Blume Academy

Welcome to New Families

At Blume Academy, building respectful relationships with parents and families is a priority.

We recognise the significance of a strong partnership with our families and the broader community, and the critical role this plays in supporting the learning and development of each child.

The Journey Begins

The Blume Family App

The Blume App is our main method of communication with families. The App is used to provide parents with information that includes each child’s rest time, meals and toileting as well as an overview of the activities of the day. The educators regularly post daily information that includes each child’s rest time, meals and toileting as well as an overview of the activities of the day.

Parents will also be able to access their child’s developmental records throughout the year.

Events and celebrations, centre news, Policy and Procedures and any updates of them, will also be accessible via the App. Attendances, absences and casual days will also be recorded for the convenience of parents. As the functionality of the App increases parents will be informed.

Resources for Families

More helpful information related to all aspects of childcare can be accessed via the following Childcare authorities below:

Frequently Asked Questions

How to does the Waitlist work?

The waitlist is used by the Administration Manager to access families who are interested in having their child at the centre Waitlisted families are contacted and offered a position when their preferences are closely aligned with the days available. Where families are flexible with their days or number of days required, there is a greater chance of meeting those needs.

When a vacancy arises, we contact families in the following order:

Families at Blume who require extra days for their enrolled child/ren

Families at Blume with siblings on our waitlist

Waitlisted families not currently enrolled in the service.

How many educators per children in each room?

At Blume Academy we follow the child ratios as determined by the National Quality Framework (NQF). As per the regulations (in NSW) the staff allocation at Blume Academy are the below rations:

1 educator : 4 children (Nursery)
1 educator : 5 children (Toddlers)
1 educator : 10 children (Preschool and Academy classes)

Each room is allocated extra educators based on the needs of the age group, the children, the curriculum and the programming.

Are your educators qualified?

Yes. As per regulations Blume Academy educators are :

Early Childhood Teachers (ECT)

Diploma Trained educators (Dip)

Certificate Trained educators (Cert 111) Trainees

How many children are in each room?

At Blume our age-specific educational curriculum is supported by innovative design spaces for optimum teaching and learning.

Our have age specific rooms are as follows:

Nursery 1 (babies) – 10 babies

Nursery 2 (infants) – 20 infants

Toddler Room (1) – 10 toddlers

Toddler Room (2) – 15 toddlers

Junior Preschool – 20 preschoolers

Preschool – 20 preschoolers

What is provided each day?

During the day, we take care of each child’s needs including:

All meals (breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, light evening snack)

Sunscreen

Nappies

Blume Academy sun hat

Filtered water and milk with meals and throughout the day

What essential items should I pack each day?

A bag or backpack for your child’s belongings.

At least two changes of clothes, including extra underwear if they are toilet training, shorts, tee shirts, socks and a jumper

Blume Academy sun hat (provided on first day)

A drink bottle

Any comfort item your child may need, such as a dummy or soft toy

A milk bottle and formula if required.

For hygiene reasons, we ask that parents provide their child’s own labelled nappy cream (which must not contain any nut oil).

Children should be dressed in clothing that allows for easy movement, is suitable for the season and practical for fun and messy experiences.

Parents should ensure that all belongings are clearly labelled. Lost property is displayed for parent collection in the child’s room. The centre discourages toys from home and does not take responsibility for any personal belongings.

Hats and sun protection

At Blume Academy, each child will receive a sun hat to be worn outdoors. Parents are asked to put the child’s name on the hat and ensure that children have it in their bag each day. Hats should be washed regularly at home.

Over the summer months, parents should apply 30+ sunscreen to children prior to arriving at Blume Academy, or use the sunscreen provided on arrival. Educators will reapply sunscreen throughout the day as required. We follow all recommendations to protect children made by SunSmart Australia.

How are my family’s details kept confidential?

All records and information regarding children, families, employees and management are kept on our OWNA system (Blume App) and hard copies are kept in a secure location. Access to individual files will be limited to employees and licensing authorities, unless prior permission from the child’s parent(s) and/or guardian is obtained.

See more information about how we keep our Blume App safe via the OWNA website.

Does my child need to be immunised?

As per government regulations, a child who is not immunised cannot enrol at the centre. It is also regulation that we keep up-to-date immunisation records of each child enrolled at the centre. On enrolment parents will be given information on how to obtain these ongoing records. Please note that parents’ payments from Centrelink will be adversely affected if their child’s immunisation record is not kept current.

See the link for more detailed information.

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/childcare_qa.aspx