Enhancing Quality program
Providers and their Services are required to undertake service-level learning and development planning that aligns to their strategic quality objectives identified through the Partnership Plan.
The Enhancing Quality program provides access to funding for Partner Services to undertake this learning and development that aligns to their strategic quality objectives. This will support retention of the early childhood workforce, lifting service quality and improving developmental outcomes for children across language, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains.
There are 3 key focus areas for the Enhancing Quality program, based on the NQS:
- Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice
- Quality Area 5 – Relationships with children
- Quality Area 7 – Governance and leadership.
The Enhancing Quality program is a trial pilot for the 2027 calendar year. Further information can be found in the Enhancing Quality Professional Learning and Development Framework.
The Framework has been developed to provide guidance for early childhood leaders, teachers, educators and teams, to make informed and effective decisions when selecting and embedding high-quality professional development.
Eligibility
All Partner Services.
Partnership Plan inclusion
All Partner Services are required to plan how they will use Enhancing Quality program funding in the Flying Start Partnership Plan.
Spending rules
All spending needs to be approved through the Partnership Plan and be aligned with the Professional Learning and Development Framework.
Allowable expenditure
Professional learning must focus on the identified goals of the service towards quality improvement. It does not mean that all staff need to participate in the purchased professional learning. At a minimum the professional learning must benefit the preschool program. This could include a focus on upskilling for a teaching team or teams, leadership team, or pedagogical leadership and implementation.
Professional learning should be consistent with the Early Years Learning Framework.
Funding restrictions
Funding cannot beused as a substitute for a Service's existing professional learning program and must be planned in addition to a service's standard professional development. Services will be required to declare that the Enhancing Quality funding will be used for activities beyond their existing commitment to professional learning.
Funding cannot be spent on:
- activities not approved in the Partnership Plan, or approved as a variation to the Partnership Plan, without the prior approval of the OECD
- activities that do not represent good value for money, given the cost of the item and how the item will benefit the service
- subscriptions, conference registrations, or professional memberships
- mandatory training, such as First Aid, Child Safety Training
- physical or digital resources, except where they are delivered as a part of an active learning option.
Spending parameters
Professional learning and development must be delivered by a suitably qualified person/organisation. The person/organisation providing the professional development must have an ABN and provide professional development services that can be purchased commercially, whether the specific learning that is purchased is commercially available or not.
The person/organisation providing the professional learning must not be employed by or have a real or perceived conflict of interest with the service or provider.
OECD Local Teams will support Partner Services to ensure funds are effectively planned and spent and any variance to these rules, may be sought under exceptional circumstances and should be discussed during the planning process.
| Category | Definition / Purpose | Notes | Allocation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration support | Covers costs related to planning, booking, and administering programs or supports. | This may include backfill where staff are released to complete these administration tasks. A teacher is not required to perform the administration work. | Up to 5% |
| Professional Learning and Development | Programs and services | Costs may include supplier travel and accommodation, as part of the negotiated delivery price. | >0% |
| Staff backfill | Covers the cost of temporary relief ECTs/staff to cover service staff attending programs or training. |
Services may utilise their funding allocation to enable staff to participate in professional learning and development, including participating in post-learning implementation and reflective practice. This may include backfill to replace a staff member during service hours, or to pay a staff member beyond their ordinary hours. While there is not a cap on the proportion of a service’s allocation that can be used to pay backfill, any use of backfill arrangements must be undertaken in conjunction with professional learning and be proportionate to the professional learning undertaken. | No cap |
Program reporting
Partner Services will be required to participate in Enhancing Quality reporting processes as part of the Partnership Plan annual program reporting. Reporting will include information on how funding has been used and how activities have aligned to their goals in the Partnership Plan.
Partner Services will need to retain evidence to demonstrate compliance with spending rules which may include copies of financial reports, receipts or invoices.
Enhancing Quality funding will also need to be accounted for in the service-level annual financial acquittal.