2024 Winners & Finalists

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 23 Nov 2024

See which early childhood education and care services have come out on top in the 2024 KindiCare Excellence Awards.            

BY KINDICARE

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

Each year, the KindiCare Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the top performing early childhood education and care services in Australia.  

We hand out trophies to the services with the highest KindiCare Rating Nationally, and in each State and Territory, and acknowledge the hugely positive influence that high-quality services have on children, families and society as a whole.  

We are now very pleased to report that two Queensland services are sharing the National Winner Award in 2024! 

Goodstart Early Learning Red Hill and Winston Glades Early Education Centre & Preschool have come out on top in this year’s KindiCare Excellence Awards, with a perfect KindiCare Rating of 10.0. 

And although Winston Glades and Goodstart Red Hill definitely lead the way when it comes to high-quality early childhood education and care, they are by no means the only high-achievers in Australia.  

You’ll find the full list of 2024 KindiCare Excellence Award Winners, Regional Winners and Finalists below, and we congratulate all the early learning services around Australia that have achieved an Excellent KindiCare Rating of 9.0 or above, or an Outstanding Rating of 9.5 or above.  

We also applaud Community Kids Pakenham for winning the inaugural KindiCare  Families’ Choice Award, thanks to the amazing feedback they receive from their childcare community.  

Here at KindiCare, we take genuine pleasure in celebrating Australia’s top performing services and sharing their achievements with the nation. 

And whether you are choosing, using or working in early childhood education and care, we encourage you to learn more about this year’s Winners, Regional Winners and Finalists by clicking through to their KindiCare content below.  

Enjoy!  

Information correct as at 1 July 2024 

 

KINDICARE EXCELLENCE AWARDS NATIONAL, STATE & TERRITORY WINNERS 2024 
 


Winston Glades Early Education Centre & Preschool 
 

Queensland – Joint National Winner and Joint State Winner 

Run by Queensland Childcare Services, this Ipswich centre is our equal State Winner in QLD and equal winner in all of Australia, with a KindiCare Rating of 10.0. This is the highest possible KindiCare Rating, and the centre also holds an Excellent rating from the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) – which is the highest possible rating under the National Quality Framework. 

Read more about this centre here, and see the Regional QLD Winner and QLD Finalists below. 

 

Goodstart Early Learning Red Hill 

Queensland – Joint National Winner and Joint State Winner  

Goodstart Early Learning Red Hill is our equal winner in the Sunshine State and across Australia, with a perfect 10.0 KindiCare Rating. This Outstanding centre has also been awarded the Excellent rating by ACECQA, and they offer calm and carefully considered education and care for early learners in Brisbane.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the Regional QLD Winner and QLD Finalists below. 

 

Belrose Community & Children's Centre 

New South Wales – State Winner  

Run by Northern Beaches Council, this Sydney centre is our State Winner in NSW, with an Outstanding KindiCare Rating of 9.9. Belrose Community & Children's Centre currently holds its second consecutive Excellent rating from ACECQA, and its community connections are exceptional.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the Regional NSW Winner and NSW Finalists below. 

 

Cuddly Bear Child Care and Kindergarten Heathmont 

Victoria – State Winner  

Cuddly Bear Child Care and Kindergarten Heathmont is our top performing centre in the Education State, with an Outstanding KindiCare Rating of 9.9. They are also rated Exceeding National Quality Standard in all seven Quality Areas, and community goes to the heart of their high-quality education and care offering.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the Regional VIC Winner and VIC Finalists below. 

 

Pachamama Early Education and Childcare 

Western Australia – State Winner  

For the third year running, Pachamama has won a KindiCare Excellence Award! This year, their early learning service, Pachamama Early Education and Childcare, is our State Winner for WA, with a KindiCare Rating of 9.9, and this wonderfully unique centre has also been rated Exceeding National Quality Standard in all seven Quality Areas.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the Regional WA Winner and WA Finalists below. 

 

Goodstart Early Learning Kings Meadows 

Tasmania – State Winner  

Goodstart Early Learning Kings Meadows has taken out top honours in Tassie, with an Outstanding KindiCare Rating of 9.9. This centre has also been rated Exceeding National Quality Standard in all seven Quality Areas, and they have a great commitment to outdoor learning.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the TAS Finalists below. 

 

Journey Early Learning Centre Durack 

Northern Territory – Territory Winner  

Journey Early Learning Centre Durack has come out on top in the Top End. They are our 2024 KindiCare Excellence Award winner for the Northern Territory, with a KindiCare Rating of 9.6, and this community-focused centre also holds an overall rating of Exceeding National Quality Standard from its regulatory authority.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the NT Finalists below. 

 

Treehouse in the Park Early Learning Centre (NCS) 

Australian Capital Territory – Territory Winner  

Treehouse in the Park Early Learning Centre is our top performing centre in the ACT, after scoring an Outstanding KindiCare Rating of 9.9. This Northside Community Service centre is also rated Exceeding National Quality Standard across all seven Quality Areas, and the team empowers children to learn, grow and thrive.   

Read more about this centre here, and see the ACT Finalists below. 

 

Community Kids McLaren Vale Early Education Centre 

South Australia – State Winner  

This G8 Education centre is our State Winner for South Australia, with a KindiCare Rating of 9.4. They also hold an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating in all seven Quality Areas, and succeed in offering consistently excellent programs and partnerships. 

Read more about this centre here, and see the Regional SA Winner and SA Finalists below. 

 

KINDICARE EXCELLENCE AWARDS REGIONAL WINNERS 2024

 

Goodstart Early Learning Moree 

New South Wales – Overall National Regional Winner and Regional State Winner 

For the second year running, Goodstart Early Learning Moree has come out on top in regional Australia. This northern New South Wales centre won their Awards with an Outstanding KindiCare Rating of 9.8, and Goodstart Moree also holds an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating in all seven Quality Areas. 

Read more about this centre here, and see the NSW Finalists below. 

 

Condon Kids Early Learning Centre 

Queensland – Regional State Winner 

Condon Kids Early Learning Centre was Regional State Winner for Queensland in 2023 and they have added to their tally with another win in 2024. This Townsville centre has been named Regional State Winner with a KindiCare Rating of 9.7 and they also hold an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating from their regulatory authority.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the QLD Finalists below. 

 

Mildura Early Learning Centre 

Victoria – Regional State Winner 

Mildura Early Learning Centre is a stand-out service in the Education State, and they have been named Regional State Winner for Victoria with an Excellent KindiCare Rating of 9.4. This Reggio Emilia-inspired centre also holds an overall rating of Exceeding National Quality Standard from their regulatory authority.   

Read more about this centre here, and see the VIC Finalists below. 

 

Goodstart Early Learning Albany 

Western Australia – Regional State Winner 

Goodstart Early Learning Albany has been named Regional State Winner in Western Australia for the second consecutive year, with an Excellent KindiCare Rating of 9.3. This high-quality centre is located in the southern tip of WA and they are also rated Exceeding National Quality Standard in all seven Quality Areas. 

Read more about this centre here, and see the WA Finalists below. 

 

Community Kids Mount Gambier Early Education Centre

South Australia – Regional State Winner 

Community Kids Mount Gambier is our Regional Winner in South Australia, with an Excellent KindiCare Rating of 9.0 and this centre offers amazing outdoor spaces, inspiring indoor areas, and a rich curriculum. They are rated Exceeding National Quality Standard by their regulatory authority and have won lots of five-star reviews from parents.  

Read more about this centre here, and see the SA Finalists below. 

 

KINDICARE EXCELLENCE AWARDS STATE & TERRITORY FINALISTS 2024

 

Queensland Finalists 

 

New South Wales Finalists 

 

Victoria Finalists 

 

Western Australia Finalists 

 

Tasmania Finalists 

 

Northern Territory Finalists 

 

Australian Capital Territory Finalists 

 

South Australia Finalists 


KINDICARE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FAMILIES' CHOICE WINNER 2024 

 

Community Kids Pakenham 

National - Families’ Choice Award Winner 

Our first ever Families’ Choice Award Winner is Community Kids Pakenham, with a KindiCare Rating of 8.9 and countless five-star reviews from parents! This Victorian service has become a firm favourite amongst families since Centre Director, Tia Van Deursen took the helm, and they provide really special experiences and amazing support for the early learners in their care.  

Read more about this centre here. 

 


HOW THE KINDICARE EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNERS & FINALISTS ARE DETERMINED


With the first five years of a child’s life critical in their early development and future wellbeing, excellence in providing early childhood education and care is so important for our children’s development and growth, and those centres that truly excel in providing early learning services should be celebrated! 
 

The KindiCare Excellence Awards were created back in 2021 to recognise the top performing early learning services across the nation, and the dedicated directors, educators and staff that operate them.  

Rather than being judged by early childhood education and care industry peers, the KindiCare Excellence Awards are determined by KindiCare, using the KindiCare Rating.  

THE KINDICARE RATING EXPLAINED

The KindiCare Rating provides a unique score for every early learning service, and it is the only rating in the early childhood education and care sector to combine data about a centre, feedback and reviews from parents and families, and government assessment and ratings under the National Quality Framework, together in one simple and easy-to-understand indicator of a childcare service’s performance.  

The KindiCare Rating provides a comprehensive real-time picture of quality and value-for-money that’s helpful for families, childcare providers, government, and other industry stakeholders and participants, and there are seven KindiCare Rating categories: 

Outstanding  

Early learning services that have a KindiCare Rating of Outstanding (9.5 to 10.0) are delivering an outstanding level of early childhood education and care, and they truly excel in the quality of environment, culture, educators and curriculum.  

Outstanding centres have typically been operating for many years, have a stable, highly qualified and experienced workforce, and consistently receive outstanding positive feedback from parents and the community, as well as being consistent top performers under the National Quality Framework. All centres in this category are Exceeding the National Quality Standard. 

Very Good  

Early learning services that have a KindiCare Rating of Very Good (8.5 – 9.0) typically exceed the average KindiCare Rating nationally.  

Almost all services in this category are Meeting or Exceeding the National Quality Standard, and they have very good feedback from parents in the communities they serve.  

Services in this category provide a better than average early education and care environment, and tend to be operated by experienced providers. 

Good  

Early learning services that have a KindiCare Rating of Good (7.5 – 8.5) are typically Meeting the National Quality Standard in all or most areas, but may also have limited feedback from the communities they serve or haven’t been assessed under the National Quality Framework within the last three years. 

Fair  

Early learning services that have a KindiCare Rating of Fair (5.0 – 7.5) typically provide early learning services well below the national average. These services often have limited or poor reviews from families and/or have been typically assessed as Working Towards the National Quality Standard in some or all quality areas.  

These services can sometimes be new centres that have had their first review, and after being assessed, are identified as having several areas in which to improve. 

Poor  

Early learning services that have a KindiCare Rating of Poor (5.0 and below) typically provide early learning services far below the national average of quality. These services often have limited or poor reviews from families and/or have been assessed as Working Towards or Significant Improvement Required under the National Quality Standard in some or all areas.  

These services can sometimes be new centres that have had their first review, and after being assessed, are identified as having several areas in which to improve. 

Not Rated  

Early learning services that have a KindiCare Rating of Not Rated (NR) are early learning services that have been operating for less than three years since their provisional approval AND have yet to formally undertake their Rating and Assessment by the government regulator, ACECQA, under the National Quality Framework.  

For centres that are yet to be formally assessed under the National Quality Framework, parents should seek feedback from other parents currently using the service, research parent reviews about the service, and also check whether that brand is operating any other centres in Australia, using the Search by Brand feature on KindiCare.  

Doing this will give them a feel for if they are a large or small provider, and what quality ratings look like across the other services operated by that early learning brand. 

Read more about the KindiCare Rating here.   

PAST WINNERS & FINALISTS

To see which early childhood education and care services have won KindiCare Excellence Awards in previous years: 

  • Click here for the 2023 Winners & Finalists
  • Click here for the 2022 Winners & Finalists
  • Click here for the 2021 Winners & Finalists