All Saints’ College opens its own Little Saints child care centre as demand surges
A prominent private school has stepped up to open its own child care centre to help meet growing demand in Perth’s southern suburbs — including from its own teachers.
All Saints’ College officially opened its newly-built $8.4 million child care centre, Little Saints, in Bull Creek last week.
Offering up to 97 places to kids from 12 months to four-years-old when fully operational next year, it joins a handful of Perth private schools that offer their own day care services.
Principal Belinda Provis said the Anglican school decided to invest in child care to address the critical need for quality care for local families and to benefit its 248 staff members.
But even more importantly, it wanted to provide early education opportunities for children whose families may not be looking to use child care as a pathway into the college.
“We’ve priced it really competitively, so that even if people can’t afford an All Saints’ education after child care, everyone can hopefully have access to really quality education and care at this time,” she said.
“The first 1000 days is the time that has the biggest impact on young people’s lives.”
Ms Provis said she expected providing access to discounted child care on site would also become an important way to attract and retain staff.
“We have quite strong demand from our own staff already,” she said. “And I know we’re going to have another 10 or so coming in next year, because I’m very pleased to say All Saints’ staff are really contributing to population growth.”
And she encouraged other schools who might be considering a similar move to do so as a service to the community.
“Schools are increasingly providing wider and wider services to communities, with the decline of some other traditional agencies, like church,” she said.
“And I think the ability for us to ensure a really quality play-based child care education is just one of the services that we can provide.”
Little Saints, which has already started caring for around 40 children from some age groups, will allow staff easy access to their children during work hours, as well as employment and work-experience opportunities for senior students.
Camera IconLauren Smith, who is a junior school teacher at All Saints’ College, with her son Jordie Ellis, 2, who attends the newly opened Little Saints Childcare situated on the school’s campus at Bull Creek. Danella Bevis Credit: Danella Bevis/The West Australian
All Saints’ junior school specialist maths teacher Lauren Smith said she felt fortunate to have access to such quality care on campus, and her two-year-old son Jordie loved attending the centre.
“It really does make our family life a lot easier, by being able to drop Jordie off at the same time as I start work,” she said.
“I do love the connections being made between All Saints’ students and Little Saints, whether that be the kids chatting through the fence at break times or visiting to read stories.”
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