High quality play-based education in the year before school

 

From 2025, the Victorian Government is renaming four-year-old kindergarten as Pre-prep, as we begin the roll out of up to 30 hours of high quality education before school.

 

Murrindindi Shire and KRCC are the FIRST areas in Victoria to roll out this Best Start Best Life initiative.  

 

During 2025, KRCC is offering 18 hours of pre-prep made up from two 6-hour days at KRCC and one 6-hour bush session. 

• Monday 9-3pm (either bush or at KRCC)

• Tuesday 9-3pm

• Wednesday (either at bush or KRCC)

• Thursday 9-3pm

• Friday 9-3pm​​

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Families can choose the days that suit remembering extended care continues before and after the nominated pre-prep hours.

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All kindergarten programs are operated by a degree qualified and registered Early Childhood Teacher.

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What you can expect from Pre-prep.

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At KRCC we know about the importance of free flow in a kindergarten program.  So we structure our programs with enough uninterrupted time for children to become deeply involved in their play. We then work along side each child to extend their learning and development.  We may do this by; asking questions, suggesting ways to expand their play or providing language and vocabulary for children to try and setting up the environment with open ended resources to encourage self-guided exploration, play and learning.

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Within our free flow program we inject sufficient productive structure to gently guide children through the year to help them be ready for their transition to school. This typically includes small and large group work, guided activities, intentional teaching, incursions, excursions, music, story telling, participating in packing up activities, cooking, gardening and many trips to local primary schools throughout the year.

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These activities take place in both the KRCC and bush environments.

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More about bush 

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A note about school readiness

You might think that school readiness means a child knows their ABC's, can write their name, sit still and listen attentively and start to recognise words.

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While some children do achieve this, school readiness entails a different set of skills to what you might expect:

• Being confident to try new things

• Being able to ask for help when stuck or unsure (imaging the dynamics of a busy school playground)

• Being able to manage their own personal items: lunch, bags, clothes

• Social skills and respect for diversity

• Resilience

• Emotional literacy and self regulation

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It is important to note that 'being able to read and/or write' before school is not a requirement for school readiness according to the Early Years Learning Framework, the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, the National Quality Standard, Laws, Legislation or the National Regulations. 

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Here is a great article about what learning and school readiness looks like in a high-quality early childhood kindergarten program.

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More about

National Quality Framework

Early Years Learning Framework EYLF / VEYLDF

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Enquire about

Pre-prep placements for your child

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Enrolment form

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