The year before Prep goes faster than most parents expect, and a little planning helps your child get the most out of every week of it.
It’s normal to wonder whether you’re choosing the right place. The good news is that Queensland families have real support this year, and knowing how it works makes the choice easier.
Learning through play: sensory projects build curiosity, language and friendships.
How Free Kindy Works
Free Kindy is a Queensland Government initiative that gives eligible children 15 hours of kindergarten a week, for 40 weeks of the year, in an approved program. Children are eligible in the year they turn four by 30 June, and the Queensland Government’s kindy age calculator at qld.gov.au/FreeKindy will confirm the right year for your child.
Free Kindy is offered in two settings. Sessional kindergartens usually run during school terms with fixed hours on set days.
Approved programs inside long day care run the same funded hours within a longer day, so working families don’t have to fit pick-ups around a short session and as they’re open during school holidays there’s no need to find alternative care during the school breaks.
Hours beyond the funded 15 may as usual eligible for the Child Care Subsidy further helping reduce out of pocket costs – depending on your circumstances. Either way, look for the Free Kindy tick, which shows the program is Queensland Government-approved.
What a Full Kindergarten Year Can Look Like
Family-owned, Little Scholars School of Early Learning offers 17 campuses across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Redlands and Ipswich.
At Little Scholars, every campus runs a Queensland Government-approved kindergarten program within long day care, and Free Kindy is applied automatically on enrolment, with no extra paperwork for families.
The Little Scholars Kindergarten Program is a good example of how much can fit into one year when it’s planned well.
Each Kindergarten Studio is led by a university-qualified Early Childhood Teacher, and because Little Scholars staffs its non-contact roles separately, there are consistently more educators available to children than the regulations require. That means more individual attention and a calmer, more responsive studio.
Through play, children build early literacy, numeracy and communication, along with the social and emotional skills that matter just as much: making friends, taking turns and managing big feelings. Pencil grip and early writing are practised from the first day, not the last few weeks.
One-on-one reading time with an educator builds language and a love of books.
Running alongside it all is the Transition to School Program. Children make regular visits to the school they’ll attend, so the building, playground and faces feel familiar, and Lunchbox Days let them practise unclipping containers, peeling cling wrap and opening snack packets on their own.
At the end of the year, each child’s Early Childhood Teacher prepares a formal transitional statement which is shared with their incoming Prep teacher – so they already know how your child likes to learn and the progress they’ve made before they’ve even started school.
The year stretches beyond the studio. Outdoor Explorers takes learning into the bush and to the beach, Grandfriends brings children together with older community members, and WonderNest introduces virtual reality as a learning tool.
Extracurriculars like music, dance, STEM, sport and swimming sit within the week, meals are cooked fresh on campus by an in-house chef, and through the Family Time Program, haircuts and health appointments can happen on campus during the day.
Daily app updates keep you connected throughout the day and every child has their own learning portfolio containing photos, learning stories and observations so you can follow their progress throughout the year.
Outdoor Explorers takes learning beyond the studio and into the bush
“The year before school is a big one, and more time in a quality kindergarten program means more time to grow. Because our program runs within long day care, children aren’t limited to a short session. They can spend more of their week with their Early Childhood Teacher and friends, practising the independence, confidence and early literacy they’ll carry into Prep.” — Melanie Excell, Operations Manager, Little Scholars School of Early Learning
Making the Most of the Year at Home
Whatever program you choose, a few small habits help your child get more from every week.
- Keep the days consistent. Regular days help your child settle into friendships, routines and the rhythm of the studio.
- Talk to the teacher early. Share what your child loves, what they find tricky and anything that’s changing at home.
- Use the updates as conversation starters. “Tell me about the tower you built today” opens up far more than “How was your day?”
- Read together every day. A few minutes of shared reading builds language, attention and a love of books.
- Practise independence in small ways. Shoes, bags, toilet trips and lunchbox lids are all worth practising before Prep.
A familiar friend makes every new step feel easier.
The best way to choose a kindergarten is to visit. On a tour, ask who leads the studio, how the program prepares children for Prep and how the Free Kindy hours appear on your statement.
When it comes to cost, Little Scholars keeps it simple: tell them your Child Care Subsidy percentage and they’ll tell you exactly what your days will cost.
To book a tour, visit the Little Scholars Kindergarten Program page. You’ll see a Kindergarten Studio, meet the Early Childhood Teacher and can ask about the Transition to School Program. Settling-in visits, or play dates, are offered before your child’s first day, so the year can start with a familiar face.
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