Mock Assessment and Rating for Early Childhood Services
Preparing for your real Assessment and Rating visit under the National Quality Framework (NQF) can be challenging, especially with evolving regulations and high expectations for quality. Our Mock Assessment and Rating service provides a full simulation of the process so your team can experience what an A&R visit is really like before it happens.
Delivered by former Authorised Officers who have conducted official assessments for the Department of Education, this service gives you an informed, realistic review of your service’s performance. You will receive targeted feedback on teaching practice, program implementation, documentation, and alignment with the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
Through the simulation, you will see exactly where your strengths lie and where improvements can be made. The process builds staff confidence, ensures your team understands expectations, and supports a culture of continuous improvement.
With one-on-one consultations and a detailed written report, you will have clear, actionable recommendations to address compliance gaps and raise quality standards. This proactive approach gives you the best possible preparation for your official Assessment and Rating visit.
Our Mock Assessment and Rating service is designed for all early childhood education and care providers seeking to strengthen their readiness for a formal Assessment and Rating visit. Whether your service is new to the National Quality Framework or has been operating for many years, this process delivers valuable insights and actionable feedback.
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Services
Long day care services, preschools, and family day care services can use a mock assessment to identify compliance gaps, strengthen quality areas, and prepare for NQS and EYLF alignment. The simulation highlights both strengths and opportunities so leaders can make informed decisions about resource allocation and professional learning priorities.
Service Leaders and Directors
Directors, approved providers, and educational leaders gain a comprehensive overview of their service’s performance, including leadership, management, and organisational culture. This perspective helps to develop targeted strategies for continuous improvement and ensures staff are confident in meeting A&R requirements.
Educators and Teachers
Educators benefit from targeted feedback on their practice, documentation, and program delivery. The process encourages reflective thinking, builds confidence, and supports the professional skills needed to meet the diverse needs of children and achieve high NQS ratings.
Investing in a mock assessment positions your service for success by building staff readiness, reducing uncertainty, and supporting a high-quality learning environment for all children.
Our Mock Assessment and Rating service is a full preparation process designed to give your team a realistic, constructive, and professional A&R experience before your official visit. Delivered by former Authorised Officers with direct experience in NQS assessment, it provides practical, targeted support to help you improve quality, compliance, and confidence.
You will receive:
A comprehensive review of your service’s teaching practices, program implementation, documentation, and physical environment.
Constructive feedback and personalised recommendations to strengthen curriculum planning, enhance staff professional development, and optimise the learning environment.
One-on-one consultation sessions to discuss your unique challenges, goals, and quality improvement priorities.
A tailored action plan to support quality improvement, regulatory compliance, and staff readiness.
The mock process mirrors the structure of an actual Assessment and Rating and typically includes:
Preparation and familiarisation – reviewing your service context and key documentation
QIP submission – providing your Quality Improvement Plan for review
Leadership session with a sector expert to discuss leadership and management focus areas
Service assessment session with a sector expert simulating the on-site review process
Evaluation report – a detailed written report highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and recommended actions
Support feedback session – a follow-up consultation to clarify findings and plan next steps
By the end of the process, your service will have a clear understanding of its current performance against the National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework, along with practical steps to improve outcomes before your real A&R visit.
Yes. Our Mock Assessment and Rating service is available to early childhood services in every Australian state and territory. We work with long day care, preschools, kindergartens, and family day care services from metropolitan, regional, and remote areas. Depending on your location, the service may be delivered as a combination of online consultations via Zoom and an in-person visit from one of our sector experts. This flexibility ensures you receive the same high-quality preparation and feedback regardless of where your service is located.
A Mock Assessment and Rating is a simulated version of the official A&R process under the National Quality Framework (NQF). It is designed to give early childhood education and care services a realistic preview of what will happen during their formal visit from the Department of Education. Our mock A&R is delivered by former Authorised Officers who have carried out real assessments, meaning you receive insider insight into how services are evaluated against the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
The service identifies your service’s strengths and highlights areas where improvement is needed before your official visit. You will receive feedback on teaching practices, curriculum implementation, documentation, compliance with regulations, and the physical environment. This allows leaders and educators to address issues in advance, build staff confidence, and demonstrate strong evidence of quality practice during the real A&R.
This service is designed for all types of early childhood education and care providers, including long day care, preschools, kindergartens, and family day care services. It is particularly valuable for service leaders, directors, educational leaders, and approved providers who are responsible for ensuring their service meets the NQS. Educators at all levels also benefit from the feedback and reflective discussions that form part of the process.
Our mock A&R closely mirrors the real process, using the same structure, timelines, and evidence-based assessment methods that official Authorised Officers follow. The key difference is that this is a preparation tool — your rating will not be official, but the insights you receive will help you achieve the best outcome in the real process.
The process includes an initial preparation session, a review of your Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), leadership and service-wide assessment sessions, and a simulated on-site review. Following the simulation, you will receive a detailed evaluation report outlining strengths, compliance gaps, and recommendations for improvement. A follow-up support session ensures you understand the findings and have a clear plan moving forward.
The timeframe depends on the size and complexity of your service. Typically, the process takes place over several days, with a combination of online consultations, document review, and an in-person visit. We work with you to schedule each stage so it minimises disruption to daily operations.
The evaluation report is a detailed document that outlines your performance against each quality area of the NQS. It includes specific feedback on compliance, curriculum, staff practices, and environment setup. The report also contains actionable recommendations that can be incorporated into your Quality Improvement Plan.
Yes. The feedback and recommendations you receive can be directly integrated into your QIP to demonstrate ongoing improvement and readiness for the real A&R. Many services use the mock A&R findings to strengthen their QIP before submitting it to the Department.
Absolutely. For services rated Working Towards, the mock A&R identifies priority areas to help you move towards Meeting or Exceeding. For services already rated Meeting, the process highlights ways to push practice further and aim for Exceeding.
Feedback is provided in two ways: through verbal consultation during the process and in a written evaluation report. We also offer a follow-up support session to answer questions, clarify expectations, and help you plan next steps.
No. This service is purely for preparation purposes and is not an official A&R conducted by the Department of Education. Its purpose is to equip your service with the knowledge, evidence, and confidence needed to achieve your best possible outcome during the real visit.
Yes. Approved Providers with multiple services often book a series of mock A&Rs to ensure consistency in quality and compliance across their network. Group bookings can be arranged to suit your organisation’s needs.
Our assessors have firsthand experience conducting official A&Rs for the Department of Education. They understand exactly what Authorised Officers look for, the evidence they need, and how ratings are determined. This insider perspective gives you a significant advantage in preparation.
Join us now and unlock a world of opportunities. Don’t wait – start your transformative journey today!
Making Education acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first people of the nation and the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and play. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and families and recognise their continuing connection to Culture, Land, Water, and Community and we pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. Making Education celebrates and welcomes people from all cultures, religions, spiritualities, ages, genders, sexualities, bodies, abilities & backgrounds and will ensure that all children and their families will be supported to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights.
