Eliminating after-hours work while elevating educational quality

“I was like, it’s just an app. And I was scared,” admits Soobia, Lead Educator at Bluebird Clyde North. She wasn’t alone. When Oxanda Education piloted Mana at three centres, educators worried it would mean more work, not less. Within weeks, the scepticism vanished. Educators working late were suddenly leaving on time. Confidence soared. Parents engaged more deeply. The results were so compelling that Oxanda rolled out Mana across all 18 centres.

The challenge: when documentation undermines connection

For Zachary and his team at Bluebird Clyde North, the documentation burden struck at the heart of their core value: connection with children.

With over 90% of educators speaking English as a second language, creating quality learning observations felt overwhelming. "I have around 40 children in total, so that means I have to create 40 times four per term," explains Praveena. "That's a lot of documentation."

“Sometimes we couldn’t think of the words that we need to use in English because we don’t think it’s accurate.”

Supa, Early Childhood Teacher

Educators were stuck with iPads during precious contact time with children. Stress mounted over grammar and phrasing. Before Mana, Zachary found himself answering "a million questions a day about how do I do this? Or is this good enough? Is this written well?"

Most concerning, Caitlyn noticed that "a lot of educators lack confidence. They think they're not good enough." The documentation struggle was undermining the very professionals doing the most important work—nurturing young minds.

The solution: Technology that honours reflective practice

When Bluebird Clyde North implemented Mana, the difference became apparent almost immediately—but not in the way anyone expected. This wasn't just another efficiency tool; it was a platform that aligned with Oxanda's core belief that "learning transforms not only the individual but also those around, igniting a spirit of change.”

Three features that changed everything

1. Voice-to-text in any language

Educators could document in their own language, with Mana translating seamlessly into professional English. "You can just talk through Mana and then it will translate into English and it makes us sound more professional," Supa explains. For a multilingual workforce, this wasn't just convenient—it was transformative. It allowed educators to honour their own identities while elevating their professional voice.

2. Coach Sue: AI that teaches, not just completes

This coaching approach addressed a critical concern: would AI lead to laziness, or build capability? When planning for a child's school transition, an educator might focus on fine motor skills. Mana suggests complementary activities that also support emotional regulation—like tracing along lines that can calm a child down. "I find that the educators learn as they go," Zachary notes.

“Compared to other AI models, it doesn’t just answer the questions for you, it coaches you through them.”

Zachary, Nominated Supervisor

Before Mana: Zachary answered endless questions about documentation quality.

After Mana: Educators learn as they document, building capability rather than dependency.

3. Cycle of Planning support

"We are confident that we can do on time all the paperwork because we can take help from Mana," Soobia says. "It always gives suggestions what to plan next and what could be the child's goal for the next term. "The platform integrated seamlessly into their existing workflows, working alongside their other systems rather than replacing them.

The results: Transformation across all dimensions

After-hours work eliminated

"We used to have a lot of educators who complained that they're doing so much work from home and their two hours a week isn't enough," Caitlyn recalls. "But since then, I don't really have any educators working from home anymore or having that stress, and they're able to relax, enjoy their social life, enjoy their family time."

“Now after using Mana, my observations time or my learning cycles time is half.”

Soobia, Lead Educator

Praveena confirms the shift: "We get more time to spend with the children. We don't have to stick with the iPad thinking and typing and thinking about grammar."

Confidence rebuilt, not replaced

"Mana allows them to have confidence within themselves," Caitlyn observes. "Using Mana rebuilds their confidence that they can do this, they know how to do this, they're just as good as everyone else."

Before implementation, educator confidence in documentation was spread across the mid-range. After implementation, 64% rated their confidence as 7 or higher out of 10, with 26% reporting perfect confidence.

Soobia's sentiment captures this shift: "I feel like this is a very honourable job. I love my job."

Parents engaged more, not less

A common concern with AI in education: will it reduce authentic connection with families?

The opposite happened. "I can see from an external view that parents actually are more involved in their learning," Caitlyn notes. "Because Mana explains the learning, explains where they should be at developmentally, parents are more inclined to make a comment."

The detailed, professional documentation changed parent perceptions. Supa had noticed that "some of the parents do think our profession is childcare. It's not a learning setting for our children, it's just looking after our children." The quality of documentation helped shift that view.

“I’d love for them to understand that our educators are professionals. They’re not glorified babysitters, and at the end of the day, they’re putting sometimes more time in with their children than their own.”

Zachary, Nominated Supervisor

Better outcomes for children, the ultimate measure

95% of educators surveyed said Mana helps them produce better outcomes for children. The platform enables more detailed developmental analysis, clearer connections to learning frameworks, and more thoughtful planning for each child's next steps.

From scepticism to dependency

The most telling statistic came from a simple question: "How disappointed would you be if Mana was no longer available?"

75% of educators said they would be disappointed or very disappointed, with 54% selecting the highest level of disappointment.

The journey from "I was scared" to "I'd be very disappointed to lose it" speaks volumes about the platform's impact on daily professional life.

Looking forward: From pilot to enterprise

What started with apprehension has evolved into enterprise-wide adoption. For Oxanda Education's National Head, Rosina O'Brien, the decision to roll out across all 18 centres wasn't taken lightly. Operating centres across three states, with sensitive data about thousands of children, security and trust were paramount.

"Then I came to know that it's safe," says Soobia, reflecting a sentiment that resonated across the organisation.

“We’ve worked with a lot of programs over the years, and none have truly delivered on what they promised, until now. The communication, organisation, and follow-through from your team has been outstanding. Honestly, it’s rare. Even during one of our busiest periods, I haven’t heard a single negative word from my team, and that speaks volumes.”

Rosina O'Brien, National Head - Oxanda Education

The team at Bluebird Clyde North discovered a tool that honoured their expertise and embodied Oxanda's "WITH" philosophy—working alongside educators rather than replacing their professional judgement.

Key takeaways for early learning centres

For early learning centres grappling with documentation demands, language barriers, or educator confidence challenges, the BlueBird story offers a clear lesson: the right technology doesn't replace the human touch in education—it enhances it.

After-hours work eliminated. Educators complete documentation during scheduled hours when they have the right support, not because they're working faster.

Builds capability, not dependency. AI that coaches educators through their practice means 93% say it supports their professional growth.

Immediate time savings. Some educators cut documentation time in half while maintaining quality.

Quality improves. 95% say better outcomes for children—efficiency and excellence work together.

Multilingual support. Voice-to-text in any language removes barriers between pedagogical thinking and professional documentation.

Trusted at scale. Enterprise rollout across 18 centres after seeing results at BlueBird.

Technology allows educators to focus on what drew them to the profession: igniting the spirit of learning in every child, while ensuring every learning journey is captured and shared with families.