Finding a Preschool in Sydney
Finding a preschool in Sydney is not going to be easy. The competition is high and the waitlists are long. Some are years long. And yes, there is a waitlist fee, usually between $20 – $50.
For someone just moving to Sydney, you’re going to want to start your search for a preschool now, before you arrive in Sydney.
But how the heck do you do that?
First things first, you need to decide on a location. Do you want a preschool that is close to where you’re going to live or close to where you are going to work?
Some preschools are located in the same building as a primary school. These preschools give priority to children that will be attending kindergarten the following year. They are part of a larger school system and can be private or public.
Public preschools that are located on the same grounds as the primary school, give priority to children that live in that school’s catchment zone, or school zones as we say in the States.
If you have narrowed down what suburbs in Sydney you’re thinking of living in and are interested in one of these preschools, then start your search in those suburbs.
Private schools don’t follow the same catchment zone system but will be more difficult to get into. If you’re interested in private schools then I would suggest you consider faith-based schools such as Catholic schools. Now Catholic schools don’t follow catchment zones but the parish will insist that you live within their postcodes.
Preschool search sites to check out.
There are two sites I recommend using to for your search: Care For Kids and MyChild. Use both sites as they list different preschool in the city.
Care For Kids provides links to each preschool website, when available, and is color-coded showing which preschools currently have space available.
Below is a search I did for preschools in the Lower North Shore suburbs of Sydney.
At the top of the search window you’ll notice that you can enter your child’s age and what days you’re thinking you’ll need something available. Of course, if you have just started researching preschools in Sydney, you might want to leave the search with the default settings then start contacting preschools from there.
Remember I said the search was color-coded? All the red preschools currently have space available. When I did the search above, there were only 8 preschools with space available in the Lower North Shore.
To contact these schools you can either click on the red preschool icon on the map and a window will pop up with contact details, or scroll down the left sidebar that lists all the preschools including those that currently have no space available (all the blue preschools).
I did the same Lower North Shore search for preschools on MyChild. Those search results are below.
As you can see each search resulted in different preschool listings. There are some that are listed on both sites but then there are others that are not. Why is that? I haven’t got a clue.
My Child doesn’t list preschools by availability in a nice color-coded fashion as Care For Kids but that’s not a big deal since it still has the contact info for the preschools and that's what you're really after.
Another thing to note about My Child is the preschool or kindergarten selection on the upper left just under Search. The reason that there is because in some states/territories in Australia kindergarten is preschool but not in New South Wales. In NSW, preschool is preschool and kindergarten is year 1 or first grade.
If you find any others or any other resources please let me know. You can always contact me here .
Hopefully you still have several months before your arrival in Sydney. If this is the case then go ahead and contact all the preschools and ask about space available around the time you’re arriving in Sydney. Then get your name on that precious waitlist asap for the preschool you prefer.
If you’re cutting it closer to your arrival day, then you might want to stick to preschools that currently have space available. Of course, it all depends on your timeframe.
A quick note about waitlists for Sydney preschools.
Be aware that they might not let you on the waitlist until you are actually present in Australia. If you get that response then just move on to the next preschool, especially if you’re arriving in Sydney sooner rather than later. Remember, getting on a waitlist is not free so don’t go too crazy (usually the fee is between $20 – $50).
Age of Children Going to Preschool in Sydney
In NSW, preschool is the year before children attend go to kindergarten at a primary school in Sydney.
Some preschools only accept children that are eligible to start kindergarten the following year. These are usually the schools that are located on the same grounds as the primary school.
There are a few preschools that accept three-year-olds but usually require that the children be toilet trained before they will accept them.
Your child is not required to go to preschool. In fact, the NSW legislation does not require your child to be in school until they have turned six on or before the cut-off date of July 31st.
From 6 to 15 years of age the NSW legislation requires students to be enrolled in school and to attend school on each day that instruction is provided. It doesn’t matter if it’s public, private, or registered homeschooling but that’s a whole different subject for another article.
I’m mentioning this in case you are unable to enroll your child in a preschool. In that case, switch to searching for a childcare center in Sydney, also not easy to do but you might have better luck. Read more about child care in Sydney here.
Benefits to Preschool
There are benefits to having your child in preschool for that year before primary school especially if you are relocating to Sydney.
Preschool will give your children a chance to make friends before going into primary school. The sooner they can make friends the less they will feel like an outsider. They will also have an easier time acclimating to going to school in general. Enrolling your child in a preschool that is located on the same grounds as the primary school they will be going to makes that transition even easier.
The days are action-packed at preschool with activities that your little ones might not be used to, for example, morning tea and afternoon tea. We don’t have either of those in the States but both are part of a full day at preschool. The kids don’t have tea of course but it’s more of a snack break. Both morning tea and afternoon tea are very much part of Australian culture.
For those of you from the States, morning tea is a very real thing. At my work, it is impossible to schedule a meeting at 10:30 am because everyone will be at morning tea for about 30 minutes.
Don’t fight it just join them. Afternoon tea is usually more for things like birthday parties, company announcements, or an early start to Friday drinks.
Preschool isn’t just for socializing. Children start learning the very basics so that they will be more up to speed for kindergarten. For some children, it will mean learning new things and for others, it will be more putting to use what they already know. In this way, preschool helps to ensure that children are close to the same level going into kindergarten.
Preschools in Sydney follow the Early Years Learning Framework where children learn through play. They learn through puzzles, play blocks, reading and listening to stories, and sometimes even computer games. The Early Years Learning Framework has a focus on successful transition to formal schooling.
Preschool Hours of Operation
Hours vary from preschool to preschool. Some have normal school hours, 9 – 3 pm, others have long extended hours, 7 – 6 pm.
There are a few others that are morning or afternoon sessions instead of full days. In general, preschools that are only half-day sessions prefer that children attend either five mornings or five afternoons per week.
The preschools that have normal and extended hours usually ask that children attend more than one consecutive day a week. You can of course schedule your child to attend more than two days a week, depending on space available and of course your schedule. Most full-day preschools are two, three, or five days per week.
Majority of preschools in Sydney follow the same school dates as primary and secondary schools. They also have the same school and public holidays. You’ll need to plan ahead for those holidays and organize alternative childcare.
(You might have noticed that the CareForKids.com search engine also had an option for childcare and holiday care. You might want to bookmark that site for future use. There are also a couple of Sydney Expat Family Groups on Facebook that you might want to join for babysitting and childcare referrals. These groups are also great for doctors, dentists, tax accountants, etc. Referrals. I’ll list the ones I know about below. )
Staffing Levels for Preschools and Daycare in Australia
The minimum staffing levels of preschools and daycare is set by the National Regulation. Of course, there are preschools that have a high ratio of staff per child.
Image from National Quality Framework (NQF) Website
How Much Do Preschools Cost in Sydney?
Preschools in Sydney cost about the same as regular childcare, about $60-160 a day depending hours of operation. In NSW, you will be required to pay fully for preschool.
The preschool will ask you to sign a register at the beginning and end of each day or session as a way to keep track of who is attending and who is not. Please ensure you sign this register, which is generally found at the preschool entrance.
If you have a Permanent Residence Visa and at a lower family income bracket, you might be eligible for financial assistance. familyassist.gov.au Temporary visa holders, like the TSS Visa (482 Subclass), are not eligible for any assistance.
Enrolling in Preschool
To enroll in a public preschool you will need the following documents: Birth Certificate, Passport if you have a temporary visa or a permanent residence visa, your current visa and previous visas if applicable, proof of residency this can be a copy of your lease or electric bill, and your child’s immunization history statement.
For private schools you will need pretty much the same documentation plus a few extras. For example, for a Catholic private preschool, they will ask for a Baptism certificate. Does your child have to be Catholic to go to a Catholic preschool? No, but priority will be given to children who are baptized and live within the parish zone.
Getting Your Child Ready for Preschool
After you have settled on a preschool and your application has been accepted, it’s time to get your child ready for attending preschool.
First, talk to the preschool teachers and ask for any info you need to know such as what foods are acceptable for snacks.
For example, it is very common for preschools to have no nuts policies. Preschools often have a few pamphlets to hand out to parents. This is also a good time to alert the preschool if your child has allergies.
Second, help your preschooler get pumped for going to school!
Start talking about how much fun preschool is going to be and all the new friends they are going to make. Tell them stories about when you went to preschool if you can remember any.
If it’s possible, visit the preschool before the first day to have a look and meet the teachers. Preschools often have orientation days for both parents and students. This is a good time for you to network with other parents. Find out if anyone lives close to you and set up a playdate. I know it’s awkward but other parents are a great resource and it will help your kiddo settle into preschool if they already have a friend.
Third, sidestep any growing pains your child might have.
- Preschools often require the children have a packed lunch. Show your child how to unwrap packaged food that might part of their lunch or snacks for morning and afternoon tea. The same goes for opening up the lunch box or bottled water and other drinks. I know that sounds silly but you’d be surprised how often lunch is not eaten because of not being able to open a lunch box.
- Though uniforms are not mandatory, preschools have a “No Hat, No Play” policy meaning your child will not be allowed outside unless they are wearing a hat. Preschools are very strict about this policy, as are primary and secondary schools. Getting your preschooler use to wearing a hat outdoors is a good idea and will help to sidestep any future drama.
- If your preschool does require a uniform (not completely out of the ordinary as it is normal in Australia for primary and secondary schools regardless if it is a private or public school) you might want to get your child use to the idea of wearing a uniform.
- Also, be sure to clearly label everything your child brings to preschool with them.
- You can also help boost your child’s confidence and feeling of independence by encouraging them to practice personal hygiene on their own like going to the toilette by themselves, washing their hands afterward or wiping their own little runny noses, etc. Several preschools suggest parents dress their children in clothing that is easy to manage with any adult supervision.
- As a new resident of Sydney, practicing your new address and phone numbers for both parents phones with your children is a good idea too.
Resources Mentioned in This Post
Care For Kids
MyChild
Enrolment in Public Preschools enrolment form pdf
What Are You Taking to Sydney When You Move? Do You Know Yet?
The truth is you don’t need to know right now, for sure, what’s going with you.
But you do have to get a shipping quote ASAP, especially now.
Why? Because international moving companies need to schedule your move to Australia far in advance, some ask for 6 months in advance. Yes, COVID has changed everything, including international shipping.
When filling out the form below…
- You don’t need a street address for where you’re moving to, only the city and country. What they really want to know is the main shipping port.
- Moving date is an estimate. You don’t need exact dates right now. Go with your best guess.
- Estimate volume is an estimate. Don’t bother with calculating your volume. Use one of the estimates below for your estimated volume.
- Studio or 1 Bedroom —> 20 m3
- 2 Bedroom —> 25 m3
- 3 Bedroom —> 30 m3
- 4 Bedroom or 3 Bedroom + Car —> 50 m3
- Use your “real” contact details for BOTH phone and email. Yes, the form is secure. If you don’t use your real contact details, then they can’t get in touch with you for your quote. Makes sense, right?
