Question 1

Can I come and see Thornbury Kindergarten?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The best way to come and see the Kinder is through the Darebin Council Twilight Kindergarten Open Evenings, usually in March. 
Check their website for the upcoming dates:
https://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/Community-and-pets/Children-and-families/Kindergarten/Three-and-four-year-old-kindergarten

This is the best time to come as you can meet staff, teachers and current families - however if you can't attend the open evening you can book a 30 minute tour.
 
Please ring 9484 1095 to discuss a suitable time.

Question 2

How and when do I enrol my child at Thornbury Kindergarten?

Accepted Answer

Registration for three and four-year-old sessional kinders (including Thornbury Kindergarten) is done through the Darebin Council. You can visit this website for the most up-to-date information on the process and enrolment deadlines.

Families can apply through the Darebin Online Registrations Portal: https://darebin.hubworks.com.au/ 
Or you can obtain a hard copy of the form from the Darebin Council office at 274 Gower St, Preston.

The main registration period is from the 1st of March to the 30th of June in the year prior to attending (however late applications are accepted and may receive second round offers).

3 Year Old Enrolment Eligibility: Children must be three years old on or before the 30th of April in the year that they are to attend the three year old program. However even if they are enrolled they will only be able to attend the kinder program once they have turned three years old.

4 Year Old Enrolment Eligibility: Children must be four years old on or before the 30th April in the year that they are to attend the four year old program. As long as they meet this requirement, they can attend (even if they have not turned four yet).

Question 3

I'm confused by the age cutoffs! When should I send my child?

Accepted Answer

Kinder enrolment is definitely confusing!

The Victorian Government states that you can send your child to three or four year old kinder if they turn that age on or by April 30th in their year of enrolment. What this may mean is that if you have a child say, turning four in March or April, you may have to decide between enrolling them in three OR four-year-old kinder (check this Starting Age Calculator). If they are turning three close to the cutoff, you may want to enrol them in three-year-old kinder (keeping in mind they can't actually attend the sessions until they turn three) or wait another year.

Note that these decisions will dictate what year your child starts school (where the cutoff for turning five is also April 30th) - so the biggest factor is the needs of your child and when it would be best for them to start school. A second year of free three OR four-year-old kinder (not both) is available to those with developmental delays, but the application (completed by your teacher with your help) must be approved to receive the funding for a second year.

Clear as mud? If you're not sure what is best for your child, please contact us to discuss your options.

Question 4

Who decides whether we get an enrolment offer at Thornbury Kindergarten?

Accepted Answer

The Darebin Council does (or more correctly, its decided by the Council's allocation system).

Firstly, the Victorian Department of Education and Training (quite rightly) ensures that “priority of access” is given to vulnerable children, children from Indigenous backgrounds, children known to child protection, children with disability or developmental delay and children having a second year of four-year-old kindergarten. These children, in a specific order, are given enrolment preference first.

After this, the system allocates preferences based on optimal organisation and may include additional information such as location, whether a sibling attends the kinder, etc. However we at Thornbury Kindergarten don't get to see or be part of this allocation process - it is done entirely through Darebin Council and we do not have any insight into the preference process or influence over the outcome. You will know whether you received a place once offers go out (usually in July/August).

Question 5

I have received an offer, when can I select my group preferences?

Accepted Answer

After you receive notification that you have a confirmed place at Thornbury Kinder from Darebin Council, the process is as follows:

1. Meet the Teacher Night: We will email you the details of the Info Night (usually held in October) so you can hear from the teachers and about the programs
2. Preference Form Emailed Out to Families: This is usually done within a few days of the Info Night -  you will have 2 weeks to select your group preferences
3. Annual General Meeting: All families are invited to attend the AGM (usually held in November) and join next year's parent committee
4. Group Allocations Received: This usually occurs soon after the AGM

How are preferences allocated?
The Kindergarten will allocate children to first preferences where possible, but note that priority of access criteria applies to those children who face barriers to participation.

Question 6

I've heard some families get additional kinder hours, how do I know if that's me?

Accepted Answer

Yes - through the State Government's Pre-Prep rollout, some priority families are eligible for additional kinder hours from 2026 onwards. This is delivered differently depending on the kinder, but at Thornbury Kinder it looks like:

2026 onwards
Families meeting the following eligibility will be offered an extra day of kinder:
children who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
children from a refugee or asylum seeker background
children who have had contact with Child Protection or are in out of home care

2028 onwards
Families meeting the following eligibility will be offered an extra day of kinder:
having a Commonwealth concession card
children from a multiple birth  of triplets or more

You will be offered the extra hours automatically through the enrolment process, there is no need to submit any documentation. We will contact you to let you know more detail well before you need to select your kinder group so you have all the scheduling info you need. If you think you may be eligible you are welcome to contact us after you receive an offer to verify that we're aware of your eligibility. If you become eligible at some point after your enrolment, please let us know as soon as possible - we will offer you additional hours when they become available.

2034 onwards
All remaining families will receive additional hours starting in 2034, until all families are receiving 30 hours of Free Kinder in 2036. For more information see:

www.vic.gov.au/pre-prep-roll-out-schedule

Question 7

Does my child need to be immunised to attend Thornbury Kindergarten?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The 'No jab, no play' law requires that all children are age-appropriately immunised before enrolment in an early childhood service can be confirmed. Once you have been offered a place, you will be required to submit your child's Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register to confirm your child's enrolment. 
 
Immunisation History Statements can obtained by:
Accessing your myGov account
Calling the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809
Visiting a Medicare or Centrelink office

Question 8

Can I enrol in the Kindergarten mid-year?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we can take new enrolments at any time if there is a vacancy available (i.e. when families move away). Some families even start in Term 4!

To apply/go on the waiting list, please visit the Darebin Kindergarten and Childcare Registrations Portal: https://darebincentralenrolments.councilonline.com.au/Public/Login.aspx 
Or you can obtain a hard copy of the form from the Darebin Council office at 274 Gower St, Preston.

Note that as the wait list and enrolment system is handled entirely by Darebin Council we do not have any part in the process or any ability to control the allocations (sorry!). When a place becomes available Darebin Council will contact you, or you can contact them on:

Darebin Registration Team
Phone: 03 8470 8825
Email: registration.kindergartenchildcare@darebin.vic.gov.au

Question 9

How does the government funding work for kindergarten?

Accepted Answer

Government funding for 3 and 4 year old kinder is always subject to change, however the current funding arrangement includes funding from the State Government Department of Education and Training (DET) and the Federal Government. Both provide per-capita funding as a contribution towards the cost of 3 and 4 year old kindergarten.

As part of the Free Kinder program, families do not have to pay any term fees.

It's important to note that you can only access your kinder funding for one institution (i.e. if your child is attending sessional kinder and day care kinder, they can only use it for one of their enrolments). At Thornbury Kindergarten we require you to allocate your funding to us in order to be enrolled (as we are unable to directly subsidise enrolments from the Kinder's budget).

Question 10

When will four-year-olds be able to attend Kinder for 30 hours?

Accepted Answer

The stated plan for the Victorian Government's 30-hour pre-prep program for four-year-olds is that it will start rolling out in our Local Government Area in 2034 and be finalised by 2036.

Question 11

I missed out on a 3yo space at Thornbury Kinder, can I still get a 4yo space next year?

Accepted Answer

Yes!! Thornbury Kinder has 44 x 3yo spaces and 88 x 4yo spaces. That means there is a stronger likelihood of getting a 4yo space.

Frequently Asked Questions