Our public preschool

Thomas Acres Public School will be accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) applications from July 2026.

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• Project webpage
• Enrolment in public preschools
• Attendance in public preschools
• Resources for families
• Expression of interest to enrol in a NSW public preschool (PDF 911 KB)
  This form is available to complete now, but please don’t submit to the school until July 2026.

Why choose our public preschool?

Our public preschool is a fee-free preschool at Thomas Acres Public School. It’s an easy choice for local families with young children.

We give every child the start in early childhood education. At our preschool, children explore, ask questions and grow in a safe and caring place. Our friendly team helps each child learn and feel good through fun, hands-on play that builds confidence and curiosity.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to our preschool. Contact us to talk to our team, book a tour or join our waitlist.

Preschool days and hours

Our preschool is open for 6 hours a day, on the same days as all NSW public schools.

We will consult with our community about the attendance pattern offered to ensure each child is offered 600 hours of preschool over the year (or 15 hours a week). Once decided, we will update this section of our website accordingly.

Approved attendance patterns to consider are:

• a 5-day fortnight program, with children attending 3 days one week and 2 days in the alternate week (18 hours one week and 12 hours the next)
• alternate semesters or terms, with children attending 2 days a week in one term or semester, and 3 days in the alternate term or semester.

Immunisation

Preschools cannot enrol a child unless their family provides an Australian Immunisation Register Immunisation History Statement form that shows their child:

• is fully immunised for their age
• has a medical reason not to be vaccinated
• is on a recognised catch-up schedule.

Read more about immunisation.

There is a 12-week temporary exemption for supply of the Immunisation History Statement for:

• an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child
• a child evacuated during a state of emergency
• a child in out-of-home care.

Birth certificates

Families must provide evidence of their child's full name and date of birth. However, if no birth certificate is available, this can be shown through a secondary document, for example:

• passport
• Immicard
• Blue Book or Personal health record
• hospital birth card
• baptism, christening, name giving or similar record.

If none of these documents are available, a statuary declaration can be supplied stating the date of birth of the child and the reason why such a document is not available.

Fees

We do not charge fees to attend our preschool. NSW public preschools are funded by the NSW government.

Attendance

Public preschools enrol children for one year only, the year before they start school.

Children can enrol from the beginning of the school year if they turn 4 years of age before 31 July that year.

Meals

Children bring their own meals and snacks to preschool. For more information, please contact us.

How to enrol

Unlike NSW public schools, there are no intake areas for public preschools. Enrolment is on application only.

Enrolling in a preschool within a school does not guarantee a place at that school for Kindergarten.

Thomas Acres Public School will open Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from June 2026.

• Families can express interest in enrolling their child by completing and submitting to the school an Expression of interest to enrol in a NSW public preschool (PDF 911 KB).
• If more expressions of interest are received than available places, the school principal will form a placement panel to assess these.
• The placement panel will offer enrolment to children according to the priorities listed in the Enrolment in public preschools procedure.
• Families offered a place for their child will be asked to complete the Application to enrol in a NSW public preschool (PDF 713 KB) and supply supporting documentary evidence.
• Translated versions of the preschool enrolment application are available.

Book a tour or join our waitlist

Come and see our preschool in action. Talk to our team and secure your child’s place.

Contact us