Ambrose Early Childhood services receive international delegation 

Approved provider Catholic Education Parramatta Diocese – Early Learning and Care recently received a delegation from the Diocese of Auckland who visited Australia to learn more about the Ambrose early childhood services operated by the Community Ventures agency of the Parramatta Diocese. 

Offering both early learning and outside school hours care (OSHC) under the names Ambrose Activities, Ambrose Early Learning and Ambrose School Aged Care, the Diocese has 61 early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

The service offering takes its name in honour of St Ambrose, who was a doctor of the Catholic church, and who is the patron saint of learning and beekeepers.

Ambrose commenced in 2019 with 25 OSHC services and five early learning settings. Since that time the number of OSHC services in the portfolio has more than doubled (now 55) with continued plans for expansion. 

During the tour James van Schie, General Manager of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, Catherine Ryan, Head of Education, and Michael Butler, Head of Property, spent a day with leaders from Parramatta’s Chancery and Community Ventures teams touring the new early learning centre in Plumpton, currently under construction, as well as visiting St Luke’s in Marsden Park to observe the operations of a large early learning centre and the unique Ambrose Activities after school care.  

“The growth of the Ambrose network over the past few years underlines the importance of strong branding and a dedicated workforce. It has been very inspiring to see what can be achieved in a relatively short time,” Mr van Schie said.  

Ambrose Activities features schoolteacher-led “masterclasses”, an innovative approach introduced by Community Ventures to enhance the quality of the education program. These masterclasses provide children with additional learning opportunities, which extends the school curriculum and provides an opportunity for children to learn new skills. 

“It was a delight showcasing our Ambrose centres and brand to our colleagues from Auckland,” Community Ventures CEO Anthony Goonan said.  

“They visited to gain insights into our establishment and growth and learn how they can deliver early childhood education and care services. They were able to observe Ambrose’s methods in action and experience the thoughtfully designed learning environments firsthand, all of which have contributed to our successful growth,” he added. 

Further information about Ambrose, and Community Ventures, may be found here.