Starting kindergarten

Kindergarten age calculator

We have a handy tool to help you calculate when your child can attend 3 or 4-year-old kindergarten based on the year they were born.

To use the calculator, enter your child's date of birth. The calculator will tell you:

The year your child can start 3 or 4-year-old kindergarten
How old they will be when they start kindergarten
How old they will be when they start school

Child's date of birth (required)

Kindergarten options

Calculated for a child born on Date of Birth .

Year	Age at January	Kindergarten program

Your child is eligible to start 3-year-old kindergarten this yearand it is free

Research has shown that attending two years of kindergarten supports better learning outcomes for children.

Your child will be when they start school in .

Your child is eligible to start 4-year-old kindergarten this yearand it is free

Research has shown that attending kindergarten supports better learning outcomes for children.

Your child will be when they start school in .

Your child is eligible to start 3-year-old kindergarten this year, or can wait until next year.

Your child must be 3 years old before they commence kindergarten. We will hold your child’s kindergarten place until your child turns 3 and you will not be charged fees for this period. When your child turns 3, they can start to attend 3-year-old kindergarten.

You need to decide when is best for your child to begin kindergarten. Research has shown that attending two years of kindergarten supports better learning outcomes for children.

If they start 3 year old kinder this year they will be when they start school in .

Your child is eligible to start 3 year old or 4 year old kindergarten this year and it is free.

Research has shown that attending kindergarten supports better learning outcomes for children.

If they start 4 year old kindergarten this year they will be will be when they start school in .

Your child is eligible to start 4-year-old kindergarten or school this year and it is free.

Attending 4-year-old kindergarten is recommended as research has shown it supports better learning outcomes.

If they start 4 year old kindergarten this year they will be when they start school in .

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Deciding when your child should start kindergarten

Children born between January and April have the option to start kindergarten when:

3-year old kindergarten in the year your child turns 3 or 4 years old
4-year-old kindergarten in the year your child turns 4 or 5 years old

What types of programs we offer?

City of Casey managed kindergarten programs will offer the following hours in 2023;

5 hours of 3-year-old kindergarten 1 day per week

- 15 hours of 4-year-old kindergarten with the following session types:

5 hours 3 days per week or
7.5 hours 2 days per week

Mixed age group sessions this session will combine both 3 year old and 4 year old children

What are the benefits of a mixed age group?

Throughout life we will engage with people who are both older and younger that we are, this might be in our family, our social environment, in school and eventually work. Children in mixed aged groups develop friendships and learning in the same way they would if they were in a single aged group.

Younger children have the opportunity to learn about more advanced problem solving skills through observing older children at play, as well as other benefits include increased self-esteem, self-confidence.
For the older children this type of learning environment allows children to develop the mentoring and leaderships skills, which will support them in the future learning.

Our dedicated educators will provide a high-quality program that is based on each child’s development and interests.

Kindergarten term dates

Find future kindergarten term dates on the Victorian Department of Education and Training website.

Early Start Kindergarten

Early Start Kindergarten (also known as ESK) is a funded two-year, available to children who turn 3 years of age by 30 April in the year they are enrolled to attend the program. This is usually offered within the 4-year-old kindergarten program.

ESK can be accessed by:

Children whose families have been assisted by Child Protection or are in an Out-of-Home Care arrangement
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
Refugee and asylum seeker children who meet the special visa criteria

More information can be found at the following link:

Early Start Kindergarten | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)

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