3 Year Old Kindergarten Enrolment

Three Year Old enrolment for 2025

Three-year-old children across Nillumbik Shire will have access to a 15 hours program led by a qualified teacher. We currently have some vacancies in our 3 year old group for children. Contact Nillumbik council for information and to enrol.

WHEN TO APPLY

Three Year Old Preschool for 2026

Applications for three-year-old preschool open on 1 February and close for first round offers on June 30.

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 preschool registration.

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. If you are not sure, speak to your Maternal and Child Health Nurse.

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 Kerry, our Director, at director@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 ensure that you register your child before 30 June to be in the first round of offers. 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
eligible for a 16 week vaccination support period 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.

DEFERRING AND SECOND YEARS OF PRESCHOOL

Children who are offered a place and decide to leave and return the following year will have to re-apply through council for another spot. Second years of both 3 and 4 year old are subject to strict developmental requirements and most children will not be eligible. Our teachers will happily discuss your child's deferment and second years with you during the year.

OPEN DAY

Saturday 17 May 10:00 to 12:00 - come and check out our facilities and meet our teachers.

E: 3yoenrolment@yarrawarrapreschool.org

Apply via Nillumbik Shire Council

“A person’s a person, no matter how small”