings) are the ratings given to childcare centres that indicate their level of quality, safety, and compliance with National Quality Standards (NQS).
For parents, knowing a centre’s rating is essential as it offers an objective assessment of a childcare centre. It allows them to better evaluate and compare prospective centres and make more informed decisions about the best childcare centre for their family, instead of just relying on word-of-mouth recommendations, marketing, and in-person tours.
You can look up a centre’s NQS rating online using either the ACECQA register or the Startingblocks website to get a more transparent, objective view of how a centre measures up against the NQS.
Key takeaways
- Childcare centres are assessed every two to three years and given one of five quality ratings
- The rating a centre is given indicates its level of quality, care, and compliance with national standards
- You can check a childcare centre’s rating by visiting the ACECQA National Register, the StartingBlocks.gov.au website, or the centre itself
- Centres rated Working Towards NQS or Provisional—Not Yet Assessed aren’t necessarily unsafe, but are either working through minor adjustments or are a new centre that is yet to be assessed
What are NQS ratings?
NQS ratings are essentially the grade a childcare centre receives following an in-depth assessment. Assessments and ratings are conducted by the relevant regulatory authority (different for every state and territory) who evaluate the centre based on seven quality areas. Centres will receive an individual rating for every area as well as an overall rating calculated based on their performance across each area.
What are the five NQS ratings?
| Rating | How common | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 0.14% Very rare | Awarded by ACECQA to centres that demonstrate exceptional, sector-leading education and care and are committed to continual improvement. | |
| 19% Sometimes | The centre goes above and beyond the benchmark in most (at least four) of the seven quality areas. Two of these must be quality areas 1, 5, 6 or 7. | |
| 73% Very often | The centre provides quality support, care and education in each of the seven quality areas, meeting the benchmark of the NQS. | |
| 8% Rarely | The centre provides a safe and caring environment but is yet to meet the benchmark in all seven quality areas. | |
| 0.06% Very rare | This rating is given when a centre does not meet one of the seven quality areas, posing a significant risk to children. The regulatory authority may take action. | |
| N/A | A centre has just opened or changed ownership and is waiting to be assessed. Note: This is a status, not a rating. |
Data provided in ACECQA’s NQF Snapshot of Q1 2026
How do I find a childcare’s NQS rating?
Centres are required to display their official rating certificate in a way that is clearly visible to anyone entering the main entrance of the centre. They may also opt to display their NQS rating logo alongside the certificate, though it is not mandatory.
It’s important to note that a centre is not required to display its NQS rating on its website. Instead, to find a centre’s rating online, follow the steps below:
- Visit the ACECQA National Register or the StartingBlocks.gov.au website
- Search for the specific name of the centre, including the location. Their respective NQS rating will be immediately visible in the search results next to their name
- Click on the correct centre from the search results to see the centre’s past and current NQS ratings, the ratings the centre achieved in each of the quality areas, and the dates of when the ratings were issued.
At Busy Bees, we make finding the NQS rating of each of our centres easy. Simply locate your nearest centre, and its respective NQS rating alongside other key information will be displayed at the top of the page.
Who awards NQS ratings and how often are they given?
Under the NQF, childcare centres are assessed by their state and regulatory authority and given an NQS rating every two to three years; however, the exact timeline of assessment will depend on several factors, including:
- The centres’ previous rating. Lower-rated centres are assessed sooner than higher-rated ones to ensure improvement
- Recent (if any) serious complaints or incidents reported to the regulatory authority
Centre operational history. A brand-new centre will be assessed nine to eighteen months after opening - Whether the provider has applied for a voluntary reassessment. If any significant changes occur to a centre, they may apply for a voluntary reassessment.
Should I be worried if the centre is working towards or not assessed?
You don’t necessarily need to be concerned if a centre is rated Working Towards NQS or Provisional—Not Yet Assessed, though you should be aware of what each of them means.
A rating of Working Towards NQS usually means a centre is safe and meeting most standards but has specific, minor areas to improve. It does not mean that a centre is failing or unsafe. If a centre posed a real health or safety risk, regulatory authorities would rate it as Significant Improvement Required and take the relevant action.
For additional context, under the ACECQA rating system, if a centre receives a Meeting or Exceeding NQS rating in six quality areas, but misses the mark in just one sub-category of a single quality area, its overall rating is automatically dragged down to Working Towards NQS.
On the other hand, Provisional—Not Yet Assessed means exactly that: a centre has just opened and has not yet been assessed. When a brand-new centre opens or changes owners, its ratings are wiped clean. As we mentioned above, it typically takes nine to eighteen months for the state regulatory authority to conduct its first formal assessment and consequently rate the centre.
Please note that this does not mean the centre is left unchecked. From day one, the centre is still monitored for all health, safety, and staffing ratios and must comply with all relevant national laws and regulations to hold an operating licence.
Conclusion
NQS ratings can help you make informed decisions by offering independent, objective evaluations of individual childcare centres. You can find the NQS ratings, which are assessed and given out every two to three years, on the ACECQA National Register, the StartingBlocks.gov.au website, or at the entry of any prospective childcare.
Book a Tour
If you’re on the hunt for a childcare centre for your family, don’t hesitate to book a tour at your nearest Busy Bees centre. Our lovely team of Centre Directors and educators will be more than happy to guide you on a tour of your local centre and answer any questions or concerns you may have, including about our NQS ratings!
Come and see us
The best way to choose a centre is to stand in one. Book a tour at your nearest Busy Bees.
