This very remote service, located in north east Arnhem Land, has taken out top position in the Northern Territory for the second year in a row!

Yirrkala Preschool achieved a KindiCare Rating of 9.7, to add to its Excellent Rating by ACECQA, and Yolngu culture underpins all the great things that happen at this service. Educators mainly come from the local Aboriginal community, and children learn and grow with a strong sense of identity. Culture and diversity are respected and celebrated, and the service invites staff from Yirrkala Bilingual School, community Elders, and specialists to come into the preschool and run activities. Children participate in traditional storytelling and dance, and Aboriginal organisations, such as Yirralka Miyalk Rangers (female rangers) and Dhimurra Rangers (male rangers) share Indigenous practices and experiences with children and families. Families have an ‘open invitation’ at the preschool. They can stay for the whole program if they like, and are welcome to participate in routine activities, like mealtimes, sing songs in their first language, share written and spoken stories, and help children to record their day. Yirrkala Preschool has been recognised for its partnerships with different organisations, and several years ago, they collaborated with the Yirrkala Families as First Teacher program to create the Women’s Learning and Action Circle (WLAC). WLAC is made up of women from the Yirrkala community, Elders and family members with children at the preschool, and they’ve worked to improve children’s learning outcomes by building people’s understanding of why it’s so important for children to come to preschool, embrace the day, and learn through play. Yirrkala is a small and inspirational preschool, with the power to make positive change in the lives of its children and families, and we applaud this two-time KindiCare Excellence Award winner!