Register Now for Bannockburn Kindergarten
Kindergarten registrations are open year-round; however, to ensure your child's application is considered in the first round of offers, applications should be submitted prior to the end of term 2 in the year proceeding enrolment.
Please note: the date of receipt of application does not form part of the kindergarten allocation of place process.
2026 Term Dates
| Term 1 | Tuesday 27 January to Thursday 2 April |
| Term 2 | Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June |
| Term 3 | Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September |
| Term 4 | Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December |
The connection between services fosters strong partnerships at Bannockburn Kindergarten
Bannockburn Kindergarten is co-located at the Bannockburn Family Service Centre (BFSC) along with the Maternal and Child Health service, Children's Services team, Barwon Health Speech and Immunisation services, MELI, Orange Door and Kardinia Early Learning.
The close connection between services at the BFSC fosters strong partnerships with children and their families and ensures that the health, learning and wellbeing needs of all children are supported.
Operated by the Golden Plains Shire Early Years Management team, Bannockburn Kindergarten currently provides 15 hours of funded sessional kindergarten for 3 and 4-year-olds. The kindergarten is participating in the Best Start Best Life reform, offering FREE kindergarten under this scheme.
Bannockburn Kindergarten is part of the Central Registration and Enrolment Scheme (CRES), managed by the CRES team at Golden Plains Shire Council.
When should your child start kindergarten?
It is important families understand when their child starts at kindergarten it directly relates to the age they will start primary school. Families are encouraged to consider multiple factors when enrolling their child in 3-year-old kindergarten.
At Bannockburn Kindergarten, we value and respect children’s unique personalities and backgrounds. We are committed to providing an inclusive program which allows all children to engage and learn in an environment which supports their individuality and allows them to reach their full potential.
We value the partnership between educators, children and families and recognise that a collaborative approach is crucial in achieving quality outcomes for children. We understand that for high quality learning to occur, both children and families must feel a sense of belonging within the kindergarten environment and we pride ourselves on the relationships we establish with children and their families. Children are connected to families, communities, culture and place, and this is where their learning begins. Of these, families are seen as a child’s first and most influential teachers (EYLF 2022).
We acknowledge the Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar people as the traditional owners of the land on which we learn and play, and are committed to embedding indigenous culture, customs, values and perspectives into our programs and practices.
We endeavour to engage positively with our local community and continue to establish positive, collaborative partnerships throughout.
We focus on children’s strengths and capabilities and value the importance of children’s agency through empowering them to recognise their right to make choices and decisions. Our program allows for indoor and outdoor play options. Through play-based learning and use of open-ended resources, children are able to engage in exploration, discovery, creativity, problem solving and collaboration.
Safety is at the forefront of all decision making. Children are supported to take part in decision making about the safety and wellbeing of themselves and others through reflective conversations and spontaneous teaching moments.
We continue to evolve as educators and build upon our existing understandings, knowledge and skills through ongoing reflective practice and professional development. Our Quality Improvement plan encompasses our ongoing reflective practice and supports continuous improvement.
In order for your child to be eligible to attend three-year-old kindergarten they must have turned three (3) by 30th April in the year of enrolment.
Families and carers with children born between January and April can choose in which year to start three-year-old kindergarten! They may choose to send their child in the year that they are turning three (3)* or start the following year to align with the school starting age.
A child is only able to access one (1) year of government funded three-year-old kindergarten and must be enrolled in only one (1) funded kindergarten program at any one time.
Children accessing three-year-old kindergarten will transition to four-year-old kindergarten the following year.
Due to child to educator ratios, an enrolled child will not be permitted to commence at the kindergarten until they are three (3) years of age.
*the child must have turned three (3) by 30th April in the year of enrolment.
In order for your child to be eligible to attend four-year-old kindergarten they must have turned four (4) by 30th April in the year of enrolment.
Children meeting the criteria for a second year of four-year-old kindergarten will be eligible to access one additional year of kindergarten prior to starting school.
To ensure a fair, equitable and transparent allocation of kindergarten places, each registration is given weighting based on the Victorian Department of Education Priority of Access followed by our locally agreed criteria.
Enrolment requirements in Victoria
By law, to finalise enrolment for your child in long day care, kindergarten, family day care or occasional care, you must provide the service with a current immunisation history statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) that shows your child is up to date with all the immunisations that are due or able to receive for their age.
What is an immunisation history statement?
It is a statement from the AIR that shows what vaccines your child has received and, if applicable, which vaccines are due in the future and when.
All vaccines recorded on the AIR will appear on your child’s immunisation history statement. You do not need to do anything to get your child on the AIR. Your vaccination provider will tell the AIR when they give your child a vaccine and which vaccines they have given.
Vaccines on the National Immunisation Program Schedule are provided free.
What is this document used for?
To finalise enrolment. To accept an offered place at a service, you must provide a current immunisation history statement. This is usually done within two months before your child is due to start at the service.
To keep children safe. If there is a disease outbreak at the service, the document is used to identify children at risk (for example, children too young or those who cannot be fully immunised against a disease) who may need to stay away from the service until it is safe for them to return.
What if I cannot get a statement?
In some circumstances, a 16 week ‘support period’ (also known as the ‘grace period’) can be applied, so your child can start at the service while you arrange to get a statement.