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Guardian Childcare & Education Thornbury

Centre Highlights

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Aware

Bottles Supplied

Educational & Developmental Programs

Meals Provided

Nappies & Wipes Supplied

SunSmart Aware

About Guardian Childcare & Education Thornbury

Welcome to Guardian Childcare & Education Thornbury , a spacious and inviting centre, with childhood education programs focused on play-based learning. Our Thornbury day care and child care centre provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for children aged six weeks to six years of age, supporting them to discover the world in a safe and secure way.

Our Thornbury childcare centre offers:

  • Quality learning programs such as Joy of Reading, Cooking and Sustainability
  • Engaging indoor learning spaces full of quality educational resources
  • Expansive outdoor play spaces with a sandpit and veggie garden
  • On-site Chef providing fresh snacks and meals daily
  • Highly experienced Educators and degree-qualified Teachers
  • Nappies, SPF 50+ sunscreen, a hat and bed linen provided
  • Extended hours of care each weekday from 6:00am to 6:00pm

The Victorian Government offers funding to provide families up to 15 hours of Free Kindergarten a week, in addition to the Childcare Subsidy. The funding offsets the fees for three and four-year-old children that are part of the centre’s long day care Kindergarten program. Families will save up to $2,101 a year for children aged three-years-old and above in eligible long day cares in 2025.

Guardian Thornbury also features a beautiful old tree, high ceilings, a wooden cubby house, herb and vegetable gardens, worm farms, pet chickens, and a range of age-specific play areas where our exciting programs come to life and children are encouraged to play, explore and learn.

Begin the adventure at Guardian Thornbury today by booking a tour. 

Availability & Fees

Reviews for Guardian Childcare & Education Thornbury

5
  • Tegan Larin4 months ago

    We recently withdrew our child from this centre after two years due to serious concerns about decline in quality. Over the past 12 months, a large number of educators, many of them senior and highly experienced, resigned. It felt like every few weeks another familiar face was gone, and turnover became the norm rather than the exception. Despite families raising concerns directly with management on several occasions, little meaningful action was taken. While centre management appeared to listen, it often felt performative, with no real commitment to addressing the issues raised. Although we were fortunate that our child had some truly wonderful educators, the instability caused by constant staff changes and our concerns with centre management made us increasingly uneasy. The centre appears to prioritise cost-cutting measures above the wellbeing of children and staff. The advertised educator-to-child ratio 1:4 (the legal minimum requirement) was rarely seen to be met during morning drop-offs before 9am. It was common to see very few staff struggling to care for large groups of children, making drop-offs particularly stressful. Fees are high, with additional charges still applying for public holidays and centre closures, including Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The swap day policy is so restrictive it is almost impossible to use, yet opportunities to pay for extra days are heavily promoted. Sick day discounts are available but only if you know to ask, nothing is automatically offered. In our view, the centre now operates with a clear focus on maximising revenue, often at the expense of quality care. The vibe is corporate and profit-driven. The mass resignation of experienced educators should be a major red flag for any prospective parent. When staff leave en masse, it raises serious questions about the internal environment. While the centre has brought in new staff, many are very young and inexperienced, and unfortunately, we felt that the overall quality of care has suffered as a result. We no longer felt confident that our child was receiving the care and attention they deserved, and we ultimately made the decision to leave for their safety and wellbeing. I would encourage prospective families to look very carefully before enrolling here.

    Response from the owner2 months ago

    Hi Tegan, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re genuinely sorry to hear that your experience at Guardian Thornbury didn’t meet your expectations, especially after being part of our community for two years. We are sorry we were not aware of your concerns regarding staff turnover during your time with us. We’ve consistently shared updates and staffing information with families through emails and Storypark posts, and we continue to have several long-standing educators, including three who have been with us for over 15 years. Our aim has always been to provide a stable and nurturing environment for every child. The team have always made an effort to adjust educator schedules to ensure a familiar face was present at drop-off and personally assisting with morning transitions. We have further investigated rostering at the centre to ensure that we are in line with the ratio regulations at all times. We understand that trust and communication are vital in early education, and we appreciate your feedback as it helps us continue to grow. We wish your family all the best on your journey and hope your child is thriving in their new environment. If you would like to further discuss any of your concerns we welcome you to contact us on 138 230.

  • Patrick McKenna6 months ago

    We've had 2 children attend Guardian Thornbury over 7 years, and we couldn't be happier with their approach. The centre is well-run and the staff are lovely, but the most amazing thing is that our kids just loved going there! It makes everything 10 times easier when the kids are excited to go and almost want you to leave, so they can get on with having fun :)

    Response from the owner6 months ago

    Thank you for such a wonderful review! It sounds like you've had an incredible experience over the years at our centre. The fact that both of your children loved going there really speaks to how special the learning environment is, and how passionate and dedicated the staff are. It makes such a difference knowing your little ones are excited to head off and start their day without hesitation! What amazing peace of mind you must have had! Thank you again, Patrick, for your great feedback!

Location of Guardian Childcare & Education Thornbury

200 Smith Street, Thornbury

Thornbury suburb information

Thornbury is a suburb located in Victoria. There are approximately 28 child care centres in Thornbury.

How much is child care in Thornbury? On average, the cost of child care in Thornbury is $146 per day. This breaks down to $146 per day for babies, $151 per day for toddlers and $140 per day for kindergarten.

Thornbury sits just above the national NQS Rating & the average rating of centres is «Meeting NQS».

Number of centres

Child care centres in Thornbury
Child care centres in Thornbury

28

Average cost per day

Baby
Baby

0-12 Months

$146

Toddler
Toddler

13-24 Months

$151

Kindergarten
Kindergarten

2-3 Years

$140

National quality standard

Thornbury
National Average
4%7%
Working towards
71%49%
Meeting
11%14%
Exceeding
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