Preschool

Why choose our public preschool?

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

Choosing a public preschool means choosing high-quality, inclusive early education built on fairness, strong values and professional expertise. At Whalan Public School Preschool, we offer a warm, nurturing and play-based program guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and our philosophy of respect, equity, wellbeing and connection.

Our experienced educators value each child’s culture, strengths and interests, creating a safe and engaging environment where every child is known, valued and cared for as they grow into confident and proud learners. We honour and embed Aboriginal perspectives throughout our program, recognising and respecting that we learn and play on Dharug land. Our purposeful learning spaces, sustainability practices and culturally responsive teaching foster curiosity, independence and a love of learning. Through a play-based program that naturally weaves early literacy and numeracy into hands-on experiences, children build strong foundations while exploring and discovering.

As part of Whalan Public School, we offer strong transition-to-school practices and a seamless connection to the P–6 community, helping children feel confident and ready for their next steps. Whalan Public School Preschool is a welcoming, inclusive and inspiring place where children build confidence, form friendships and develop the foundations for future success.

Preschool days and hours

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

Kookaburras - Five days
Possums - Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Semester 1 and Monday & Tuesday Semester 2
Flying Foxes - Thursday & Friday Semester 1 and Wednesday, Thursday & Friday Semester 2

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.
Whalan Public School Preschool recognises the importance of healthy eating in the growth and development of young children and is committed to supporting the healthy food and drink choices of children in our care. This procedure guides educators in the provision of healthy food and drink while children are in care and the promotion of normal growth and development.

Communications

Whalan Public School Preschool uses Seesaw as our secure online communication platform to connect families with their child’s learning. Seesaw allows us to share meaningful learning stories, photos, videos and class updates so you can stay informed and engaged in your child’s preschool journey.

Each child has their own private Seesaw journal that families can access using a unique, secure code. Only parents and guardians with this code can view their child’s profile, ensuring that your child’s learning remains safe and protected.

Seesaw helps educators, children and families to:

build a deeper understanding of each child’s interests, strengths and learning
strengthen communication and partnerships between home and preschool
share learning stories, photos, videos and reflections that capture your child’s experiences
create an ongoing digital portfolio of your child’s learning
provide families with real-time snapshots of learning throughout the week
capture family culture, celebrations and special events when families choose to contribute
support children’s involvement in documenting their learning
send and receive messages between educators and families
share important updates, reminders, events and local procedures quickly and effectively.

Families are encouraged to respond to posts by liking or commenting, helping to build a strong partnership in each child’s learning. You may also choose to upload photos or special family moments to your child’s journal to share with the teaching team.

Cyber Safety and Privacy

We take cyber safety seriously. Our use of Seesaw is guided by departmental and local procedures that support safe and responsible use of digital technologies and online environments. This includes how photos and digital media are taken, shared and stored.

Seesaw is a secure, password-protected platform. Content added to Seesaw is only visible to your child’s educators and the family members you choose to provide access to. No personal information is shared with third parties.

Early Years Learning Framework

At Whalan Public School Preschool, our curriculum is guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This national framework shapes everything we do, ensuring our program is meaningful, engaging and responsive to the needs, strengths and interests of every child.

The EYLF supports us to recognise each child as a capable and competent learner. We build on their prior knowledge, value the cultural and family experiences they bring, and create learning opportunities that foster deep thinking, curiosity and joy.

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to:

support each child’s sense of belonging, being and becoming
reflect children’s interests, voices and ideas
embed your child’s cultural identity, strengths and abilities
recognise and include families as partners in learning
promote play-based, hands-on experiences that lead to deep learning
foster independence, resilience and a love of learning
nurture children’s wellbeing, safety and positive relationships
provide equitable, inclusive learning opportunities for all children.

Whalan Public School Preschool has received a National Quality Standard (NQS) rating of Exceeding NQS under the National Quality Framework, and had its most recent NQS review, assessment and rating given by ACECQA on 01 August 2023.