The Exceeding NQS rating is awarded to services that go beyond the national standard in one or more quality areas. Only around 6% of long day care centres nationally hold this rating. Every centre on this list has been independently verified against the Starting Blocks government database.
Exceeding NQS is the highest possible rating under the National Quality Framework, awarded by ACECQA to services that demonstrate practice beyond what is required across one or more of the seven quality areas. Nationally, around 6% of long day care centres hold this rating.
All NQS ratings on this page are sourced from the Starting Blocks government database (startingblocks.gov.au), operated by ACECQA. You can verify any centre's current rating by searching for it directly on Starting Blocks.
NQS assessments are conducted periodically by the relevant state regulatory authority. There is no fixed schedule — a centre may be assessed every few years or more frequently if there are compliance concerns. We update ratings on this page when new assessments are published on Starting Blocks.
An Exceeding NQS rating is the strongest independent quality signal available for an early learning service in Australia. It reflects a rigorous, evidence-based assessment by qualified regulatory officers. However, we always recommend visiting a centre in person and reading recent parent reviews alongside any rating.
This guide is updated at each site build from verified data in our suburb rankings. All NQS ratings are sourced from ACECQA via Starting Blocks. Last updated: March 2026.
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