THE SCHOLARS GROUP IS A BOUTIQUE COMPANY SPECIALISING IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE CHILDCARE INDUSTRY FROM CONSULTING TO MANAGEMENT TO NEW CENTRE STARTUPS.

THE SCHOLARS GROUP supports childcare centres across the country with a range of do-it-yourself resources, professional advice, support and expert information. THE SCHOLARS GROUP can help existing centres prepare for assessment and rating, improve their processes and effectively manage their centres.

See how we can help your business grow. We offer professional management consulting services, plus practical plans and information resources for your childcare business to thrive. We envisions a world in which all children and families are able to fulfill their greatest potential.

Whether you’re looking for support with the ongoing operational requirements of your existing childcare centre including compliance and business management, or are wanting to build a new centre and need help from the ground up we can help. SCHOLARS CONSULTING can provide you with the professional Childcare Management services required for business success.

OUR APPROACH

We work in partnership with centre owners to create a custom management plan that allows for maximum results.

OUR KNOWLEDGE

Real hands on experience ranging from the corporate sector to owning and running a centre.

OUR FOCUS

Doing what ever it takes to make your business a success.

Our Team

The best and brightest

Our team of expert consultants are ready to help you with all your business needs. With decades of experience, we are committed to being contemporary in approach and operating to the highest quality standards.

Jae Fraser - Owner and operator

Jae has worked in childcare for more than 20 years as a practitioner, creating and managing over 500 corporate centres, and operating his own early learning centres along with industry duties. Jae understands and ensures that there needs to be a healthy balance between quality and business performance, he instills this in his team ensuring the very best outcomes are achieved.

Experienced in all facets of the early childhood education sector
Setting the benchmark and best practices in the early learning industry
From start-ups, to troubleshooting and complete transformations of existing campuses to make them quality, profitable businesses
Executive of Australian Child Care Alliance – Both National and QLD
Awarded Young Manager of the Year in 2013 – AIM
EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Queensland.

Find out more about Jae

Melanie Excell - Operations Manager

Melanie Excell started in the Early Learning and Education industry in 2002 and is a university-trained teacher holding a Bachelor of Education. She is passionate about early education and preparing children for a successful future. Melanie has worked in various roles in the early childhood education and care sector including teaching, centre director, area manager of both small and large groups of centres across Australia, and more recently a senior management position in a large childcare company.

Find out more about Melanie

Rebecca Gunn - Business Manager

Rebecca joined The Scholars Group in 2021 bringing with her over 25 years of experience in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. With roles ranging from national operations manager of a medium-sized early childhood company to classroom experience in early learning services, Rebecca has experience with new services and established centres in site assessment, design and set up. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood, Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services as well as a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.

Rebecca is passionate about making a difference in children’s lives striving to achieve this by encouraging the dedicated professionals within her team to bring their sparkle and provide a programme that is based on the interests of children. Rebecca believes that excellence within the sector can be achieved by connecting centres with families and the community.

Rebecca says some of her career highlights are being the guest speaker at the Australian Embassy in Japan presenting on Early Childhood Education in Australia, attending a Study Tour to Reggio Emilia in Italy, and opening the first AFL-affiliated early learning centres in Australia.

Jennifer Haydock - Quality Practice Manager

Jennifer has worked in early childhood education and care for almost 20 years. During this time, Jennifer had the privilege of working across all age-groups from babies to school-aged as lead educator and early childhood teacher. She has also worked in adult learning as a Trainer and Assessor teaching our future educators in their Certificate 3 and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. Jennifer has recently worked for the Department of Education as an Early Childhood Officer, followed by becoming the Lead Quality (Pedagogy & Practice) for the South East Region.

Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, Bachelor of Child and Family Studies, Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education, Cert IV in Training and Assessment, Diploma in Leadership and Management and certifications in Coaching and the Abecedarian Approach 3A.

Jennifer believes wholeheartedly in the African proverb ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ that an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment.

Ash Goburdhun - Regional Manager

Ash hails originally from the beautiful island of Mauritius, first came to Australia in 2007 and has lived in Sydney, Perth and now Brisbane, giving her both an international and a broad domestic view and experience of early learning, of which she has nearly 20 years in all roles from educator to centre director to regional manager.

Ash has a Cert 3 in Children’s Services, a Diploma of Children’s Services, a Diploma of Business Management and an advanced Diploma of Business Management.

Ash has an eye for detail, a dedication for effective and communicative leadership, and a passion for creating a positive and supportive environment for staff, children and their families.

“I believe my warm and friendly nature, combined with a strong leadership skill, makes me a trusted mentor and advocate for children,” Ash says. “I am dedicated to making a positive impact on their lives, providing them with the guidance and support they need to thrive.”

Stacey Lovett - Regional Manager

Stacey has been in the early childhood sector for 20 years, with a career spanning all areas of early learning including trainee educator to area manager, A&R centre support and centre manager induction support. Most recently she worked as an early childhood people and culture officer, supporting early learning centres finding amazing talent, succession planning, retention and supporting centre managers in performance management.

Stacey, originally from England before moving to Australia as a child, holds an Advanced Diploma in Children Services, a Diploma in Business and Certificate IV in Frontline Management.

“I have a passion for helping educators on their early childhood journeys and reaching their career goals. I believe the first five years of a child’s life should be filled with warm, positive and fun experiences to help set their futures up for success.”

Anne Blom - Administration Support Manager

Anne's career in Early Childhood Education and Care began in 2007, and since then, Anne has worked in all levels of the sector from hands-on educator to holding the position of National Administration Manager for Australia’s largest Child Care Provider. Anne specialises in the monitoring of Kidsoft and iDebitPro and assists all Centre Managers with their administrative duties to allow them to focus on the children and business.

The Support Office