educator

early childhood teacher

center manager

educational assistant

physical therapist assistant

G8 Education

Both G8 and Affinity run a business model which gives staff in a challenging job no benefits ie not being paid wages for overtime but vaguely threatens them with discipline or change of contracts if  they don't work over at end of day for carer to  group of children ratios at end of shifts ( staff have been expected to leave on 'leave without pay' during the day because not all children turn up (but parents are still paying) but when staff start to leave having started at 6.30 or 7am, you end up with too many children) . So staff are expected to accept their weekly wage to chop and change to suit business , but are expected to work over their shift to keep business compliant when the staff did not create the problem. This means that every day staff are sent home and parents do not realise this practice exists. Staff are not given time paid to do inductions for the business, but expected to do hours at home online. Staff in childcare have a complex role and when  companies see them as liabilities to cut costs on and not important assets, morale is low and turnover high which is unhelpful to children. The workload is huge : staff clean floors and walls and windows and bathrooms,, do maintenance and gardening and work over without wages and do without breaks and are expected to work as if the centres are community centres, giving their time on weekends (treated as not team players if they expect to be paid for their time) to build gardens and clean and host fun days simply to increase profits of shareholders. G8 centres are not a community centre but a  for profit business. Be wary you may appear to have 37.5 hrs a week but on a part time contract you will find it flexible in the companies favour every time. They expect deluxe from staff but pay and have practices that do not enable this.


A Typical Day at Work:
In the beginning, a typical day  was meaningful and fulfilling. I enjoyed engaging with the children, planning activities, and supporting their development. However, over time, the structure and support within the workplace changed significantly. I often found myself managing a large group of children, including several with additional needs, with little to no support.

What You Believe You Learned:
I learned how to stay calm under pressure, multitask effectively, and advocate for children's needs even in challenging situations. I also developed strong skills in managing diverse behaviours and understanding how to support children with additional needs.

Management:
Unfortunately, management became a major challenge. The initial support gradually disappeared when the manager changed. The new management was largely focused on financial aspects rather than the well-being of staff or children. There was a clear lack of communication, organisation, and genuine leadership, which made the work environment very stressful.

Workplace Culture:
The workplace culture shifted from supportive and collaborative to disconnected and stressful. Many educators felt burnt out due to being overworked and underappreciated. There was little effort from management to foster a positive, team-oriented environment.

The Hardest Part of the Job:
The hardest part was being left alone in a room with up to 20 children sometimes, including 3 to 4 with special needs, without proper support. It was physically and emotionally exhausting, and at times, unsafe — both for staff and children.

The Most Enjoyable Part of the Job:
Despite the challenges, the most enjoyable part was spending time with the children, watching them grow and develop, and knowing I was making a positive impact in their lives. Their smiles and progress made the tough days worth it.



This is a money making factory. Plain and simple. The children's education and welfare does not take priority above this. One example educator getting bully by other educator and management not address the complied , why because management is friends with the educator who has been bully 50% of the service and nothing was done everything is cover  . They will not hesitate to be rude, demeaning, cut your shifts etc should you not follow every demand made by them. 
Do not be fooled, there is no education happening here, just bells and whistles. Avoid like the plague. But is ok two sister working together as management in the office and is full time position for   both  them . 2ic left because g8 education couldn't afford to have to person in the office but one she left the offer full time position to her relative how that is ok . And yes is true you not need to person to run the service one is enough . Also having family member working together that cause issues   with other educator why because in this service the both sister always are taking holiday together 3 time are year how this is allow ,??? Also is not looking good in front for the families in the service having management always away in holiday and not management  went they need them i believe if the both want to work as management and take family vacation they need to be working in other service separated for each other and then they can have all the holiday they want. 
Also is a poor respect for culture in this service and i know g8 education have many complied but nothing has been done . Has high staff turnover rate, increased amount of paperwork, low budget for resources and staff as well. They always think of cost cutting measures therefore they employ inexperienced staff.
I will never recommend this place to any one

I  had the most wonderful time working with G8 education. 
G8 education took over the centre I was working at, I was an educator with this centre for three years before G8 took over the centre. I was an educator for g8 education for a year, all together I was with the same staff and families for 4 years.
It brings great sadness that I had to leave G8 and the wonderful staff and families  as I was moving away. 
I worked with the most amazing people all with different ways of educating children. 

A typical day with G8 was, Great I came in said good morning to staff and then started my day of educating. Loving and supporting all the children for that day. also helping any staff that may need help.

What I learnt with g8 education is that there is not just one way of educating but many different styles, Some were new and different and took time to learn and understand, But keeping an open mind made it a little easier. 
The hardest part of my job was working in the babies room, I find it difficult to work with the babies but in the end I got the hang of it and proved I could do it and did it well. ( still not my preferred room )

The best part of the job was watching all the children grow each day and knowing I was apart of it and I helped them, Also coming in and working with the staff, they are such a bright and happy group of girls who I know call my life long friends.

G8 education is a profit driven company, with extreme amounts of pressure put on centre managers, from head office, to meet certain numbers surrounding occupancy and budgets.
This pressure is felt by all 'educators' who work on the floor, to meet unattainable expectations set by operations managers and stressed centre managers. 
As educators you are rarely given time off the floor to plan or complete the programming cycle (obs, learning stories etc) just told to "find the time" during the day even though there are no spare staff, so you have to ignore the children to get obs, daily reflection, uploading photos etc done during the day. And these are expectations of your job role. So be ready to be stressed by being surrounded by crying children, not being able to comfort them because you have to get this paper work done in the day with minimal to no support from management.
Not child focused or child lead AT ALL. If you adore children and want to be apart of their learning journey, do not work for G8 education. It will kill your passion and make you lose hope in the childcare industry.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with an incredible team of educators and managers at my centre. My Centre Director has been especially supportive, and I’m extremely grateful for the guidance and mentorship I received throughout my journey to becoming a fully registered teacher.

However, over time, it has felt like G8 Education has shifted its focus away from supporting staff and more towards cutting costs wherever possible. This has resulted in added stress for the team, with low enrolment numbers and constant staffing changes due to educators being pulled to cover shifts at other centres.

It’s also disheartening to see Centre Directors and 2ICs regularly taken away from their leadership duties to cover breaks or even cook meals in the kitchen. This lack of support has affected the overall morale of the team — although we all continue to show up for the children, the passion and motivation that once filled the centre just isn’t the same.

While my immediate team and leadership were fantastic, the larger structural issues and lack of investment from G8 have made it increasingly difficult to feel valued and supported.

After gaining employment at one of this company's centres, I was excited to learn and grow in what seemed like a supportive environment. Unfortunately, my time at the centre was incredibly disheartening. Despite being hired in a support role, I found myself quickly taking on all the responsibilities of a room leader without any acknowledgment or proper support. After two weeks of being in the role, the designated room leader began to check out of their responsibilities completely and was frequently absent from the room. There was no accountability from management, and nothing was done to address this. This left me solely responsible for managing the day, programming, setting up learning experiences, and overseeing routines—without having the room leader title, support, or recognition. This created an unfair and stressful work environment where expectations were high, but support and appreciation were seriously lacking. Overall, I felt undervalued and quickly became burnt out. I would not recommend to educators who are looking for a team-oriented, respectful, and well-supported workplace.




I really enjoyed working in my centre. But made one mistake and lost my job. 
I had one minor misunderstanding with a parent because I used the wording wording during a conversation. There was an investigation understandibly and I was told that I would recieve mentoring. The team i worked with told management i was a hard worker and an excellent educator, that the whole thing was silly.. it was a misunderstanding. Despite all of this i had my contract taken away and was no longer offered work. In the height of a pandemic. No where else was hiring. 

I took it on the chin and learned from it but after a year and another certificate later and mentoring from another company, I am still undesirable in the eyes on G8. I do not believe it is fair that after one misunderstanding, I was shoved aside without warning. There was no 3 strikes system. This company only allows room for perfection which is unachievable. While learning, you make mistakes and that is what happened. It was unfair that I was no welcome back after this mistake.

I am a causal teacher and worked in various G8 centres. The company is only after money and to pass accreditation.  Staff wear beautiful nice neat uniforms, but nothing else.  They r not experienced and has limited knowledge , some r only kids themselves. Young staff has no proper mentor in the workplace, and always work over ratios. On top of this tight ratio ,  I don’t even understand why they need to fill up som crazy ratio chart (to know better of keeping minimum ratios?).  For the company to have maximum profit, they draw staff away from
Children for cleaning tasks.  Parents think the staff make the centres nice and clean, but they don’t know the cost is actually on them.   Early education sector is getting more regulated yearly, but there r still many conditions should be put in places where centres won’t cut corners and provide the best possible care for our younger generation.

The centre I work at is wonderful. The staff are very friendly, supportive and it feels like a close-knit community. Management are understanding and supportive, and try to be as flexible as they can. Sometimes it can get super busy and short staffed but the staff support each other and work together so it makes it a lot easier to deal with stress. However, I believe g8 as a company is greedy and the children are not their first priority. They often prioritise budgets over stock of nappies, wipes and basic necessities. They prioritise budgets over employing agency to meet ratios when staff are sick or away. This is not the fault of our centre management but g8 head office. Head office never communicate with us when they come to visit and it feels like we are not seen for our efforts or appreciated. Luckily, the centre environment is wonderful and the centre managers are so supportive.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Educator 18 salaries reported	$36.49 per hour
Early childhood teacher 36 salaries reported	$50.14 per hour
Center manager 55 salaries reported	$90,274 per year
Educational assistant 1 salary reported	$32.34 per hour
Physical therapist assistant 12 salaries reported	$35.00 per hour

Working at G8 Education: Company Overview and Reviews

G8 Education

G8 Education Ratings

Popular jobs at G8 Education

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected