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ECEC Provider in Focus: Camp Australia
Freya Lucas
May 19, 2023
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Camp Australia is an outside school hours care (OSHC) provider operating 520 services around Australia and employing 4,400 staff. The business is owned by Allegro Funds, Tanara, Broad Peak Funds Management, ICG,and Perpetual.
What is the history of Camp Australia?Camp Australia began operations in 1987, providing after school tennis coaching. In 1991, the provider launched its first school holiday program in Victoria. In 1994 Camp Australia began to offer before and after school care, recognising changing family circumstances.
In 2019 a new CEO was appointed, along with a new management team, and brand refresh at which time a new strategy for the business was created, with the aspirational vision of supporting families in achieving their dreams through a mission to be Australia’s leading OSHC provider. What is Camp Australia’s vision and approach to OSHC?
Every experience with Camp Australia is tailored to meet the unique needs of the children in each service. Underpinning these activities is Camp Australia’s approach – The CA Way.
Supported by frameworks such as My Time, Our Place and the National Quality Standard, the CA Way is a structured approach to bringing programs to life in a way that results in positive child experiences and learning outcomes.
“The CA WAY is our proprietary approach to programming, designed to support team members in bringing programs to life that result in positive outcomes for children’s development and experiences,” a spokesperson explained.
“It stands for COLLECT, ANALYSE, WRITE IT DOWN, ACTIVATE, YOUR REFLECTION.”
Understanding that term time and holiday time are vastly different for children, the provider has made the decision to make a clear distinction in its offerings.
Your OSHC by Camp Australia provides enriching experiences for children during term – before school, after school and on pupil free days, giving children a supportive space to have fun whilst continuing their development, building confidence and socialising with their friends.
Rocketeers by Camp Australia takes children on ‘extraordinary adventures’ during their school holidays, with every holiday a new themed mission, run by ‘mission commanders’ and crew.
To keep children engaged, Camp Australia also has a range of exclusive national events including the Handball Championships, Film Festival, and Big Art Competition. Through the national events, children get an opportunity to be part of something bigger than their school, win prizes, and inspire a sense of pride for themselves and their accomplishments.
Are there any unique aspects to the Camp Australia offer? When partnering with schools, Camp Australia commits to refreshing, decorating, designing, constructing and resourcing the OSHC space, wherever it sits in the school setting, to encourage a collaborative learning environment. The provider recently launched new values - courage, gratitude, respect, joy and belonging, created by listening to the voices of others in the team, with the intention of ensuring that “people are at the heart of the organisation.” Since 2020 Camp Australia has been surveying families and school leaders each year through its Child Impact Survey to understand more about how the pandemic and its subsequent restrictions have affected children. The results of the survey play a significant role in helping families and educators understand and address critical aspects of children’s long-term development. The provider also partners with sector experts to provide partner schools (and soon, parents) with practical tips and resources through its Insight Series to help them, their educators and their students to address areas of concern. The most recent series with the eSafety Commissioner can be watched here. What is Camp Australia’s approach to educator professional learning? Educators employed by Camp Australia are supported in their career growth and development through the Grow with CA your way EVP program. This holistic program has been created to attract the right talent, keep them engaged, celebrate their amazing work and provide them with reasons to stay and build a career in the OSHC sector. There are five key elements of Grow with CA your way: culture, choice, career pathways, care, and celebration. To learn more about Camp Australia, visit the website or the Facebook page for current updates. If you are an ECEC approved provider and would like to see your organisation or service profiled in the Jobs Roundup newsletter, please click this link and fill out the form.
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