have your say survey on before and after school care...2 disclaimer the survey was voluntary and...

Analysis of the 2019 Have Your Say Survey on Before and After School Careeducation.nsw.gov.au

Contents

Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Key insights – NSW at a glance .................................................................................................................... 3

Overview .................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Demand ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Location needs ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

Barriers to care ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

Responses by public school and LGA ...................................................................................................... 4

Highest number of responses by percentage of enrolments.......................................... 5

Local Government Areas with a high response rate ............................................................... 6

What matters most to parents ..................................................................................................................... 7

Summary of all responses ............................................................................................................................ 7

Price .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Location ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Quality ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Flexibility.................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Outlier summary ................................................................................................................................................. 8

Types of care parents prefer............................................................................................................................ 9

Summary of all responses ............................................................................................................................ 9

Care at school ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

Care at a different school or nearby ..................................................................................................... 9

Family day care .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Extracurricular activities .............................................................................................................................. 10

Barriers to accessing to care ......................................................................................................................... 10

Summary of all responses .......................................................................................................................... 10

Outlier summary ................................................................................................................................................ 11

Utilisation and demand .................................................................................................................................... 13

Current utilisation ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Current demand..................................................................................................................................................... 14

2

Disclaimer The survey was voluntary and respondents did not have to answer every question in the survey. Figures and percentages presented in this report reflect the total number of respondents to a specific survey question, not the total number of respondents to the overall survey.

The survey was open to all parents and carers in NSW, including parents of children in non-government schools.

The NSW Department of Education will use the information available through the Have Your Say survey together with other key data and insights provided from service providers, schools, and research commissioned by the Department. This will give the Department a holistic view of the BASC sector to make sure we are implementing the right solutions for schools and families. Local Government Area (LGA) data is using 2019 boundaries and is based on the location of the school, not the home postcode of the respondent. The current focus for the reform is creating more services for children in NSW public primary schools, as such responses from parents of non-government students have been filtered out of LGA-by-LGA analysis.

The following LGAs have been excluded from LGA-by-LGA breakdowns due to insufficient number of responses to report on (n<10) but are included in whole-of-state LGA totals:

Ballina Bellingen Berrigan Bland Blayney Bogan Bourke Broken Hill Burwood Carrathool Coonamble Cowra Eurobodalla Gilgandra Griffith Gunnedah Gwydir Hay Inverell Junee Kempsey Kyogle Lachlan Leeton Lithgow Liverpool Plains Murray River Muswellbrook Nambucca Narrabri Narrandera Oberon Parkes Richmond Valley Shellharbour Temora Tenterfield Uralla Walgett Warrumbungle Shire Weddin Yass Valley

Due to rounding, totals may not add up to 100%.

3

Key insights – NSW at a glance Overview

The Have Your Say survey on before and after school care opened on 1 July 2019 and closed 31 December 2019.

The Department received responses from 6217 parents and carers across 515 postcodes, all LGAs were represented by at least one response. 3433 were parents of students attending primary public schools.

Demand

Their responses provide important insights into demand for BASC services in NSW:

• 53% of respondents across all sectors do not currently have children in BASC services

• 64% of respondents are looking to enrol their child in more before and after school care beyond what they currently attend

o 23% of those need care immediately

Location needs

Over 3,500 of the respondents (61%) told us about their key needs and preferences for the location of BASC services with 85% of those telling us care at school is their first preference for BASC services.

44% of those who told us what matters most (63% of respondents) in the selection of before and after school care said ‘location’.

Barriers to care

We also learned from parents and carers about key barriers they experience in getting the care they need:

• 62% of respondents say they are having trouble getting the before and after school care they need

• 57% of respondents say that ‘Insufficient service in my area’ is preventing them from getting the care they need

• 32% of respondents are having trouble getting vacation care for their primary school children

While only a little over 1,600 respondents said they were on a waitlist, over 60% of those have spent months on lists.

4

Responses by public school and LGA The Have Your Say survey achieved responses spread across 1297 schools, of which 1034 were government primary schools.

53% of respondents to the survey do not currently have children in BASC services. The heightened response rates in the schools and postcodes in the below tables suggests current undersupply of BASC places in these areas:

Highest number of responses by public school

Responses Region

Newington Public School 73 Major Cities of Australia

St Ives North Public School 61 Major Cities of Australia

Manly West Public School 61 Major Cities of Australia

Oran Park Public School 49 Major Cities of Australia

Anzac Park Public School 49 Major Cities of Australia

Russell Vale Public School 49 Major Cities of Australia

Coogee Public School 47 Major Cities of Australia

Gol Gol Public School 43 Outer Regional Australia

Riverbank Public School 42 Major Cities of Australia

Mount Brown Public School 42 Major Cities of Australia

John Palmer Public School 42 Major Cities of Australia

Northmead Public School 42 Major Cities of Australia

Matthew Pearce Public School 34 Major Cities of Australia

Glenmore Park Public School 34 Major Cities of Australia

5

Highest number of responses by percentage of enrolments

The Department completed an analysis of responses against the number of full-time enrolments to account for school size and variances between regions. 70% (14 out of 20) of schools with the highest number of responses using this analysis are from Inner Regional Australia, followed by 20% in Outer Regional Australia, and 10% in Major Cities of Australia.

School Response rate Region

Collector Public School 45% Inner Regional Australia

Michelago Public School 34% Inner Regional Australia

Breadalbane Public School 33% Inner Regional Australia

Burringbar Public School 33% Inner Regional Australia

Marulan Public School 22% Inner Regional Australia

Gol Gol Public School 21% Outer Regional Australia

Murrurundi Public School 20% Outer Regional Australia

Wingello Public School 19% Inner Regional Australia

Ladysmith Public School 19% Inner Regional Australia

Hurstville Grove Infants School 18% Major Cities of Australia

Russell Vale Public School 18% Major Cities of Australia

Caragabal Public School 17% Outer Regional Australia

Tarcutta Public School 17% Outer Regional Australia

Bredbo Public School 17% Inner Regional Australia

Borenore Public School 15% Inner Regional Australia

Jamberoo Public School 15% Inner Regional Australia

Paterson Public School 14% Inner Regional Australia

Kirkton Public School 14% Inner Regional Australia

Tea Gardens Public School 14% Inner Regional Australia

Goonengerry Public School 14% Inner Regional Australia

6

Local Government Areas with a high response rate

The following LGAs represented 32.89% of total responses by public primary school parents to the survey:

LGA Number of responses

Percentage of total responses

Blacktown 205 6.0%

Parramatta 191 5.6%

Wollongong 151 4.4%

Ku-ring-gai 128 3.7%

Northern Beaches 123 3.6%

Central Coast 120 3.5%

Hornsby 108 3.1%

Inner West 103 3.0%

The Department will continue to work with schools and communities to validate demand in these areas.

7

What matters most to parents Note: 3929 of 6217 respondents responded to this question. 3433 are parents of children attending a public primary school.

Summary of all responses

We asked parents and carers what matters most to them in the selection of before and after school care. 1746 of 3929 (44%) respondents selected that location matters most compared to quality, price and flexibility. Quality, price and flexibility remain important factors to parents. 30.52% of respondents said that quality matters most, 14.53% selected price, and 10.51% selected flexibility:

Location mattered most across NSW as a whole but some LGAs have identified unique needs.

The following breakdowns are based on responses by parents of children attending a public primary school.

Price

Price was the most important factor in Dubbo Regional , Hilltops and Singleton and was overrepresented in Cabonne (38%), Bathurst Regional (31%) and Strathfield (29%). Conversely, no response from Upper Lachlan Shire identified price as the most important factor.

Location

Location was the most important factor in 59 LGAs but was particularly overrepresented in Lismore (75%), Snowy Monaro Regional (65%), Strathfield (65%), Shoalhaven (61%), Upper Lachlan Shire (60%) and Federation (60%).

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Flexibility

Quality

Location

Price

What matters to you most in the selection of before and after school care?

8

Quality

Quality was the most important factor in 15 LGAs with over half of respondents from Waverley, Lane Cove and Hunters Hill identifying it as mattering most to them. Less than 10% of respondents in Strathfield, Bathurst and Lismore identified quality as the most important factor.

Flexibility

Flexibility was the number one issue in Singleton where 29% of respondents said it mattered most. However, no respondent in Bega Valley , Strathfield , Cabonne , Upper Lachlan Shire , Byron , Federation or Coffs Harbour identified it as such.

Outlier summary

Matters less than NSW average

Metric (State average)

Matters more than NSW average

1. Upper Lachlan Shire (0%)

2. Shoalhaven (4%) 3. Wentworth (5%) 4. Lane Cove (6%) 5. Wollondilly (6%) 6. Snowy Monaro

Regional (6%)

Price (14%)

1. Cabonne (38%) 2. Hilltops (33%) 3. Dubbo Regional

(31%) 4. Bathurst Regional

(31%) 5. Strathfield (29%)

1. Clarence Valley (15%)

2. Hunters Hill (17%) 3. Moree Plains

(18%) 4. Armidale Regional

(19%) 5. Lane Cove (24%)

Location (45%)

1. Lismore (75%) 2. Snowy Monaro

Regional (65%) 3. Strathfield (65%) 4. Shoalhaven (61%) 5. Upper Lachlan

Shire (60%) 6. Federation (60%)

1. Strathfield (6%) 2. Bathurst Regional

(6%) 3. Lismore (8%) 4. Tamworth

Regional (11%) 5. Orange (12%)

Quality (30%)

1. Waverley (54%) 2. Lane Cove (53%) 3. Hunters Hill (50%) 4. Moree Plains

(45%) 5. Armidale Regional

(44%) The following LGAs had no responses citing flexibility as mattering most:

• Bega Valley • Strathfield • Cabonne • Upper Lachlan

Shire • Byron • Federation • Coffs Harbour

Flexibility (10%)

1. Singleton (29%) 2. Greater Hume

Shire (29%) 3. Armidale Regional

(25%) 4. Clarence Valley

(23%) 5. Sydney (21%)

9

Types of care parents prefer Note: 3901 of 6217 respondents responded to this question. 3409 are parents of children attending a public primary school.


We asked parents and carers what kind of care would best meet their families’ needs.

85% of respondents to this question told us care at school is their first preference for BASC services. 47% of respondents to this question chose care at a different school or site nearby as their second preference.


Care at school

Care at school was overwhelmingly the preferred option across New South Wales. However, in 10 LGAs less than 90% of respondents said this was their preferred option. In Dubbo and Greater Hume Shire, ‘Care at a different school or nearby’ was almost as popular as ‘Care at school’.

In 12 LGAs, 100% of respondents listed ‘Care at school’ as either their primary or secondary care preference.

Care at a different school or nearby

‘Care at a different school or nearby’ was the second most preferred care option in all but 14 LGAs, all of which have ‘Extracurricular activities’ as their second preferred option.

Family day care

Across the state, family day care is seen as a first or second option for nearly 8% of parents with public primary school children. 14 LGAs have had no parents identify family day care as a primary or secondary preference.

However, four regional LGAs (Greater Hume Shire , Dungog , Bega Valley and Georges River ) have had over 20% of respondents identify family day care as their primary or secondary preference for care.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

First Preference(3844)

Second Preference(3446)

What kind of care would best meet your family's need?

Care at school Care at a different school or site nearby

Family day care Extracurricular activities

Time share with other parents Paid home care

10

Extracurricular activities

Eight metropolitan LGAs had over half of respondents say that extracurricular activities were their primary or secondary care preference; Randwick (68%), Lane Cove (57%), Ku-ring-gai (53%), Bayside (53%), Ryde (51%), Inner West (51%), Hornsby (50%) and Sydney (50%).

While the average preference across the state is 37%, six LGAs had a score of less than 20%.

Barriers to accessing to care Note: 3805 of 6217 respondents responded to the barrier-related question, 3312 are parents of children attending a public primary school.


We asked parents and carers what is preventing them from getting the care they need.

57% of parents and carers who responded to this question told us there are insufficient services in their local area.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Services are too far away from my place of work

Services are to far away from my child's school

Service does not meet our child's cultural needs

Concerned about the quality

No places available at our local service

Operating hours do not meet our family's needs

Services are too expensive

Insufficient services in my local area

What is preventing you from getting the care that you need?

11


Outlier summary

Less of a barrier than NSW average


More of a barrier than NSW average

1. Mosman (21%) 2. Randwick (26%) 3. Woollahra (29%) 4. Newcastle (30%) 5. Georges River

(32%)

Insufficient services (57%)

1. Cabonne (94%) 2. Wentworth (93%) 3. Cessnock (91%) 4. Byron (90%) 5. Queanbeyan-

Palerang Regional (89%)

No respondents identified expense as a barrier in:

• Byron • Upper Lachlan

Shire • Snowy Monaro

Regional • Greater Hume

Shire • Hunters Hill

Services too expensive (19%)

1. Cessnock (44%) 2. Port Macquarie-

Hastings (40%) 3. Canterbury-

Bankstown (39%) 4. Coffs Harbour

(38%) 5. Georges River

(36%) 6. Bathurst Regional

(36%) 7. Strathfield (36%)

No respondents identified operating hours as a barrier in:

• Lane Cove (0%) • Wentworth (0%) • Hunters Hill (0%)

Operating hours (16%)

1. Clarence Valley (50%)

2. Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional (38%)

3. Coffs Harbour (38%)

1. Upper Hunter Shire (7%)

2. Snowy Monaro Regional (7%)

3. Armidale Regional (7%)

4. Federation (9%)

No places (40%)

1. Woollahra (79%) 2. Ryde (71%) 3. Bayside (65%) 4. Ku-ring-gai (65%) 5. Northern Beaches

(64%)

14 LGAs had zero responses about quality being a barrier

Quality (13%)

1. Cumberland (42%)

2. Fairfield (36%) 3. Canterbury-

Bankstown (32%) 4. Lake Macquarie

(30%) 5. Blue Mountains

(29%) 6. Sydney (29%)

12

Less of a barrier than NSW average


More of a barrier than NSW average

56 LGAs had zero responses about cultural needs being a barrier

Cultural (1%)

1. Fairfield (9%) 2. Canterbury-

Bankstown (8%) 3. Cumberland (5%) 4. Sydney (5%) 5. Georges River

(5%) No respondents identified distance from school as a barrier in:

• Ryde • Lane Cove • Queanbeyan-

Palerang Regional • Hunters Hill • Hilltops

Too far from school (21%)

1. Wingecarribee (59%)

2. Kiama (53%) 3. Lismore (50%) 4. Greater Hume

Shire (45%) 5. Tamworth

Regional (44%)

No respondents identified distance from work as a barrier in:

• Ryde • Lane Cove • Queanbeyan-

Palerang Regional • Hunters Hill • Hilltops • Canada Bay • Randwick • Bayside • Woollahra • Shoalhaven • Snowy Monaro

Regional

Too far from work (9%)

1. Strathfield (24%) 2. Albury (22%) 3. Tamworth

Regional (22%) 4. Cessnock (21%) 5. Port Stephens

(21%) 6. Upper Hunter

Shire (20%)

13

Utilisation and demand Note: 2901 of 6217 respondents responded to the question relating to utilisation of before and after school care. 2611 of 6217 respondents responded to the question relating to demand of before and after school care.

Current utilisation

As a state, the most popular sessions currently being utilised are Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon while the most underutilised sessions are Friday morning, Monday morning and Thursday morning.

There was some variation in the LGA-level analysis (see below) with the Monday afternoon session being one of the most favoured on an LGA level, while being fourth in the statewide analysis.

Across both statewide and LGA analysis, Friday morning was the least utilised session.

Session Most utilised in #

of LGAs

Second most utilised in # of

LGAs

Third most utilised in # of

LGAs

Monday morning 1 3 5

Monday afternoon 20 25 28

Tuesday morning 1 1 0

Tuesday afternoon 26 19 14

Wednesday afternoon 3 2 1


Thursday morning 0 2 1

Thursday afternoon 17 8 6

Friday morning 0 0 0

Friday afternoon 1 4 3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Mondaymorning

Mondayafternoon

Tuesdaymorning

Tuesdayafternoon

Wednesdayafternoon

Wednesdayafternoon

Thursdaymorning

Thursdayafternoon

Fridaymorning

Fridayafternoon

Most utilised in # of LGAs Second most utilised in # of LGAs Third most utilised in # of LGAs

14

Current demand As a state, respondents have identified Friday morning, Thursday morning and Wednesday morning as sessions they would like to have access to.

The LGA analysis followed this trend but also identified Tuesday morning and Monday afternoon as key slots to improving access to care.

Session Most utilised in #

of LGAs

Second most utilised in # of

LGAs

Third most utilised in # of

LGAs

Monday morning 6 5 5

Monday afternoon 18 24 34

Tuesday morning 20 25 29

Tuesday afternoon 3 8 8



Thursday morning 23 25 10

Thursday afternoon 2 1 1

Friday morning 18 4 4

Friday afternoon 2 2 0

have your say survey on before and after school care...2 disclaimer the survey was voluntary and...

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