4-year-old preschool

You may be able to access up to 15 hours a week of free 4-year-old preschool if your child is 4 and you live in the ACT.

The free hours apply if your child is enrolled in a preschool attached to a public primary school or early childhood school.

Preschools offer the 15 hours in different ways. For example, some do 2 days one week and 3 days the next. Other preschools offer 2 and a half days a week. Contact the school for details.

Your child is assigned to a preschool group that attends on specific days. They cannot attend on days that are assigned to another preschool group.

Preschools in the ACT

Preschools may be attached to a public primary school. They may be either at the same location or at another location away from the main school site.

All preschools have their own building and playground. Some have an entry that is away from the main school entry.

Check if you can apply

To apply for the program:

• your child must be 4 years old on or before 30 April in the year they start preschool. They can start from the first day of term 1 that year.
• you must be able to prove you live in the ACT.

If your child turns 4 after 30 April, they can start preschool the following year. In some cases, they can start earlier. Read about early entry to preschool.

To help you work out when your child can start, use the preschool and school age calculator.

Find a preschool

If you apply to a public preschool, you are guaranteed an offer. Usually, this is from your preferred school or a school within your Priority Enrolment Area (PEA), but not always. See preschools in high demand.

Enrolments are prioritised in this order:

1. individual circumstances based on student wellbeing
2. if the child has a sibling currently enrolled at the primary school who will still be there when the 4-year-old starts preschool
3. if the child lives within the PEA of the primary school, up to the limit of available places.

If your preferred school is not in your PEA or is in high demand, and we cannot offer you a place there, we will offer you a place at either:

• a school within your PEA
• the closest preschool to your home that has a place.

Preschools in high demand

A number of preschools do not have enough places for every parent who wants to enrol their child.

At these high-demand preschools, if you apply by 6 June 2025, and do not meet the prioritisation criteria, you will be offered either:

• a preschool in your PEA, if there is a place
• the closest preschool to your home that has a place.

After 6 June 2025 high-demand preschools may enrol a child who does not meet the criteria if they still have places (after prioritising those who meet the criteria).

How to apply

We encourage you to apply for your local primary school’s preschool. If you live nearby in NSW, this is your NSW pathway school.

This is because:

• all preschools offer high-quality early education
• it's easier for your child to transition to kindergarten the following year.

Use the online form on enrol in a public school.

Important dates

Important dates for a child starting preschool in 2026 are:

• 29 April 2025 – applications open.
• 6 June 2025 – apply by this date to get an offer from as early as 28 July 2025.
• 7 June 2025 – applications from this date onwards can expect an offer later in the year.
• 28 July 2025 – applicants who submitted an enrolment form by 6 June will start receiving offers.

You can apply to enrol in the current school year at any time. We process applications as we receive them.

What children do in preschool

In quality, play-based early learning programs, children engage in activities that are both fun and educational. They might:

• play with blocks, puzzles and toys to develop problem-solving and turn-taking skills
• listen to stories, sing songs, write about their adventures, respond to questions to demonstrate their language and literacy development
• learn about numbers, patterns, capacity and volume, all within real world explorations
• participate in arts, responding creatively
• play outside to build physical skills and learn about nature
• interact with other children to develop their social and emotional skills.

These activities are designed to help children learn in a natural and enjoyable way, supporting their overall growth and development.

A degree-qualified early childhood teacher delivers the program.

Enrolling in kindergarten

When it's time to enrol your child in kindergarten, if your child is attending preschool at a school within your PEA, they will be automatically enrolled in their PEA primary school. There is no need to complete an enrolment form.

If your child is attending a preschool that's not within your PEA:

• you can apply to enrol in kindergarten at a school within your PEA, even if your child did not attend preschool there.

• you can apply to enrol in kindergarten at a school that's not in your PEA, as an out of area applicant. Read about applying to a school outside your area.

Transition to kindergarten

After finishing their preschool year, your child transitions to kindergarten. This is the first formal year of schooling.

As part of the transition process:

• your child will get to visit the public school to introduce them to kindergarten, which the preschool organises
• teachers will share information with kindergarten teachers to ensure the transition is seamless and meets your child's needs.

Read more about supporting your child's transition years.

Contact us