Enrolment
Frequently Asked Questions
In 2023, kindergarten programs for four-year-old and eligible three-year-old children in Victorian Government funded services will be free as part of the Best Start, Best Life reform. A 15 hour per week program will be available to four-year-old children and a 5-to-15 hour program will be available to three-year old children per week. This investment will save families up to $2,500 for each child enrolled in a participating funded kindergarten program.
DET also provides funding to assist eligible three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children known to Child Protection, to access kindergarten programs.
Free Kinder funding is an additional payment to services to cover the parent fee component and will be paid on top of other kindergarten funding streams (excluding Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS), KFS Ratio Supplement and Early Start Kindergarten (ESK)).
Q; Is my child eligible for free kinder in 2023?
All children enrolled in our service in both 3 and 4 year old programs are eligible for Free Kinder from 2023.
Q; How is the funding paid?
DET will make Free Kinder payments to participating service providers, not directly to families to ensure participating services can offer a free program.
Q; If my child is attending the three-year old program, can I increase their hours up to the maximum of 15 and receive more funding?
No. Due to capacity limits and teacher availability, Winston Hills is only offering two three-year old programs with set hours.
Q; Can a child be enrolled in a kindergarten program at two different services?
No. A child can only be enrolled to receive kindergarten funding at one kindergarten service. If you child is attending more than one service, you will need to nominate which service you would like to accept funding for, and a signed nomination form will be completed upon enrolment.
If your child attends Long Day Care as well as Sessional Kinder, the funding scheme will prioritise funding at a Sessional Kinder in the first instance.
Q; Can the service seek voluntary donations or fundraise in 2023?
Although Winston Hills will receive funding for each child, there are still additional costs to run and maintain the kindergarten including security, utilities, maintenance, equipment, cleaning, yard maintenance etc. The funding is directly related to the provision of the children’s program and does not cover these extra costs. The service may suggest a voluntary donation to assist with these additional costs in order to continue to run the kindergarten at a high standard, however this would not be compulsory for families. Attendance at the service is not conditional on a voluntary donation. We will provide opportunities for fundraising efforts throughout the year, and strongly encourage the support of our families.
Q; Do I need to pay for any incursions or excursions from 2023?
At times throughout the year an additional excursion(s) or event(s) may be arranged where it is considered relevant to the service’s program and the children’s interests. At this time any additional costs to families are taken into consideration before a decision is made, however a charge may be made to families for the cost recovery for this event (i.e. entry and transport costs). Families cannot be charged for incursions or regular excursions (including Bush Kinder) that are a core part of the kindergarten program.
Q; Can I be charged a maintenance fee from 2023?
Parents cannot be charged a compulsory maintenance fee / levy regardless of whether they attend a working bee (or similar) or not. Any parent contribution to maintenance is voluntary.
Q: Is there a particular primary school that the majority of your students attend?
Children from our preschool go to a number of different schools, however most attend one of the following schools:
·Viewbank Primary School
·Banyule Primary School
·St Martins Catholic School
If you are interested in enrolling at our Preschool, you will need to do this directly through the Banyule Council website. Here is a link below:
https://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/Community-services/Kindergarten-services
Q: My family really needs a place in Red Group. How can I ensure I am allocated our group preference?
You will be able to make your group selection when we send out our enrolment form in the first few weeks of September. Whilst every effort is made to accommodate group selections made by all our families, our teaching team consider a number of important factors when determining groups. This includes group balance and dynamics, the needs of vulnerable children and those with medical or additional needs. Families who submit their forms and pay fee deposits promptly are also given priority, as are those who volunteer for a role on our committee of management.
Q: I’m interested in your 3YO/4YO program next year. How do I enroll? What are the session times and fees?
Banyule Council manages all enrolments for 3yo and 4yo preschool and you can find a link to that information on enrolment here:
https://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/Community-services/Kindergarten-services
Our program for next year is up on our website here:
https://www.winstonhillspreschool.org.au/session-times
Our committee of management has not yet finalised the session schedule and fees for 2023, but once that has been decided, that information will be published on our website.
If you would like to stay up to date and informed about our 2023 Kinder program, please register your details here:
https://www.winstonhillspreschool.org.au/openday-reg
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact our enrolments officer enrolments@winstonhillspreschool.org.au
Q: We have been told we are on the waitlist for a place at the Preschool. Can you tell us what position we are on the list?
Unfortunately Council do not provide us with details about which families are on the waitlist. We are only provided with family details once a place becomes available and they offer your child a position. We would suggest you contact Joanne McKenna directly at Banyule City Council to request further information.
Q: If I feel that my child would benefit from a second year of 3YO kindergarten, can I enroll them for a second year?
A: Unfortunately, no. The Department of Education and Training have mandated that there is no second year of funded kindergarten available for our 3 year old program. We are also unable to provide an unfunded position, even if families are willing to pay for it.