It's the question Tina hears most on tours: "Is two and a half too young? Should we wait until four?" Here's how to think it through.
The quick answer by age
- Age 2.5 to 3: We welcome children from two and a half. Started gently (two short days is a common beginning), this gives your child up to three unhurried years in the same small community before school.
- Age 3 to 4: The classic preschool start. Two years before school, time for the first year to be about settling, friendships and confidence, and the second about school readiness.
- Age 4: One year before school. It can work well for children with plenty of group experience already, though one year is a short time to build all of that.
- Age 5: Children born January to July can start school that year or take one more preschool year. Many Ku-ring-gai families choose the extra year, especially for children who would be among the youngest in their class.
The school rule, for reference: NSW children can start Kindergarten if they turn 5 on or before 31 July that year, and must be enrolled in school by their 6th birthday.
Why we take children from two and a half
The Reggio Emilia approach that shapes our program treats young children as capable, curious researchers. That capability does not begin at four. A two-and-a-half-year-old who spends her mornings in our garden, playing, sharing and being listened to by educators, is building exactly the habits that make school easy three years later: language, persistence, and the confidence that learning is something she does herself.
An earlier start also means the settling-in period, which every child goes through, happens early and gently, not in the term before school.
Signs your child is ready (at any age)
- Manages a few hours away from you without lasting distress (some tears at drop-off are normal and fine)
- Shows interest in other children, even if just watching
- Follows simple instructions from other adults
- Copes with small changes in routine
Toilet training is not a barrier at the younger end; talk to us about where your child is at. And if your child isn't ready yet, that's fine too. The best way to know is to visit; a short visit tells most parents more than any checklist.
The hold-back question
If your child turns 5 between January and July, you can send them to school that year or keep them with us for one more. There's no universally right answer, but you don't have to decide alone: our educators see your child in a group every day and will give you a straight answer about readiness, including "they're ready, let them go", which we say often.
Can we start mid-year?
Yes. We enrol year-round as places come up, and settling a new child into an established group is something our educators do all the time. If you've just moved to St Ives, Turramurra or Gordon, don't wait for January.
Come and see us
We're a deliberately small kindergarten: up to 40 children, two rooms, under mature gum trees at 120 Warrimoo Avenue, St Ives Chase. Preschool hours (9am to 3pm) or full days (7am to 6pm), 2 to 5 days a week, from age two and a half to school age. Book a tour online or call Tina on 02 9449 8829, and bring your child and see how they respond to the garden.