Our Commitment to Child Safety and Wellbeing at Little Scholars
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We are deeply committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where children feel protected, respected, and free to thrive.
Safeguarding children from harm, abuse, or neglect is a shared responsibility across our entire organisation. Every member of our team – from educators and chefs to campus leaders – plays an active role in ensuring children’s safety, every day.
Little Scholars is a child-safe organisation committed to Australia’s National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. These principles are informed by the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australia’s Children’s Commissioners and Guardians, and the National Framework for Creating Safe Environments for Children.
The Principles are underpinned by a child-rights approach and guide our policies, practices, and culture to strengthen child safety and wellbeing across our campuses, families, and communities.
We maintain strict recruitment and screening processes for all staff and volunteers. This includes:
Volunteers are always supervised and are never left alone with children.
Little Scholars follows a robust Risk Management Strategy endorsed by the Queensland Children and Young People Commission. We proudly uphold the Statement of Shared Commitment, which promotes positive experiences and safe, respectful interactions for all children in our care.
We have both a moral and legal obligation to act if we suspect or become aware of harm to a child.
All Little Scholars staff follow clear and well-defined reporting procedures for any concerns relating to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or neglect — regardless of who is responsible or where the harm may have occurred. Our duty of care extends to incidents that occur both within and outside our services.
We believe children have the right to understand their own safety and wellbeing. We support this through age-appropriate learning experiences that build confidence, awareness, and agency.
Each year, our campuses participate in Bravehearts’ Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Program, a curriculum-aligned program that delivers personal safety education through engaging song, dance, and storytelling. The program aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework. Across our learning environments, children are supported to:
All Little Scholars campuses are thoughtfully designed with child safety in mind, including:
We also comply with the National Quality Framework (NQF), meeting educator-to-child ratios, qualification standards, and best-practice safety requirements.
Little Scholars adheres to the National Model Code and Guidelines developed in response to the ACECQA Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework.
To protect children’s privacy and safety:
Consent is obtained through a dedicated agreement, ensuring transparency, compliance with privacy legislation, and respect for family preferences.
Compliance with our child safety policies and codes of conduct is mandatory for everyone involved with Little Scholars — including employees, students, volunteers, families, visitors, and authorised contacts. Upholding these standards is a condition of participation in our services and reflects our unwavering commitment to every child’s safety and wellbeing.
At Little Scholars, these aren’t just tick-the-box items. They’re part of our everyday culture, backed by additional programs and initiatives that go beyond the minimum standards. Families are welcome to view our Child Safety Risk Management Plan and Statement of Commitment at any time – and we actively invite feedback, because safety is strongest when families and educators work together.
Our Operations Manager, Melanie Excell, serves as a Queensland Children’s Rights Ambassador, helping shape safe practices across the sector. Mel has also established a Child Safety Squad to drive further action and engagement in safety practices within our centres.
If you have any concerns about a child’s safety, health, or wellbeing at any Little Scholars campus, we urge you to report it. You can speak directly to the Campus Manager or contact Melanie, operations manager for Little Scholars. While you have the option to remain anonymous, providing contact details will enable us to gather more information and respond more effectively.
Any concerns raised will be directed to the appropriate parties, including regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies, in line with legislative requirements.
At Little Scholars, we foster a culture of openness, where children, families, and staff are encouraged to speak up. If something doesn’t feel right, we want to know.
Supporting children’s safety is a shared responsibility between families, educators, and communities. Below are trusted organisations and services that provide valuable information, education, and support for parents and carers.
Bravehearts offers extensive information and practical resources to help families teach children about personal safety, body autonomy, and respectful relationships. Their resources support parents and educators in understanding child abuse prevention and protection.
Body Safety Australia promotes childhoods free from violence by empowering children to understand and communicate their right to bodily autonomy. Their programs also support communities to prevent child abuse through education and awareness.
Free, confidential support for children and young people.
Phone: 1800 551 800
NAPCAN provides evidence-based information, programs, and resources focused on the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
SAFE4KIDS specialises in child protection and protective behaviours education. Their website includes a wide range of resources, including interactive tools such as a board game designed to assess children’s understanding of protective behaviours.
The Foundation delivers personal child safety education to help prevent abuse and promote lifelong wellbeing. Resources are available for children from Prep/Kindy through to Year 12.
Provides education programs and practical tools to help children understand body safety and personal boundaries.
Delivers engaging protective behaviours programs focused on Personal Safety for Kids, designed to empower children in a fun and age-appropriate way.
Created by the Australian Federal Police, the ACCCE brings together a world-leading approach to preventing and responding to child exploitation. Their website includes helpful resources for families and carers.
Offers guidance and resources to help parents and carers keep children under five safe online.
The following books, music, and digital resources can help children learn about body autonomy, consent, and personal safety in age-appropriate and empowering ways.
A fun, accessible song that reinforces children’s ownership of their bodies.
Age-appropriate cartoon videos available on YouTube that teach children key personal safety messages.
A powerful song encouraging children to speak up and seek help.
Designed for children aged 8–10, this engaging podcast follows Ari, the world’s first AI child, as he explores the human experience. It’s a fun and thoughtful tool to spark conversations about respectful behaviour and relationships.
Authored by Tess Rowley and illustrated by Jodi Edwards, this book (ages 3–8) gently introduces body awareness and safety. It also includes valuable guidance for parents and carers.
Written by Jayneen Sanders (ages 3–12), this book helps children understand the difference between safe and unsafe secrets and encourages them to speak out. A parent guide is included.
Also by Jayneen Sanders (ages 4–10), this book introduces concepts of consent, boundaries, body ownership, and respect in a child-friendly way.
By Rod and Kate Power (ages 3–8), this bright and engaging book teaches children that their private parts belong only to them.
Written by Sophie Beer, this book helps children understand that there are many ways to greet others — and that physical contact is always a choice.
By Carrie Finison, this story supports conversations about body autonomy and respecting others’ boundaries.
An international, award-winning publisher specialising in children’s books on body safety, consent, respectful relationships, gender equality, and social-emotional learning. They also provide free resources for parents, carers, and educators.An international, award-winning publisher specialising in children’s books on body safety, consent, respectful relationships, gender equality, and social-emotional learning. They also provide free resources for parents, carers, and educators.
We adore the endless stream of questions that little ones bring to us every day! From an early education standpoint, we want children to learn at every opportunity. Children are inquisitive beings, and they have lots to learn! At Little Scholars, we cherish this innate curiosity in children and strive to foster a lifelong passion for learning.
As parents and educators, we understand that some questions from our little ones can catch us off guard, leaving us searching for the right words to provide age-appropriate answers. We’re here to lend a helping hand, so let’s tackle a few of these tough questions together!
“Everything about Little Scholars is about the children. It’s amazing to be surrounded by passionate educators that love making a difference for the children.”
We know it can be hard to come up with easy, quick things to do with your children, so we thought we’d share a favourite of our little scholars. Learn how to make your own moon sand in minutes with a few of these kitchen staples!
We sat down with our little scholars and asked them some very important questions.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Fill in the form to join your local Pram Pals mums and bubs walk
