APPLICATIONS
Davis Street Kindergarten sits alongside the Boroondara Kindergarten Central Enrolment Scheme (BKCES), therefore applications to attend our programs must be made directly to us, through this website using the online form. We recommend that you also submit applications to other kindergartens, through the Boroondara Council website, to increase the likelihood of your child being offered a place in the year you require.
All enquiries regarding applications should be directed to the Davis Street Kindergarten Enrolment Officer. Our preferred contact method is via email, however, should you wish to leave a phone message the Enrolment Officer will respond within within 2 business days.
Phone: 0412 169 793
For more information regarding enrolling your child please visit How to apply.
When to apply
Applications to Davis Street Kindergarten can be submitted once your child turns two years of age. Offers are made based upon eligibility and selection criteria, that are outlined by the Department of Education and Davis Street Kindergarten. Offers will be sent out the year before your child is due to attend and will no longer be based upon the date and time that an application was submitted – ensuring that children with birthdates later in the year are not disadvantaged.
To apply, please complete our online application form (link below) along with payment of the non-refundable application fee. Payment is made by credit at the end of the online form.
Once you submit your application online, you will receive an automatic email confirming that it has been lodged, please note that applications are only processed once the application fee has been paid.
Places are offered in the year before your child is due to attend kindergarten. You will be contacted via email in July (see the Important Dates section) to either offer your child a place, or advise you that your child has been added to the waiting list. If your child is offered a place you will be given a timeframe within which to accept the offer and secure your child’s place by paying a non-refundable acceptance fee. If your child has been placed on the waiting list you may then be contacted in second and third round offers (this includes offers for children who had not been offered their first group preference in first round offers).
Please note that your child must be three years of age by 30 April in the year in which you would like them to start the three year old kindergarten program. Likewise, to be eligible to attend four year old kindergarten your child must be four years of age by 30 April in the year of attendance at four year old kindergarten.
Our Pre-Prep program is funded as a four year old kindergarten program, however it is designed to cater for children having a funded repeat year of four year old kindergarten, or for the older child who could go to school but is not quite ready. Therefore it is recommended that children have turned 4 years of age by 1 January of the kindergarten year for our Pre-Prep program.
Please email the Enrolment Officer as soon as possible if your circumstances change (eg place no longer required or you move house) to ensure our records remain up to date .
Important Dates in the Allocation Process
| Applications are accepted from child’s second birthday | |
| 30 June | Closing date for first round offers** |
| mid July | First round offers emailed |
| Late July | Acceptances due as per the date on the letter of offer |
| Mid August | Subsequent offers emailed as vacancies arise until all places are filled |
** An application with a change of group preference after 30 June will be placed on the bottom of the wait list for the group of the updated first preference. Top
Selection Criteria
Kindergarten places are allocated according to the DET Kindergarten Guide – Eligibility and Priority of Access Criteria, followed by the Davis Street Kindergarten selection criteria outlined below:
3 Year Old Selection Criteria
- Deferral from Davis Street Kindergarten from the previous year
- Children who have a sibling attending one of the Davis Street 4YO programs in the same year
- Children who have had a sibling attend Davis Street Kindergarten in the past 5 years (Kew/Kew East residents)
- Children who have had a sibling attend Davis Street Kindergarten in the past 5 years (any location)
- Closest kindergarten to home
- Resident of Kew/Kew East
All Three year old applications are then sorted according to date their application is received.
4 Year Old Selection Criteria
- Deferral from Davis Street Kindergarten from the previous year
- Child requiring a repeat 4YO kindergarten year, already at Davis Street Kindergarten
- Children currently attending the Davis Street 3YO program
- Children who have a sibling attending the Davis Street Kindergarten program in the same year
- Children who have had a sibling attend Davis Street Kindergarten in the past 5 years (Kew/Kew East residents).
- Children who have had a sibling attend Davis Street Kindergarten in the past 5 years (any location)
- Closest kindergarten to home
- Resident of Kew/Kew East
All Four year old applications are then sorted according to date their application is received.
Pre Prep Selection Criteria
Our PrePrep program is funded as a four year old kindergarten program. This program is open to all eligible 4YO kindergarten children. In particular our 4YO Pre-Prep program is a good option for children having a funded repeat year of four year old kindergarten, or for the older child who could go to school. For this reason, it is recommended (but not compulsory), that children have turned 4YO by 1 January of the kindergarten year. Children who are not 4 years old or have turned 4 just prior to starting may experience difficulties.
- Deferral from Davis Street Kindergarten from the previous year
- Child requiring a repeat 4YO kindergarten year, already at Davis Street Kindergarten
- Children currently attending the Davis Street 3YO program (it is recommended that children have turned 4 years old by 1 January of the kindergarten year)
- Children requiring a repeat 4YO kindergarten year (Kew/Kew East residents)
- Children requiring a repeat 4 YO kindergarten year (resident of the city of Boroondara)
- Children who have turned 4YO by 1 January of the kindergarten year
- Resident of Kew/Kew East
- Resident of the City of Boroondara
All Pre-Prep applications are then sorted according to date their application is received. Note: Proof of residential address may be required.
Kindergarten Eligibility
3 Year Old Kindergarten
Three year old kindergarten is self-funded and receives no government subsidy.
To attend three year old kindergarten your child must turn three prior to 30 April in the year of attendance. Children cannot commence at the kindergarten until they have turned three years of age. For example, if your child turns three on 15 April, then they can commence kindergarten on 15 April, not before.
For children born between January and April there is a growing trend to place them into three year old kindergarten the year they turn four. They will then get maximum benefit and enjoyment from both three and four year old kindergarten and this coincides with a later school entry age. If your child is born between January and April, it is advisable to consider your child’s suitability for three year old kindergarten before commencing the kindergarten year as a second year of 3 year old kindergarten can not be guaranteed due to very high demand for places. Additionally, funding for a repeat 4YO year is difficult to obtain.
4 Year Old Kindergarten
Four year old kindergarten is partially funded by the State Government and every child is entitled to one year of four year old kindergarten in Victoria.
To be eligible to attend four year old kindergarten your child must be four years of age by 30 April in the year of attendance at four year old kindergarten.
Accessing a second year of 4 year old kindergarten: to receive funding for a second year of four year old kindergarten, a child must exhibit at least two areas of developmental difficulties. The kindergarten teacher must lodge a ‘Declaration of eligibility for a second year of funded kindergarten’ with the DET by the end of Term Three in the year prior to the repeat year. Your kindergarten teacher may consult with the City of Boroondara Preschool Field Officer to discuss your child’s circumstances and eligibility for a second year of funded 4YO kindergarten. Please be aware that children born between January and April that are deemed ‘young’ will not be automatically granted funding for a second year of 4 year old kinder. All children need to be assessed as having at least two areas of developmental delay that are not age related.
Special Rights
Please indicate on our online enrolment application if your child has special rights as this allows our kindergarten to plan accordingly for your child.
Children with special rights are those whose development, in one or more of the following areas, needs specialist support – mobility, expressive and/or receptive communication, social behaviour, behavioural control, fine/gross motor skills, vision, hearing, selfcare and cognitive skills.
Upon acceptance of a place at Davis Street Kindergarten please provide the kindergarten teacher with as much information as possible regarding your child’s needs. This information enables the kindergarten to make additional arrangements if required.
Special Consideration
Separate documentation regarding any other special circumstances that you may feel are relevant to your child’s application should be attached to your online enrolment, or sent via email after you have sent your application.
(The personal information requested on the online application is being collected by Davis Street Kindergarten Inc. for Preschool Services in accordance with the Children’s Services Act 1996 and the Children’s Services Regulations 1998, to process all enrolment applications for Davis Street Kindergarten Inc. The personal information will be used by Davis Street Kindergarten for that primary purpose or directly related purposes. Davis Street Kindergarten may disclose this information to its Parent Committee of Management.)
