BASC TRANSITION
A message from the Manly West P&C President
Our Shared Priority
Every parent at Manly West wants the same thing from BASC: quality care for our children in a service that will be there when we need it. Exploring alternative models for the service has always been about ensuring exactly that – a sustainable, high-quality before and after school care service for years to come.
What Has Been Decided
At an Extraordinary General Meeting on 28 October 2025, P&C members voted on the future operating model for BASC. The vote was clear: 63% supported transitioning to a licensed private provider. This decision was made democratically, following proper constitutional processes, with all P&C members eligible to participate.
The tender process has commenced, led by the Department of Education with representatives from both the school and P&C. A new provider will assume the license at the commencement of Term 4, 2026.
Why This Future Path Was Considered By Members
This decision emerged from 12-18 months of research, consultation, and careful analysis. The Executive Committee examined two options for BASC’s future, guided by three critical factors:
1. Volunteer & Service Sustainability
Manly West BASC depends entirely on parent volunteers to manage a highly complex and growing operation. At a school of approximately 811 students, our P&C had 77 active eligible members at the time the vote was taken – approximately 5% of the school community. A small number of volunteers shoulder the majority of the workload, not just within the P&C executive and sub committees, but more broadly within our school.
In addition, there is a continuing long-term trend in the number of families where both parents work, and have less time for volunteering. Which has resulted in the need to pay canteen and uniform shop staff to enable business continuity.
Over recent years, as these volunteers inevitably move on when their children leave the school, the P&C has found it increasingly challenging to find replacements willing to take on the significant responsibilities of the P&C, including the governance and operational oversight of the BASC service.
At the same time, regulation has increased considerably both in quantum and complexity, with Federal and State governments implementing complementary legislation.
In NSW, responsibility for regulation of the states 6,100 early learning services has just been moved to a new specialist body, the NSW Early Learning Commission, from December 1, 2025. View more information here.
The changes have been particularly driven by the child safety aspects, but there have been increasing regulatory requirements in other areas such as employee awards, ACNC compliance, tax matters and Board-level responsibility generally.
This isn’t sustainable for a service families depend on every day. A service that turns over almost $2m annually.
2. Regulatory Compliance and Personal Risk
BASC operates under the National Quality Framework – the same stringent regulatory system governing all childcare in NSW. The P&C Executive Committee members serve as Persons with Management or Control (PMCs), carrying personal legal responsibility for compliance with constantly evolving regulations.
While insurance provides some protection, it does not shield volunteers from investigations, legal proceedings, personal stress, or reputational impact if an incident occurs. We know of a local P&C that faced a six-month legal trial related to their BASC operation.
Licensed providers employ specialists whose full-time role is navigating this regulatory environment. This expertise protects both the service and our volunteer community.
3. Service Quality and Expansion
This decision was never about fixing a broken service. The current BASC service is excellent – families rate it highly, and that quality has never been in question.
However, as it stands, we cannot offer vacation care, and many families already use external providers during school holidays. One of the key findings from our Community Survey was for our BASC service to add vacation care and transitioning to a licensed provider also creates the potential opportunity for integrated vacation care in the future.
The Business Analysis and Consultation Process
The Business Analysis was informed by:
- P&C Federation guidance
- Department of Education consultation
- Manly West school leadership input
- Network of Community Activity Consultation
- Direct conversations with P&C executives from local schools operating both models
Key exploratory discussions to understand BASC started 18 months ago with the Executive and BASC subcommittee. Over the last 12 months the business analysis was developed.
A survey was sent to all enrolled families (including next year’s kindergarten cohort) to gather information on demographics, current satisfaction with the service, and priorities for future service improvements and these results were included in the business analysis paper.
The Business Analysis paper and FAQ document was provided to all P&C members and the broader enrolled school community for review and feedback.
The school community was notified of the proposal with the opportunity to ask questions. Five families contacted the President directly; with only one that queried the process. All questions were answered prior to the EGM on 28 October.
A P&C Federation representative attended the EGM, a democratic vote followed proper constitutional procedures with all members eligible to participate.
Correcting Misinformation
We are aware that inaccurate information has circulated in the community. We address several important points below:
Financial Impact
BASC has averaged $34k annual profit over 20 years (excluding one-time COVID grants), of which majority of those profits have been reinvested into expanding the BASC service with the purchase of new buildings and upgrading the existing facilities.
Over that period, BASC has also donated approximately 200k to the school to contribute to non-BASC related projects (in conjunction with P&C Events fundraising) such as Amphitheatre shade, Outdoor Learning and Landscaping, Oval upgrade and enrichment programs.
A privatised model provides a consistent financial benefit to Manly West whereby a licensed provider will pay market rent via a lease fee that goes directly to the school. A privatised model provides a consistent financial benefit to Manly West.
Financial comparisons were explored during the business analysis process but were not included in the final paper because they involve detailed operational and financial
projections which (due to multiple variables outside the control of the P&C) were not possible to accurately forecast – for either option. Their inclusion risked skewing the objectivity of the analysis.
Service Quality
All BASC services in our area – whether P&C-operated or privately provided – hold the same ACECQA rating. Many of our families already use external providers for vacation care with high satisfaction. Executive Committee representatives also spoke directly with P&Cs using external providers, who reported:
- Excellent staff retention and service quality
- Strong community engagement
- Regular attendance at P&C meetings by provider representatives
- Responsive communication
Quality monitoring and compliance requirements remain identical under both models. Under our current ACECQA rating we are meeting standards which are the same as other external providers in the area.
Staff Support
Our BASC staff do a wonderful job. The wellbeing of current BASC staff is a primary consideration throughout this process. Executive Committee members have met directly with staff to discuss the transition and support services including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) have been put in place. The tender evaluation includes specific criteria regarding staff retention and transition support, and the Department of Education process includes explicit considerations for existing employees.
Ratios and Waitlist
Our BASC service has faced a long-standing issue with a waitlist. The situation is significant enough that some families applied to out-of-area schools simply because those schools could guarantee BASC places. This has a knock-on effect for our community, contributing to smaller year groups and potential loss of teaching staff.
The Principal and the P&C President worked with the Department to secure an additional 50 BASC places; expanding our capacity from 210 to 260. At present, only 20 of these additional spots have been activated, with the additional 30 spots planned for term 1, 2026.
Historically, the service operated at an estimated average ratio of 1:11. However, this ratio limited our capacity and contributed directly to the waitlist. To address this, we have increased the ratio to an average of 1:13, with the option to raise it further if needed to meet demand and prevent the waitlist from returning. Despite this change, our Community Survey showed that 92% of respondents remain very satisfied or satisfied with the overall BASC service.
The waitlist issue was ultimately resolved by improving business efficiencies. At its peak, the list often ranged from 60 to 100 children each day. The solution, adjusting ratios and strengthening operational management, was fairly straightforward, though it required substantial volunteer effort. However, in a volunteer-run model, the skills and experience of those in key roles can vary widely. Although these challenges could have been addressed sooner, essential aspects of the service were not consistently reviewed or managed as needed to do but this is not realistic in volunteer roles.
Vacation Care
Our current licence does not permit us to offer Vacation Care.
Under an In-house model, running vacation care increases risk to the PMC volunteer. Furthermore, existing HR agreements with key BASC staff have constraints creating real barriers that prevent this option.
Cost to families
Fees would be increasing whether the service stayed within the P&C or went to an external provider. Below is a breakdown of projected fees within our local area relative to the hours the service offers from Term 1 2026.
We want to assure everyone that BASC is not closing, and the service will continue to support our community without interruption. The only change will be who manages and operates the service. There will be a transition period, but the service will remain open throughout.
What Happens Next
The tender process has commenced with the Department of Education, with plans to transition to the commencement of the new service in Term 4 2026.
Our Commitment Moving Forward
The Manly West P&C exists to support our children and the school community. This decision was made to ensure BASC remains a reliable, high-quality service for current and future families in our community.
We also recognise that change creates uncertainty and are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible to ensure minimal disruption to our children, Manly West families and BASC staff.
Questions can be directed to president@manlywestpandc.org.au
