Preschool and Kindergarten FAQs

At Guardian, we provide almost everything your child might need during their day. However, for hygiene reasons we ask families to bring a name-labelled water bottle as well as a change of clothes, as some experiences can get messy! If your child uses any comforters such as a dummy or sleeping bag/blanket to help them feel more settled at rest times, please send that along. We want them and you to feel as comfortable as possible.

In a word, no. However, a common myth is that children begin their more significant learning journeys as they prepare to and start primary school – but in fact, learning starts even before birth! That is why it is important to provide babies with the right support and stimulus as early as possible. At Guardian we are helping prepare children for the exciting transition to school from the very moment they join us. This is not work we do in the last year or two before they start school, but a journey of learning, developing confidence and social and emotional wellbeing from as young as six-weeks of age.

However, as children approach the age of three to five, they are becoming readers, writers, counters and collaborators. The early skills they showed as babies and toddlers are now becoming more defined. That’s why finding a high-quality childcare provider, with a leading preschool or kindergarten program is so important for your child and developing their love of learning for life.

The Guardian ‘Moving on Up to School’ Preschool Program is led by teachers and gives your child the full benefits of a structured daily learning program while you are supported with the longer care hours we provide. That means your child gets the best start to their schooling, while you’re able to better juggle the day-to-day thanks to longer care hours than those provided by community-based preschool and kindergarten programs.

If you’re thinking of enrolling, we’d encourage you to book a tour of your local Centre.   

During your tour you will have the opportunity to meet the Centre Manager, Team Members and have a really good look around the Centre while the team answer any questions you may have. We even have a list of questions you can ask the centre to make sure it’s the right fit for you and your family.   

If you wish to enrol after your tour, the Centre Manager will support you with this process, including our full induction pack and information for parents. You will receive details about government subsidies, immunisation requirements and any other documents needed to confirm your place.  

If you are not ready to enrol, or is there are no places available at the Centre of your choice, you will be able to join our waitlist and stay up to date with vacancies and Centre news. 

Look for quality by checking the National Quality Standard (NQS) rating of the center you are considering.  The NQS sets a high national benchmark for early childhood education and care services in Australia. It includes 7 quality areas that are important outcomes for children, and this will give you a good overview of the center’s approach t both education and care. 

At Guardian, our specific Preschool and Kindergarten curriculum has been developed from the Early Years Learning Framework, the National Quality Framework (NQF), and links to the Australian School Curriculum from which children will be taught when they start primary school. So, you can be confident in our program to set the foundation for a positive start to school. Including: 

• Social and emotional skills that help your child develop confidence and resilience 
• Curiosity, investigation, and problem-solving skills 
• Language, numeracy, and listening skills to help set the foundation for academic success 
• Confidence and independence 
• Physical and emotional wellbeing 
• Creative and expressive concepts and skills. 

Preschool (or Kindergarten as it is called in some states) can start from as young as three years of age. The Guardian ‘Moving on Up to School’ Preschool Program sets your three-year-old child up for success as a confident and engaged learner, eager to discover and grow. The program focuses on play-based experiences, with clear learning outcomes that will support your child on the exciting next step in their education. 

‘I AM 3: Preschool’ is the foundational year of the ’Moving on-up to School Program’, and is followed by our ‘I AM 4’ program. Both are a guided journey for your child and family in the two years prior to starting primary school. And you can choose to participate in one, or both years of the program. 

This contemporary program offers your child all the advantages of structured learning in the lead up to school, while supporting you with the longer care hours found in a childcare setting. That means your child gets the best start to their schooling, while you’re able to better juggle the day-to-day thanks to longer care hours than those provided by community-based preschool and kindergarten programs. 

Most children start primary school in Australia from the age of four or five, depending on when their birthday falls and the choice of their family. Children can start Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5, on or before 31 July that year. By law, all children must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday.

More important than your child’s age when considering their start at school, is assessing whether they are ready in a number of areas. Their level of school readiness will be largely based on social and emotional development, and your childcare provider and your child’s educators can help you assess these factors, which include:

• Enabling separation from parents and carers
• Developing confidence and pride in who they are
• Learning to take responsibility for themselves and others
• Communicating and forming relationships
• Becoming adaptable to cope with change
• Practicing resilience by persisting in the face of challenges
• Initiating, being involved and willing to try new things
• Problem-solving and encouraging curiosity.

Preschool or Kindergarten is the final year before a child starts formal schooling at Primary School. Different states have different names for services – for example, in NSW and the ACT the year before primary school is called ‘Preschool’, but in other states it’s known as ‘Kindergarten’ or ‘Prep’. This can all add up to a lot of confusion for families when trying to make the best decision for their children! 

As your child moves through their early years, the transition to formal schooling is one of the most significant milestones you and they will face. We design engaging Preschool and Kindergarten Programs which set the foundations for a positive start to your child’s first year of school. These programs focus on open-ended, play-based experiences that: 

• Teach the basic numeracy and literacy skills needed for academic success. 
• Embed valuable social and emotional skills required to be confident and resilient. 
• Have clear learning outcomes to prepare your child for formal schooling, and beyond. 

Our qualified Teachers and passionate Educators know what to look for and are always observing and noting those significant social, emotional and academic milestones that will pave the way for school. 

There is so much focus these days on ensuring children are “ready” for Primary School. But what does that really mean? Through our contemporary approach, we support and build on children’s learning through a wide range of real-world experiences that set them up for lifelong learning. Our environments inspire children to explore, collaborate, experiment, and imagine, bringing learning to life in fun-filled, tangible ways.  

During these experiences, we observe and support the behaviors that are key indicators for a successful transition to school and beyond. These are largely based on social and emotional readiness and we support this in several ways: 

• Enabling separation from parents and carers 
• Developing confidence and pride in who they are 
• Learning to take responsibility for themselves and others 
• Communicating and forming relationships 
• Becoming adaptable to cope with change 
• Practicing resilience by persisting in the face of challenges 
• Initiating, being involved, and willing to try new things 
• Problem-solving and encouraging curiosity. 

Our partnership with families is also fundamental – we will ensure you are kept up to speed every step of the way on your child’s progress, via face-to-face feedback, information sessions, and through our StoryPark app. 

Leading up to formal schooling, children are typically showing signs of early writing skills. They will be attempting to: 

• Write their own name 
• Use spaces between letters 
• Create letter-like shapes 
• Develop an understanding of capitals 
• Even writing words using invented spelling. 

In the year leading up to formal schooling, children have begun to recognize numbers in their environment, communicate using numbers, and want to know how to write and use them in everyday life.  

• Comparing – “This one is bigger than that one”. 
• Parts and wholes – “I only got half an apple for morning tea and Ian got a whole one.” 
• Measurement – of temperature, time, weight, volume, and length. 
• Knowledge of shapes – “My shirt has a square on it. Yours has a triangle”. 

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, or if they are ready to start school, speak to your childcare provider, educator or GP and they will be able to offer expert advice. 

It’s not essential, but it does offer a number of advantages for your child in the long term. The first five years are fundamental in the development of every child. It is during this foundational time that children leap and bound ahead when it comes to their motor, communication and language, cognitive, and social and emotional skills. 

Of particular importance when considering the transition to formal schooling, is the social and emotional elements of this equation. This is all about how a child begins to understand who they are, what they are feeling (and why), and what to expect when interacting with others. During this time, children are beginning to:  

• Initiate and maintain relationships  
• Feel, express and manage their emotions  
• Explore their environment with increasing curiosity.  

Positive social and emotional development is crucial during this period for a number of reasons. Understanding who they are and their place in the world has a direct link to a child’s:  

• Self-confidence  
• Empathy  
• Resilience  
• Friendships.  

It also has an impact of their ability to develop in other key areas which are important when it comes to success inside and outside the classroom, including academic outcomes. In fact, strong national and international research shows the biggest determinants of academic achievement for a positive transition to school, and for later success at school and in life, are that young children need to be socially and emotionally ready.    

Guardian Preschool and Kindergarten Programs are part of our daily fee for three and four-year-old children. That means there will be no additional out-of-pockets costs for your family.  

Our fees are specific to each Centre and can be found on our individual Centre pages. We do not have a set daily fee as there are many variables that need to be considered, such as the age of your child, the room they are enrolled in and the location of the Centre.   

Once enrolled, Guardian charge fees one week in advance on a weekly basis, and you will receive a statement via email. We are a registered childcare provider, which means eligible families can claim the CCS. Use our Child Care Subsidy Calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket expenses. 

As your child moves through their early years, the transition to formal schooling is one of the most significant milestones you and they will face.  

We design engaging Preschool and Kindergarten Programs that set the foundations for a positive start to your child’s first year of school. These programs focus on open-ended, play-based experiences that: 

• Teach the basic numeracy and literacy skills needed for academic success. 
• Embed valuable social and emotional skills required to be confident and resilient. 
• Have clear learning outcomes to prepare your child for formal schooling, and beyond. 

Our qualified Teachers and passionate Educators know what to look for and are always observing and noting those significant social, emotional, and academic milestones that will pave the way for school. 

Preschool and Kindergarten Programs can only do so much. It is parents and caregivers who play the biggest role in social and emotional development because they offer the most consistent relationship in a child’s life.  

There are many things you can do day-to-day to support your child in developing their confidence that will be key as they transition to school. These include: 

• Show affection and be nurturing. Depending on the age of your child this could mean holding them, comforting them, talking and singing, or simply giving them your undivided attention.  
• Be responsive and provide your child with the opportunity to learn new skills, while staying within arm’s reach. For example, put their clothes on their bed and allow them to dress. This sort of activity develops independence, pride, and self-esteem.  
• Support your child’s developing skills through ‘unhurried time’. It might take you longer to get out of the house in the morning by allowing your toddler to put their own shoes on, but the payoff is a child who is developing new skills and abilities.  
• Lead by example. Show (don’t tell) your child how to take turns; listen to them and respond accordingly; resolve conflict calmly. Children learn more by observing the adults around them, than they do by being told.  
• Lastly, remember your child is unique, rich in potential, and is developing at their own rate. When your child is ready the transition to school is sure to be a happy and positive one.