Explore & Develop

What does the next level of leadership look like in early childhood education and care?

This was the focus of Michelle Rushton’s brilliant session at our recent Franchise Conference, where Explore & Develop owners explored how to bring people together, adapt their approaches when required and ultimately continue to thrive.

Through practical frameworks, research and discussion, we were challenged to consider various styles of leadership from different perspectives and translate the ideas into everyday practice.

Thank you Michelle for guiding us through an engaging yet practical session. Always a pleasure to learn from you.

Thrilled to have the inspiring Kelly Goodsir of KGlearning come along to our 2026 Franchise Conference to talk about purpose-driven leadership.

The session explored how leaders can stay aligned to their values while balancing the many demands of leadership and how leading with purpose helps to create the right conditions for educators and teams to continue thriving.

Thank you Kelly for the thoughtful discussion - as always it was a pleasure to have your insights and knowledge in the room with us.

Pictured: Kelly with Explore & Develop Founder Jenny Mays and CEO Belinda Ludlow.

We had an excellent day at the Semann & Slattery Infants & Toddlers National Practice Conference in Sydney this week.

The conference brought together a brilliant line up of keynote speakers, including of course the wonderful Su Garrett, who spoke about how genuine, safe relationships enable learning.

Thank you to everyone involved in the conference. We left feeling inspired and proud to work in our sector.

Very happy to share the news that Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant has joined our team in a consulting capacity as Trainee Support Manager.

Ella brings extensive experience from her many years in the early childhood sector and in this newly established role, will support ICCC trainees across our group of independently owned and operated services.

All of the owners of Explore & Develop services share a common commitment to giving the next generation of educators a strong, quality-driven start in the sector, learning to be the best educators they can be. This role is a key step in ensuring trainees receive consistent, personalised support throughout their journey.

Welcome to the team, Ella!

Explore & Develop - Where curiosity leads to learning We believe that children learn as they explore, discover, make, create and imagine. Welcome to Explore & Develop, where curiosity leads to learning.

We are thrilled to announce we are a 'Franchisor of the Year' Finalist for the 2026 Franchise Industry Awards to be held in June 2026.

We are so proud of this achievement, which is a reflection of 20 years of hard work, dedication and professionalism.

Thank you to our incredible Support Office team, our franchisees and their teams, who all contribute to making Explore & Develop such a special organisation to be a part of.

The annual awards program is hosted by to recognise and celebrate excellence within the Australian franchise sector.

Are you taking time to care for yourself?

In a sector built on people, educator wellbeing matters.

Beth Borowsky from shares some simple wellbeing practices for educators to try incorporating into their every day:

🧘‍♀️ Start your day with positive energy by taking five slow, deep belly breaths when you get up and then whispering three things you are grateful for

💦 Nourish yourself with healthy, fresh food and drink enough water - it makes a big difference to your energy levels and overall health

🏃‍♀️ Find a physical activity you love - walking, swimming, yoga, pilates, gym - and try to exercise at leas tthree times a week

🥰 Surround yourself with people who lift you up and support you, not drain and deplete you

🫶 Remember that self-care is essential, not selfish

Our regular Nominated Supervisor meetings allow leaders from across our group of independently owned and operated services to come together to reflect, challenge thinking and learn from one another.

At our latest meeting, we were very fortunate to have the brilliant Rod Soper join us to host a workshop on leading diverse, intergenerational teams. His insights into building strong, effective teams really resonated and sparked meaningful discussion among our group.

High quality early childhood education and care doesn’t happen on its own. It’s built through connection, shared knowledge and a commitment to continuous improvement. Having the opportunity to collaborate with peers and learn from each other is a critical part of how we achieve this at Explore & Develop.

We’re proud to be the official name tag sponsor at this year’s Early Childhood Australia National Conference in Melbourne.

It always feels uplifting when our sector comes together to share ideas, strengthen practice and celebrate all of the incredible educators making a difference in their communities.

The ECA Conference is always a valuable event on the calendar and we are proud to be an official supporter.

If you haven't got your tickets yet, they are available at ecaconference.com.au/2026. We look forward to seeing you there!

There is something powerful about bringing passionate early childhood professionals together.

Our first Educational Leader Collaboration Meeting for 2026 created space for ELs across the Explore & Develop group to reconnect, share ideas and focus on what matters most, which is delivering high-quality outcomes for children and families.

We’re proud to foster a culture where educators feel supported and are given the time and space to collaborate with their peers across the group.

It is this shared commitment to continuous improvement that underpins the quality of education and care across our group of independently owned and operated services.

We are thrilled to announce the opening of Explore & Develop Artarmon - Dickson Ave.

For the past 18 years, Alison Cross and Laura Ottawa have built a highly respected and trusted presence in the community through Explore & Develop Artarmon - Campbell St, the only service in Artarmon to be rated as Exceeding the National Quality Standards.

With strong community support and a continued commitment to quality early learning, Alison has now expanded to a second location just down the road.

The service at Dickson Ave will provide the opportunity for more local families to experience the high-quality early childhood education and care that Explore & Develop Artarmon is widely known for.

Expanding a service after nearly two decades in the same community is a testament to sustained quality, strong relationships and a deep understanding of what local families value.

We congratulate Alison on this exciting new chapter and look forward to seeing Explore & Develop Artarmon - Dickson Ave continue her positive impact in the local community.

Pictured is Alison with some of her incredible Dickson Ave team.

Explore & Develop educators recently had the exclusive opportunity to attend a special sleep and settling training session with expert nurse educators from Tresillian Early Parenting.

Through our longstanding partnership with Tresillian, this training is only available to educators working across our group of independently owned and operated services.

The training aimed to further deepen educators' understanding of best-practice approaches to supporting babies in their care. The session focused on responsive settling techniques, reading each child’s unique cues and supporting families who are navigating sleep challenges at home.

Investing in high-quality professional learning like this strengthens educator practice and enhances the meaningful partnerships our services build with children and families every day.

As one of Australia’s most respected organisations supporting families with young children, we are so proud to partner with Tresillian and appreciate the invaluable knowledge they continue to share with us.