Extend Group

Darren Stevenson is CEO and Founder of The Extend Group, one of Australia’s leading providers of outside school hours care. A qualified teacher with over 20 years’ experience in school-aged education across Australia and England, he is a passionate advocate for educator development and retention. Darren’s leadership focuses on building strong cultures that attract and nurture quality educators, ensuring safe, enriching experiences for children in a rapidly changing sector. Starting his career as a qualified teacher, Darren’s experience in education management spans Australia and England, including the creation of an education company in London focused on innovative after school programs.

A passionate advocate for talent development, Darren has a deep understanding of the workforce challenges affecting early childhood and school aged care.  His leadership centres on attracting, developing and retaining high quality educators, and on building strong organisational cultures that deliver safe, consistent, and enriching experiences for children.

Guided by the belief that “you grow when you learn from your experiences,” Darren brings a solution focused perspective on how the sector can respond to talent shortages while maintaining safety and quality in an environment of rapid change.