Mel Comerford
Director & Founder
Mel is an experienced early childhood professional with more than 25 years working in the early years sector and is passionate about and dedicated
About Astute.
Why choose Astute?
Astute Early Years Specialists are the leaders in Childcare Management and consultancy services. If you’re an approved provider, service owner, centre manager, team member or teacher then you are going to love us and our team of epic (fearless, talented and legendary) specialists.
Why? Because we get it: all of it. Big services, small kindergartens, great (read exceeding) and working towards great – when it comes to early years, we have experienced it!
That’s why we provide advice and support to ensure compliance, improve your rating and streamline operations, all the while the showing the leadership qualities of a superhero.
Meet our team below and see how we can help transform your childcare centre.
Our Values
Respect
We respect our people, our network and the work that we do each day. We understand the value each individual person brings to the world and build relationships that are mutually respectful. Astute embraces & respects individual ideas and ways of thinking.
Excellence
We strive for excellence in every way and in everything we do. When we set to do something, we do it to the highest quality & standard attainable. Our performance & deliverables are second to none. We guide Centre Owners, Approved Providers, Managers and Team members to deliver excellence across all facets of their business.
Relationships
Our people are our family. At Astute relationships are nurtured, valued and integral to our work. We foster strong connections with our clients, centres, team members & stakeholders that become long-term relationships.
Children are important
The wellbeing of children is central to everything we do. At Astute, our purpose is to support Centre Owners, Approved Providers, Managers & Teams to deliver the highest quality education and care programs to children. Children are our future and they deserve to be nurtured, supported and provided with loving environments & community for their early learning journey.
Meet our expert team
Kylie Dawson
Early Years & Adult Professional Learning Specialist
Kylie is an experienced early childhood professional who is extremely passionate about supporting centre communities to work together to provide their children with high
Natalie McDonald
Business and Marketing Manager
Natalie is an experienced marketing, communication, and project management professional, with over 13 years’ experience within the early childhood sector. She joins Astute Early
Emma Thomas
Early Years Specialist & Educational Leader
Emma is a Kindergarten teacher with more than 15 years experience in early childhood education. As the eldest of 5 kids, she has always
Rebecca Donaldson
Early Years Specialist
Hi, I’m Bec. I’m a passionate Early Years Specialist with a wide range of experience stemming from over 14 years working in the early
Gail Lindner
Digital & Creative Marketing Coordinator
Gail is an experienced social media and marketing professional with a background in supporting kindergarten and early childhood services. Within the Astute team, she
Kellie Blinco
Early Years Specialist
Hi, I’m Kellie and I am proud to have been an early childhood professional for 20 years long day care, family day care and
Ashleigh Marshall-Payne
Accounts Manager
Ashleigh is a qualified Bookkeeper and Trust Accountant who has worked in the Accounting & Bookkeeping Industry for over 6 years. She has completed
Rachael Vogel
Early Years Specialist
Rachael Vogel is a Bachelor qualified early childhood teacher who has worked in the community services sector for almost 20 years. Specialising in Early
Shantel Dixon
Family Journey Specialist
Hi, I’m Shantel and I have worked in the early years learning sector for over a decade. I am Diploma trained and worked on
Olivia Ritchie
Marketing & Events Officer
Olivia is an experienced Marketing and Events Officer with a background in design, and various in-centre roles. Within the Astute team, Olivia provides support
Build a World of Play!
Astute Early Years Specialists’ very own Kylie Dawson recently worked on The Lego Foundation’s #buildaworldofplay campaign. Kylie is proud of the resources
Top 10 Tips for Writing Your Quality Improvement Plan
By Kylie Dawson 1. DO NOT document regulatory requirements as a strength (these are the minimum and expected requirements). 2. DO NOT
Staffing arrangements post 16 December 2021 & Mandatory Vaccinations for ECEC teams
This post is not about vaccination – I support wholeheartedly protecting those that cannot protect themselves. I also support valued based choice
Contact us today and let our team of early years specialists work their magic.