Operations Manager

Melanie Excell

Melanie started in the sector in 2002 and is a university-trained teacher holding a Bachelor of Education.

She has worked in teaching, as a centre director, as area manager across both small and large groups of services nationally, and in a senior management position in a large early learning service. She has been with The Scholars Group since its inception.

Abecedarian 3a coach and a Children’s Rights Queensland Community Ambassador.

Quality Practice Manager

Jen Haydock

Jen has worked across every age group, from babies to school age, as lead educator and early childhood teacher. She has also worked in adult learning as a trainer and assessor, teaching Certificate III and Diploma students.

She then worked for the Department of Education as an early childhood officer, and became the Lead Quality, Pedagogy and Practice Officer for the South East Region. She has assessed services from the regulator’s side of the table.

Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, Bachelor of Child and Family Studies, Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education, Cert IV TAE, Diploma of Leadership and Management, and certification in the Abecedarian Approach 3a.

It takes a village to raise a child. An entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for them to grow in a safe and healthy environment.

Office Manager

Anne Blom

Anne started in early childhood education in 2007 and has worked at every level of the sector, from hands-on educator to national administration manager for Australia’s largest early learning provider.

She specialises in Kidsoft and iDebitPro, and supports every Centre Manager with their administration so they can focus on the children and the business.

Regional Manager

Stacey Lovett

Stacey has been in the early childhood sector since 2005, across every part of it — trainee educator, area manager, assessment and rating service support, and Centre Manager induction.

Most recently she worked as an early childhood people and culture officer, supporting services with talent, succession planning, retention, and Centre Managers through performance management.

Originally from England before moving to Australia as a child. Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, Diploma of Business, and a Cert IV in Frontline Management.

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.

Regional Manager

Jeannette Manu Ettles

Jeannette joined in 2024 after relocating from New Zealand, where she served the early learning sector for two decades. A proud Kiwi-born Samoan.

She holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood and is completing a Masters in Educational Leadership through the University of Auckland. Alongside her role here she is a facilitator with The Educational Leadership Project, lecturing for early learning providers and the tertiary sector.

My work is in pedagogical leadership through different world views, particularly Indigenous leadership. Children succeed in environments where their language, culture and identity is valued and used as a vehicle for driving education.

She describes her approach through the Samoan concept of va — giving honour and respect to the space between herself and others.

Regional Manager

Lauren Higgins

Lauren joined in late 2024. Originally from Albury on the New South Wales and Victorian border, she has worked across Victoria, the ACT and now Queensland.

She has run boutique services and campuses with more than 100 educators, single sites and multi-site groups, with occupancy from 90 places to 238 a day.

I have managed and supported services through highs and lows — new services opening, and supporting teams through natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic.

She works on mentoring and developing educators and Centre Managers.