Kinder Readiness
Families of children born before 1 May and those whose birthday falls in late December (after the end of the school year) have a choice about when their child will start kindergarten, and this choice will go on to affect when the child begins school. Children who are born during these months are able to start kindergarten in the year they turn three or the following year when they are turning four - essentially deferring their place at kindergarten for a year. Regardless of the year they commence kindergarten, there is an expectation that children will attend 4-year-old kinder in the year following their 3-year-old year and then go on to school the year after that. It is not possible to do two years of 3-year-old kindergarten.
As an example, a child who was born on 21 January 2020 is
able to commence 3-year-old kindergarten in 2023. They would go on to 4-year-old kinder in 2024 and
then start school in 2025 when they have just turned five. Alternatively, this
child could attend 3-year-old kindergarten in 2024, 4-year-old kinder in 2025 and then start
school in 2026 when they have just turned six. Either way, the child will be
amongst the youngest or the eldest in their cohort, and this will continue
through the remainder of their schooling.
This is a huge decision to make when your child is only two,
and each family should make the decision based on their knowledge of their
child and their family’s needs.
If you are undecided regarding whether your child is ready for a 4-year-old program, please read our ‘When to Start Kinder’ handout containing information on kinder readiness indicators, advantages of starting school later and some additional points to consider.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of our qualified early childhood teachers about things to look for when assessing a child’s readiness to start kindergarten, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our staff.
Due to the introduction of government funding for 3-year-old kinder, Beaconsfield Kindergarten is no longer able to offer a Kinder Readiness Program.
