Established just five years ago, Edge Early Learning (EEL) is now one of the fastest growing childcare centre groups in the country after significant financial backing by a major Australian education investment fund.
Due to the demand and need for access to quality childcare, EEL has marked an acquisition milestone with 50 centres now available within three states – Queensland, South Australia, and most recently within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The first Canberra centres will be rebranded at 3 locations from August 1, after EEL acquired Ducklings Charnwood, Little Penguins Higgins, and Little Penguins Ngunnawal.
The new centres will deliver 57 sites in total for EEL – 37 sites across Queensland, 17 in South Australia, and plans to see up to 5 more centres established in the ACT within the coming year.
Across the 3 states, EEL is able to provide quality childcare to more than 12,000 children and provide jobs for over 2,000 staff.
Edge Early Learning Chief Executive Officer, Annie Bryce, believes EEL’s recognised brand of early learning services will enhance the current offering, while meeting the growing demand for access to quality childcare within South Australia and the ACT.
“We have built a reputable educational practice in the early learning space in Queensland and have been looking to take EEL to more locations that are seeking quality childcare and education,” she said.
“The acquisitions of the South Australia and ACT centres are aligned with our growth plans and also provided an opportunity to establish ourselves immediately as a leader in the market.”
EEL’s expansion has been driven by additional equity provided by HEAL Partners, an Australian based investment fund focused on the health and education sectors.
“We welcome the opportunity to further our investment in the Australian childcare market and are excited about the opportunity to continue our growth in QLD, SA and ACT both through development of new centres and by selected acquisitions,” EEL Chairman and HEAL Founder Mark Evans said.
The centres feature spacious outdoor play areas with natural elements, sand pits and vegetable gardens, while indoor features include homely age-specific classrooms and modern learning resources.
With the backing of a passionate team of experienced educators, Edge Early Learning’s educational programs support and enhance learning milestones and journeys across all areas of early development through its four pillars, education, wellbeing, community, and sustainability.
“Our approach to learning encourages children to explore new ideas and learn through play, as we cater to children from 6 weeks to school age and focus on preparing them for older years, socially, emotionally, and developmentally,” Annie said.
Edge Early Learning’s strong sustainability focus will also be implemented across all centres in QLD, SA and ACT, through the introduction of solar power panels, environmentally friendly cleaning products, biodegradable bamboo wipes, recycle stations and vegetable gardens.
EEL is continuing to seek development opportunities within all 3 states – QLD, SA and ACT.
“In the coming months, there are 6 new purpose-built sites planned for opening within Queensland at Karana Downs, Crestmead, Silkstone, Grange, Flagstone, Morayfield and Pimpama,” added Annie.
There are several employment opportunities available at the centres, ranging from casual Educators up to Centre Director positions, with EEL seeking applications from those within the local community from all walks of life who are passionate about making a difference in young lives and looking for a promising career.
“Edge Early Learning’s quest is to become Australia’s best in early childhood education by empowering its educators and providing them with the environment, resources, and support to create optimum learning opportunities for the children in their care,” Edge Early Learning People and Culture Manager Peita Heintzberger said.
“You don’t need to leave your prior skills, experience or passions at the door. We love bringing people on who have different backgrounds, who might love yoga or cooking, for example, and we look to see how we can incorporate those interests into our centres.”
Currently, EEL has more than 3,550 students enrolled in QLD, 2,000 in SA, and 570 in the ACT.
Edge Early Learning is known for its state-of-the-art early learning centres that support the needs of the community and offer added conveniences to families, while being committed to delivering an exceptional experience where children can discover their potential and start school with a love of learning.
For more information on Edge Early Learning and their centres, visit the website:
EdgeEarlyLearning.com.au
Media contact: Emily Halloran | emily@m10.com.au