Once a 5 Star Centre, Now a Shadow of Its Former Self
Sagewood Joondalup was an amazing centre. Warm, nurturing, and filled with passionate educators who genuinely cared and knew every child and parent by name. It was a place our kids loved going to. They felt safe, happy, and excited to learn. But sadly, that Sagewood is gone.
Over a short period, the entire original leadership team and almost all of the long standing educators left. Many all at once. There was no communication from management to parents about what was going on. No reassurance. Nothing. What followed was a constant stream of new staff, many of whom didn’t know who the children or their parents were, which raised serious safety concerns. Especially around the sign out process.
Then, within days of the leadership change, a skip bin appeared in the car park and was quickly filled with Montessori materials that had been central to the centre’s philosophy. Again, no communication. No explanation. Just silence. It didn’t exactly fill parents with confidence or peace of mind.
Naturally, parents had questions. We wanted to know what was happening to the centre we trusted with our children. But instead of transparency, we were met with dismissal. Concerns were brushed off, and when parents tried to speak up, a message from the COO was sent out telling us to stop gossiping. That tone, the contempt and disregard for genuine parental concern, was the final straw.
Many of us witnessed bullying behaviour from the new management. Honestly, it seemed to start from the top. It created an environment that no longer felt safe or nurturing for our kids. The love and care that once defined Sagewood was gone.
I really hope the Sagewood board takes notice and steps in to fix what is broken. This centre was something special, and it can be again. But only if the problomatic leadership is addressed. Because at the end of the day, it should be about the kids.