The Buggybuddys Guide to Kindergarten in Perth:

Do you have a child turning four before the new school year? Are you looking for the right kindy for your child? Check out our guide to kindergarten in Perth, including community kindergarten, private education and more. Find a kindy provider that’s right for your family!

If you’re not sure when to enrol your child in Kindergarten you can use this easy calculator to check.

Kindergarten teaches important early numeracy, literacy and social skills. Kindergarten is not compulsory in Western Australia. It’s part-time for a total of 15 hours per week. Some kindies run 2 full days one week and 3 full days the next. Others offer 2 full days and one half day per week.

There are several Kindergarten options to choose from. For example, there are kindies run at your local primary school. These run on school grounds and make the transition into “big school” smooth.

Privately run kindies are another option. These include private schools and early learning programs through child care providers.

In addition, there are also Community Kindergartens. These operate from purpose built facilities. They have playgrounds and buildings suited to kindergarten children. In other words, the day is not dictated by a wider school or siren. Community Kindergartens offer an entirely play-based educational program.

Community Kindergartens are an affordable option for families. The Department of Education set the voluntary contributions to the same as those for on-site school-based kindergartens.

Community Kindies are staffed by Department of Education teachers. These are managed by parent committees in co-operation with their teacher. Community Kindergartens need a minimum of 16 children enrolled by the July cut-off for them to operate the following school year. Be sure to enrol early as places fill up fast!