News / Update on School Closures

Update on School Closures

Published on 14 November 2025

This article will be updated live as we receive new information. Last update 4:30 PM, Thursday 20 November 2025.

Update on ACT School Site Closures and Reopenings

We are continuing to follow the latest advice from the ACT Government and ACT Education Directorate regarding precautionary closures at several ACT school sites. We can now confirm all of our OSHC services have reopened, with the exception of the below.

Services remaining CLOSED Friday 21 November:

  • Margaret Hendry
  • Torrens

 

Important Update on Service Closures and Your Account – Confirmation received from Department of Education

We have now received confirmation from the Australian Government Department of Education that we are able to waive gap fees for families affected by the shutdowns between 12–21 November 2025. This means that any gap fees charged for sessions during this period will be credited back to your account, or the gap will be removed entirely.

What Happens Next: Our Children’s Services Management Team is currently working through the required documentation and processes to enable these adjustments. You do not need to take any action at this stage. Any credits or fee gap removals will be reflected on your next statement.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these changes. Our team is committed to supporting you and ensuring your accounts are accurate and up to date.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We will continue to keep you informed as further updates become available.

 

 

Update on ACT School Site Closures and Reopenings

We are continuing to follow the latest advice from the ACT Government and ACT Education Directorate regarding precautionary closures at several ACT school sites. We can now confirm which of our services have reopened today and which services have remained closed.

Services remaining CLOSED:

  • Margaret Hendry
  • Torrens

Services reopen today (Thursday, 20 November):

  • Evatt
  • Griffith
  • Lyons ELC
  • Wanniassa

Services continuing to open:

  • Curtin
  • Duffy
  • Evelyn Scott
  • Hughes
  • Garran
  • Red Hill
  • Lyons OSHC

Families at each site have been contacted directly with detailed information.

We understand this ongoing situation may be unsettling. We are working closely with the Education Directorate and school leadership to ensure safety and will continue to share updates as they become available.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these changes together.

 

Update: All WCS Services Closed – Friday 14 November

All WCS Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) services, Evatt preschool and OSHC and Lyon’s Early Learning Centre and OSHC will be closed until further notice.

These closures are in line with the precautionary measures currently in place in ACT schools. We will continue to follow all guidance from the ACT Government, ACT Education Directorate and WorkSafe ACT.

We understand this is unsettling for families. Our priority is the safety of children, staff, and the wider community. We will provide further updates as soon as new information becomes available.

Thank you for your understanding.

 

Update: Lyons ELC and OSHC Closed – Monday 17 November

We have been advised that Lyons Early Childhood School, including WCS Early Learning Centre will remain closed tomorrow, Monday 17 November, due to ongoing precautions related to certain sand products.

As a result, our Lyons Early Learning Centre and Lyons OSHC services will also be closed.

We understand this is unsettling for families. We are continuing to follow advice from the school and relevant authorities and will share updates as soon as more information becomes available.

Families can refer to our previous update emailed on Friday 14 November for background on the current precautions.

Thank you for your understanding during this time.

 

The ACT Education Directorate has advised that some ACT schools will close today, Friday 14 November 2025, after national advice that certain decorative coloured sand brands may contain traces of chrysotile asbestos.

What this means for your service

We are monitoring the situation and following direct advice from both the schools we operate in and the ACT Education Directorate.

We maintain close contact with all schools where we provide OSHC services. We will follow each school’s direction as testing continues and will update you as soon as new information becomes available.

Our priority is the safety and well-being of your children. We have not yet had the opportunity to consider any fee implications. We will let you know as soon as we have more information. 

Planning for next week

Affected schools will confirm their learning arrangements for Monday on Sunday afternoon.

For the most accurate and detailed updates, please refer to your school’s communication or contact the ACT Education Directorate’s Feedback and Complaints team on 6205 5429.

If this affects your OSHC services, we will notify you as soon as we are advised.

Where to find more information

For the most accurate and detailed updates, please refer to your school’s communication or contact the ACT Education Directorate’s Feedback and Complaints team on 6205 5429.

You can also visit:

We’re here to help

We will keep you informed of any updates as soon as we know more. We understand this may be unsettling, and we want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to your children safe.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at Children.Services@wcs.org.au Your child’s safety and the safety of our staff are always our highest priority. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Language