See how St Dominic’s Primary School reduced fee admin by 75% and gave their part-time office team time back for what matters most.
St Dominic's Primary School at a glance
St Dominic’s Primary School is a Catholic primary school in Camberwell East, in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs, where every student is known, heard, and valued.
Pastoral care and student wellbeing sit at the core of St Dominic’s educational approach, alongside a strong partnership with families.
The school is inclusive, welcoming, and faith-based, with a community that genuinely celebrates diversity.
For Principal Natalie Kenny and her team, every conversation with a parent is an opportunity.
The challenge was making sure those conversations stayed focused on the right things.
75%
Reduction in fee admin time
Time returned to a small, part-time office team, freed up for strategic priorities.
100%
Of families registered with Edstart
Near-universal adoption across the school community, supported by a tailored communication plan.
Focus on
Family relationships
Conversations with parents now focus on education and wellbeing, not outstanding fees.
The school wanted a way to make fee payments easier for families without adding to the office team’s workload.
They needed a partner who understood Catholic primary schools, the unique dynamics of a close-knit community, and the importance of getting the family experience right.
Edstart’s knowledge of the Catholic education landscape gave the school confidence from the first conversation. Together, they built a tailored communication plan to bring families on the journey, resulting in near-universal adoption from the start.
“Edstart is a service provider, but to us it’s more than that. It’s a partnership we are really proud to be part of.”
Natalie Kenny, Principal
The partnership
With a largely part-time office team, St Dominic’s was running out of capacity. Fluctuating enrolments, outstanding fees, and the time spent following up payments were pulling the team away from the strategic work that mattered most.
The outcome
With fee admin reduced by 75%, the office team can now focus on the work that moves the school forward, including marketing, enrolment strategy, and supporting the broader school community.
Relationships with families have improved as conversations move away from outstanding fees and back to what the school cares about most: education and wellbeing.
Edstart has also given families who previously struggled with direct debits a sustainable way to pay, with flexible plans tailored to what they can afford.
The result is a better experience for families, without adding to the office team’s workload.
“Overwhelmingly, our parent community has responded with positivity to the introduction of Edstart.”
Natalie Kenny, Principal
Book a 20-minute conversation with our team to see how Edstart could give your school time back for what matters most.
