14 fee-free public preschools opening across NSW in Term 4

Fourteen new public preschools are opening across NSW during Term 4, giving more than 1,000 additional children access to fee-free early learning.

The services join seven already operating under the government’s expansion program. The new locations are Carramar, Cartwright, Curran, Emerton, Gables, Granville East, Guildford West, Leeton, Lynwood Park, Moorland, Sackville Street, Sherwood Grange, Villawood North and Yagoona.

Yagoona Public Preschool welcomed its first children on 12 October. The service can accommodate up to 80 children each week, with dedicated preschool classrooms and outdoor play space.

The government plans to deliver 100 new public preschools by early 2027, doubling public preschool provision across NSW and creating places for an additional 9,000 children.

The department selected 87 sites through a process considering child development and socioeconomic data, local demand, infrastructure and community feedback. Another 13 preschools form part of new or rebuilt school projects.

Fee-free access prioritises children facing barriers

Public preschools on public school sites are free to attend and operate during the same days and hours as their host schools. They provide a preschool program during school terms, rather than the longer operating day associated with long day care.

Services must offer 600 hours of preschool annually, equivalent to 15 hours a week. Attendance patterns are determined locally and may include a five-day fortnight, with children attending three days one week and two the next.

The department says public preschools typically accommodate 20, 40 or 60 children per day. Daily places and the number of children attending across a week are different measures, depending on attendance arrangements.

Priority enrolment is given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children living in low socioeconomic circumstances and children unable to access another early childhood setting because of financial hardship.

Children can enrol from the beginning of the school year if they turn four on or before 31 July that year. Families do not need to live within the host school’s catchment area to apply.

The department also notes that Start Strong funding is not used to subsidise public preschool fees. Families may still access Start Strong support at other eligible early childhood education services under program rules.

Building relationships before starting school

The new preschools are located on public school sites. Yagoona Public School principal Meaghan Wilson said this gives children and families opportunities to establish connections before Kindergarten.

“We’re thrilled to welcome our new preschool families into the Yagoona Public School community,” Ms Wilson said.

She said relationships with school staff and older children could help ease the transition to school.

The department says public preschool programs are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework Version 2.0. They offer play-based learning under the National Quality Framework and employ qualified teachers and educators in line with the National Regulations.

Attending a public preschool does not automatically secure a Kindergarten place at its host school. Families should check school enrolment arrangements separately when planning their child’s transition.

Quality figures provide statewide context

The new public preschools provide play-based educational programs guided by the Early Years Learning Framework Version 2.0. They operate under the National Quality Framework and employ qualified teachers and educators in line with the National Regulations.

The department says preschool sizes are tailored to local supply and demand, with public preschools typically offering 20, 40 or 60 places per day.

For families, the new preschools add another early learning option. Their school-day hours and term-time operation will suit some households, while others will continue to need longer hours or holiday care. Local availability and each family’s circumstances will help determine which setting meets their needs.

Read the NSW Government latest news here.