Little Zak's Academy Mount Colah

Do NOT send your child to Little Zak’s Mount Colah. My experience with this centre has been nothing short of a challenge and heartbreak. As a parent, I cannot stress enough how deeply concerned I am about the standard of care, professionalism and operations at this service. What you’re promised at enrolment is a far cry from the reality your child and family will face. Families are regularly hit with extra and unexplained fees and communication with management and educators is often disconnected and unhelpful. Getting basic updates about your child’s day feels like an uphill battle. I've had to escalate serious concerns directly to the Department of Education due to the mismanagement and chaotic running of the centre. The rooms were constantly over staff to child ratio, with staff stretched thin and relying heavily on each other to get through the day. Children were left in large groups with minimal supervision and the quality and quantity of food provided is inadequate, especially considering the high fees families are paying. There have been multiple injury and incident reports involving my child and others and it's alarming how frequent departmental visits for compliance have become. Children were exposed to distressed, overwhelmed staff and due to extremely high staff turnover, the centre relies heavily on agency workers, creating a revolving door of unfamiliar faces. Educators are underpaid, overworked and often pushed out due to toxic business practices. Resources for meaningful learning experiences are minimal, outdated or non existent. There’s a severe lack of investment in both the children’s development and the wellbeing of staff. The centre fails to provide promised extras like incursions or excursions and any claims of being "different" or "premium" are simply false advertising. The cleanliness of the service is deeply concerning. From what I’ve witnessed, educators are expected to clean on top of caring for children, with only a weekly cleaner provided. Privacy is also an issue as children have been posted on social media platforms without permission, completely disregarding family rights and confidentiality. The centre’s communication with families, both in person and via the online portal is inconsistent, vague and often dismissive of concerns. There is no transparency, no accountability and certainly no sense of the nurturing, safe environment every child deserves. My child was exposed to multiple inappropriate situations that no family should ever have to accept. Please, read the reviews, listen to the local community and trust your instincts. This is NOT the place for your child to be, become, or belong.