Steadfield Education is a preschool management and support company dedicated to strengthening early learning environments through thoughtful systems, practical structure, and people-centred support.

Independent preschools carry an enormous responsibility. They are entrusted with the care, development, and education of our youngest children, while simultaneously navigating staffing, operations, compliance, finances, and parent communication — often with limited external support.

Steadfield exists to walk alongside school owners, principals, and management teams, providing the underlying structures that allow schools to operate sustainably and with confidence, without losing their identity or community roots.

We believe that strong preschools are built on:

supported and valued staff

clear, calm management structures

sound operational and financial foundations

and an unwavering focus on the wellbeing and development of little ones

Our role is not to take over schools or impose rigid models, but to bring clarity, consistency, and stability where it is needed most — so educators and leaders can focus on what truly matters.

Steadfield Education was founded by Coen-Mari Louw, an early childhood professional with over nine years of school management experience and a preschool co-founder with firsthand experience of building and operating an independent early learning environment. In 2024, she co-established a preschool, gaining practical insight into the realities of supporting educators and assistants, managing business operations, engaging parents, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

She established and managed key stakeholder partnerships that supported the school’s operational foundations, including domain hosting, website development, printer and device installation, and security system implementation — services that often place silent financial strain on independent schools. This experience highlighted the value of strong systems and strategic partnerships in reducing operational pressure and allowing schools to focus their resources on staff, classrooms, and the education of little ones.

Recognising that these challenges are shared across the preschool sector, the decision was made to step away from operating a single school and instead support early learning environments at scale. Steadfield Education was created to strengthen the people, systems, and structures behind preschools, guided by the belief that we cannot improve outcomes for children without first supporting the environments and teams that care for them every day.