Preschool/Kindy/Prep CONFUSION - What's the go and when to enrol?

[Anise3]

I'm in Qld and someone told me this morning that I should really enrol DD in Kindergarten now so I don't miss out (she's 14 months old).

What age does Kindy start? Is it the year before prep? Is it compulsory, or do you choose if you want your kids to go? Is it free or are there large fees involved? Is there such a thing as pre-school now or is that what prep replaced?

Just a little confused about it all and hoping someone can clarify the above for me!

[Erin_25]

Kindergarten, pre-school, pre prep.....they are all the same thing just different names in different states and so on.

In QLD it is pre prep, the year before school (that being prep). They are eligible if they turn 4 before June 30 (could be july can't remember). Yes you do have to pay fee's as you would at any school. No it is not compulsory, but I do think it would help take the shock off sending them 5 days a week to school the next year.

Correct me if I'm wrong (anyone) but pre pre has not been a big thing in QLD, it's fairly new? is that right?

I'm from SA but living in QLD, my DS is due to start next year. So this is just what I know. I rang the education dept about it last week and they informed me that it has become very popular in QLD at the moment so there is a hotline that can give you info such as Kindergartens in your area......google Kindy Hotline. Lots of Kindergartens are full as it is so popular, hence getting on the waiting list. The govt is now funding rooms at childcare centres to hopefully let those who miss the list into pre pre somewhere.

My DS is due to start next year in Jan, we've been on the list for a year now or so, it looks as though we might be moving soon and all the Kindergartens I've rung are full!!!! so looks like it will be a childcare centre for us.

[Rivlas]

Don't know about Qld but in Vic many are local govt run. Give your local council a call and see what they have to say or give your local kinder a call.

[Rach75]

ok Kindy in QLD is the year before prep ok so your daughter is aug 09 she would go to kindy 2014 prep in 2015 and grade 1 2016

neither kindy nor prep are compulsary though with prep very few people dont send their kids, where I live we dont have daycare and due to the fact my boys being born sept and oct liek your daughter will be the older kids in the classes I decided to send to kindy Jack starts next year Luke was booked in when he was 4 weeks old

if you think you'll want to send her to kindy then yes book her in as places go very fastno matter where you live, especially if its a proper kindy not just a kindy age class within a daycare centre

yes the fees are high, for example I am looking at approx $600 a term which is based on a 5 day fortnight... in qld C&K seem to be the go along the kindy route...

also with prep and primary etc, depending where you live you may want to look into schools in your distract and find out if you need to put your name down HTH

[Just Me]

I think they probably told you to enrol if you want your DD in a C & K (they specialise in kindy rather than the alternative option of a daycare centre that runs a kindy program). I put my DD1's name down at a C & K when she was 6 months old and we were 48th on the list (4th on the waiting list). We just got our phone call that she is in for next year. We are still sussing out fees and whether there is any CCB to help out but it is about $600 a term without CCB. CCB should make it all a bit more affordable.

C & K is just one option but a very popular option. There are alternatives for a kindy year in Qld - day care centres that run a 9 - 2 kindy program during their day. The waiting lists for this are nowhere near as long so if you decide to go this path, you probably don't need to worry too much at the moment. Otherwise private schools usually run a pre-prep program prior to their prep year.

Kindy and prep are not compulsory in Queensland. Compulsory schooling does not begin until grade one. I personally think it is ridiculous that some kids have had 2 years of education before commencing grade one and other kids have had none. From a teaching perspective it is silly. The downside too of prep not being compulsory, is that even though schools offer it as part of their program at no extra charge (like preschool) as it is not compulsory, they don't have to find a position for every child that wants one. If your child misses out and there are no available places at any local schools, then they just miss out. It is a crap system.

Kindy is encouraged by the government as an attendance of 15 hours per week and prep is a full time attendance equivalent to school.

[Erin_25]

Kindy and prep are not compulsory in Queensland. Compulsory schooling does not begin until grade one. I personally think it is ridiculous that some kids have had 2 years of education before commencing grade one and other kids have had none. From a teaching perspective it is silly. The downside too of prep not being compulsory, is that even though schools offer it as part of their program at no extra charge (like preschool) as it is not compulsory, they don't have to find a position for every child that wants one. If your child misses out and there are no available places at any local schools, then they just miss out. It is a crap system.

Kindy is encouraged by the government as an attendance of 15 hours per week and prep is a full time attendance equivalent to school.

Well said, my DS has been on the list for a C&K Kindy and he is due to start next year, we have a meet up next week. But now it looks as though we might be moving due to job tsf in a month or two. All of the Kindergarten's I've rung near where we will be living are full....so now he just misses out. Unless I send him to a childcare centre, which I'm a little reluctant to do. I can put his name on all the lists but some ask a ridiculous non refundable fee!!!!

[BeautifulMadness]

i live in vic so i dunno abt QLD

Kindergarten attendance is not compulsory and your child is eligible for a funded year of kindergarten if they are four by 30 April of that year. The Victorian government provides funding for all eligible children to access a kindergarten program in the year before school entry.

My son Ashley who is four in dec starts next year. and the process starts from the get go when the school year starts.


The State Government provides funding for a minimum of 10 hours of four-year-old kindergarten per week. In addition the Kindergarten fee subsidy provides eligible concession card holders and triplets and quadruplets with access to 10 hours per week of a kindergarten program at no cost. Programs that operate for longer than 10 hours can charge fees for the additional hours.

[Erin_25]

2girls - thank you so much for the information, I can't send you a private message....but you can send me more details to hedutschke@bigpond.com
I will ring them, thank you so much. I'm not fussed about distance from where we might be living. Do you know what shcool she will go to?

[2girls]

Hi Erin, I've sent you a message