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About Kindergarten Programs

Kindergarten is an educational program provided in a stand-alone kindergarten or integrated in a childcare/long day care or early learning centre. Information on childcare only options.

To set children up for success, give them the best start by considering when your child is likely to gain the most benefit from starting school, as this will help you determine when your child's kindergarten experience should commence. Your child must be at school in the year that they turn six years of age, this is the compulsory school starting age. 

Once a child starts three-year-old kindergarten, their education journey has commenced with an expectation of moving into four-year-old kindergarten the following year and then school the year after.

On this page, find information and frequently asked questions relating to kindergarten programs, funding, kindergarten readiness, repeating and eligibility for a second year of funded four-your-old kindergarten.

 

The Starting Blocks website is a great place to start when thinking about the education and care needs of your family. On this site, you can read about the different types of education and care services, search for services, and find out about fees, accreditation ratings, and more.  

 

 

Kindergarten is different to childcare. Kindergarten programs are delivered by qualified early childhood teachers and can be offered at community kindergartens/preschools, long day care centres and early learning centres. Typically, the kindergarten program in a community kindergarten is a stand-alone program. The kindergarten program in other settings is usually integrated into, or running parallel, to the childcare program.

A common question is 'My child turns three in February but we are not sure if we should submit their registration for three-year-old kinder yet?'


If your child is born between January and April, you have a choice as to when they start kindergarten. You can choose to start your child in the year they turn 3 or the year they turn 4. 

Although every child's development is unique, observation and research suggest that children who turn three between January and April can benefit significantly from waiting a year and starting 3-year-old kindergarten the year they turn four.

Please note that a child cannot repeat 3-year-old kindergarten. 

To help you make an informed decision about your child's readiness, talk to your Maternal and Child Health Nurse, do some research on-line, or attend the annual Kinder Readiness session hosted by Council during the formal registration period.

See also Developmental Milestones.

There are other options to consider if you decide to wait a year. 
Playgroup, occasional care and family day care are available in the Bayside area and provide opportunities to develop your child's readiness for kinder. Additionally, Long Day Care services offer childcare options.                                                                                       

Good to know
Both three and four-year-old programs can have children ranging from three, four and five years old in attendance.

Children must be enrolled in, and attending school in the year they turn six years old.               

You know your child best. However, to help make an informed decision about when to start your child's education journey, you can:

  • Discuss your options with people whose judgement you trust such as your Maternal and Child Health Nurse, kindergarten educators, school teachers (especially foundation and prep) and other parents.
  • Attend kindergarten information sessions and Open Days.
  • Read up on developmental milestones.     

A common question asked is 'Can my child just repeat three-year-old kinder if we discover they are not ready to progress to four-year-old kinder?'
Children enrolled in a three-year-old program will not be able to repeat the year. Both three and four-year-old kindergarten programs are funded by the State Government and therefore subject to funding conditions.  

Repeating four-year-old kindergarten should not be assumed as an automatic entitlement.
A repeat four-year-old year, more commonly referred to as a 'second funded year' occurs where a child is assessed by the teacher or another early childhood professional as having delayed development identified in two or more areas and has been approved as eligible for a second year of funded kindergarten by the Department of Education. Note that a 'second funded year' is not applicable to three-year-old kindergarten.

Where a child is not approved as eligible for a second year of funded kindergarten the expectation is that the child will progress to primary school the following year. 
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Self Funding

As kindergarten places are limited in community kindergartens, self-funded places to 'repeat' a year are not available. 

Find out more about a second year of funded four-year-old kindergarten

The school starting age in Victoria is 6 years old. 

Children can go to kindergarten when they're 6 years old if they have a disability, developmental delay or it's a special situation.

If your child will turn 6 before or while they're in their first or second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten, you must get an exemption from starting school.

For further information about applying for an exemption, please visit the Department of Education

 

Multi-age groups are becoming increasingly available in kindergarten services. This model of grouping, by bringing children aged three to five years old to learn and develop together, is a shift away from the traditional model of separate three and four-year-old programs.

The goal of the multi-age group is to build confidence in younger children and enhance their language and behavioural skills alongside maximizing intellectual potential, while for older children the multi-age setting allows them to ‘mentor’ younger children, building on their sense of responsibility and developing social skills.

Educators adapt the curriculum and their teaching strategies to support individual children’s development and maximise the educational opportunities provided through a multi-age setting.

According to psychologist Peter Gray, in multi-age play, the more sophisticated behaviour of older children offers role models for younger children, who also typically receive more emotional support from older kids than from those near their own age. Multi-age play also permits older children to learn by teaching and to practice nurturance and leadership; and they are often inspired by the imagination and creativity of their younger playmates. 

Gray, Peter. (2007). The Special Value of Children's Age-Mixed Play. Am J Play. 3.

For more information, speak with your local kindergarten provider.

Free Three- and Four-Year-Old Kinder is available across Victoria in participating services at both long day care and sessional (standalone) services.

Free Kinder means more Victorian children can have the best start in life, no matter where they live:

  • For three-year-olds, this means from 5 and up to 15 hours per week of a kindergarten program
  • For four-year-olds, this means 15 hours per week (600 hours a year)

Participating kindergarten programs will receive funding directly from the Victorian Government, so families are not out of pocket (and don’t have to claim the savings back). If your child attends a participating sessional kindergarten, there will be no fees for the 15-hour program (or part there of). If your child attends a kindergarten program within a long day care setting, a $2,000 Free Kinder subsidy will offset the kindergarten program component of your out-of-pocket fees.

Long day care centres will be required to pass on the full amount to parents as a direct reduction in their out-of-pocket fees. This will provide a free program for some families and a significantly reduced cost for other families, depending on service fees, number of days attended, and the amount of Commonwealth subsidy received.

Hours above the funded kindergarten program will be charged as per each service's fee schedule. Contact services directly for this information.  

The Department of Education has more information about the Best Start, Best Life early childhood reform.

To be eligible for Early Start Kindergarten, your child must be 3 by 30 April in the year they start kindergarten, and:

  • be from a refugee or asylum seeker background, or
  • identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or
  • your family has had contact with child protection.

You can read about ESK eligibility or contact the kindergarten directly for more information.

Early childhood education and care services (preschool/kindergarten, long day care, family day care, outside school hours care) are assessed and rated against the National Quality Standard (NQS) to: 

*promote continuous improvement in the provision of quality education and care
*improve knowledge and access to information about the quality of services to help families make informed decisions about their child’s education and care.

The NQS is part of the National Regulations and includes 7 quality areas that are important to children’s learning and developmental outcomes. Find out more about the NQS.