It’s that time of year when families begin to turn their attention to deciding where their child should be enrolled for their preschool or kindergarten year.
The kindergarten or preschool year is an important one, and one that research tells us will play a significant influence on not only preparing children for primary school but an influence on a child’s learning outcomes for many years to come.
It is no wonder then, that families look closely at their options for preschool and kindergarten and try to make sense of all the available options.
Firstly, let’s clear up some confusion about naming conventions. Preschool/kindergarten is the year before children start compulsory schooling in primary school settings; this means the children we are talking about are four turning five sometime during their kindergarten/preschool year.
It often feels odd for families to consider their child’s preschool or kindergarten option before they even turn 4, but this is the normal time of year when we begin looking at our enrolments and available spaces for the year ahead in 2024.
Kindergarten/Preschool is delivered in a number of settings, including community-based settings and Long Day Care. Many families ask us what the difference is between community-based kindergarten/preschool and the programs that are offered in our Long Day Care Centres.
The answer is, educationally, there is no difference. The table below sets out both types of delivery so you can see clearly what each type of setting offers.
The biggest difference for families considering Kindergarten and Preschool within the Long Day Care model is the added convenience of having the extended offer of long day care. Children can remain in one location from drop off before kindergarten until pick up, when Mums and dads finish work. For many children, this also means that they can stay close to their siblings and their friends that they have made in our younger rooms. And, of course, they also know the educators and teachers and the Centre, so the transition into our kindergarten or preschool programs is a smooth one.
To help families understand the program that we are offering in our Affinity Education Preschool or Kindergartens, we will be holding information sessions at our Centres in your local area. Our information sessions will give you important details about what you can expect in our Kindergarten/Preschool program and the unique programs that we offer as part of our Kindergarten /Preschool program. Programs such as our:
- Big Thinkers Stem program covers four work units, including foundational aspects of biology, weather, physics and nutrition.
- The Aussie Wildlife Champions program explores some of Australia’s most unique and iconic animals and foundational aspects of conservation.
- Positive Living skills: a mental health and wellbeing program for young children
- Grandfriends intergenerational program. This program will expand during 2024 and supports older Australians to visit our Centres and spend time with our kindergarten/preschool children. This beautiful program seeks to build connections between our older and youngest generations through shared experiences.
We would love to see you attend one of our Kindergarten/Preschool information sessions to answer any questions you may have.