3 Year Old Kindergarten Enrolment

WHEN TO APPLY

Three Year Old Preschool for 2024

The State Government has announced funding for preschool programs for all three-year-olds across Victoria - this will be available for families wanting to attend Yarra Warra Preschool in 2024. Three-year-old children across Nillumbik Shire will have access to 15 hours in a program led by a qualified teacher.

Applications for three-year-old preschool open on 1 March 2023.

3 year old kinder enrolments are managed by Nillumbik Shire Council. It is a centralised enrolment system run by the council for all of the shire’s kindergartens. Council collects applications, registers children in the central registration system, allocates a preschool place and liaises with families in relation to their four-year-old preschool registration.

Applications for 3 year old preschool for 2024 will close 30 June 2023.

Nominate Yarra Warra Preschool as your first preference.

If you wish to enrol your child after the kindergarten year as begun, you will still need to contact Nillumbik Council directly to process a late application. A placement will only be offered if the groups are not already at capacity.

AGE POLICY

Children must be at least 3 years old by 30 April in the year they attend 3 year old kinder. Families with children born between January and 30 April may choose whether to enrol their children in the year they turn three, or the following year. Factors to take into consideration include the individual child's developmental and learning levels, family circumstances and preferred school starting age.

Children turning 3 years old between the commencement of Term 1 and 30 April will only be able to commence the program upon their 3rd birthday.

PRIORITY OF ACCESS AND OFFER POLICY GUIDELINES

Please read Nillumbik Council’s Priority of Access and Offer Policy Guildelines for detailed for information about the application and offer process, the No Jab No Play legislation, how priority of access ratings are determined, the roles of families, Council and preschools during the process.

If there are more enrolments than places available, Nillumbik has a policy in place to ensure families with a connection to Nillumbik Shire are not denied access to a kindergarten place at the expense of families with no Nillumbik connection. This policy applies to enrolments taken through their central enrolment system.

Nillumbik defines a connection as any one of the following:

Residency
Employment and / or education
Study
Existing child care arrangements

Children who have older siblings that have attended or are attending Yarra Warra will receive a connection to shire priority. Please contact Kaye, our administration officer, at kaye@yarrawarrapreschool.org for a connection to shire certificate.

Any families believing that special circumstances may apply to them will be considered on a case by case basis.

It is important to note that families who cannot demonstrate a Nillumbik connection are not excluded from enrolment and attendance at Yarra Warra as places will continue to be offered until all have been filled.

Please understand that Yarra Warra do not control the process for 3 year old enrolment. Some years our numbers are full, so we strongly urge you to complete your registration form and return it on the first business day in March, two years before your child is eligible to start kinder. Please also be aware that children transferring from another council to Nillumbik will be treated as new registrations.

For more information regarding Nillumbik Council’s enrolment process for 3 year old kinder and the online application form, please visit the Nillumbik Council website.

Once you have accepted an offer from Nillumbik for a place in Yarra Warra’s 3 year old kinder program, the kinder will be in touch about the next steps of selecting your group preference and orientation details.

THE OFFER PROCESS

Council run three rounds of offers from July to August.

30 June

Last date to enrol or change preferences without affecting allocation process.

Mid July

First round of offer letters sent from Council to families

Early August

Second round of offer letters sent from Council to families

Mid August

Third round of offer letters sent from Council to families

In September, the kinder will receive applicants enrolment information, at which time we will contact you about group selection, fees, orientation and our Annual General Meeting and welcome night.

As part of this process, families must provide evidence that their child is:

fully immunised for their age OR
on a vaccination catch-up program OR
unable to be fully immunised for medical reasons

An Immunisation History Statement can be requested from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) on 1800 653 809, at acir@medicareaustralia.gov.au or at a Medicare or Centrelink office.

For more information about immunisation contact the Department of Health, Immunisation Team/Nurse on 1300 882 008.

REPEATS AND DEFERRALS

Children who have been offered a position, which is then deferred before the commencement of Term 1, will receive a reserved place the following year.

Children, whose parents accept a place, and who are then assessed within the first four weeks of Term 1 by the kindergarten teacher/Centre Director as not being ready for the program, will receive a reserved place the following year if their position is deferred at that time.

Children whose parents accept a place and also request a second year of 3 year old kindergarten will be eligible for enrolment only if the number of applicants does not exceed the number of available places.

Children whose parents accept a place and who require a second year of 3 year old kindergarten for developmental reasons, as recommended by the kindergarten teacher/Centre Director, will receive a reserved place the following year.

BOOK A TOUR

At this time, we are only offering virtual tours and encourage families to check out our virtual tour video visible on our home page. We look forward to welcoming you to visit our beautiful Preschool on our Open Day. Please check the News page for date and details.

E: 3yoenrolment@yarrawarrapreschool.org

Apply via Nillumbik Shire Council