Preschools in Lower North Shore Sydney

[Alessia1]

Hi Everyone

we are due to move to Sydney in a few months from South Africa. I am looking at good preschools (pre Kinder) particularly in the lower north shore area of Sydney.

i desperately need to mirror what my daughter has had in South Africa and ensure we find her somewhere that will be able to offer her 5 days a week of preschool as that is what she has been doing for a few years now. She is 4 and a half and hence this is her final year before Kinder.

Any suggestions would be most grateful

Thanks

[rozellem]

Alessia, pre school here does not work like pre school in RSA regarding their days and times. Here, a straight forward pre school is 2 days a week around (8:30 to 3:30) for 3 year olds and the same centre would do 3 days a week (same hours) for the 4 year olds. In Sydney, these pre schools (google KU pre schools), come to about $60 a day, with you providing the packed food yourself. If you have your heart set on pre school for 5 days a week, and you have a full time job, you would have to start looking (and putting your name down asap) for "long day daycare, with a pre school program". Expect to pay $130ish in Sydney. http://www.careforkids.com.au/ Look on this site and disregard their vacancies/non vacancies stated and email the centres yourself to confirm.

[monsta]

Hey,

You will need to apply asap. On the north shore parents book their kid in once they fall pregnant.

You also need to understand that with the childcare rates what they are and the subsidies being capped, most parents only send their child 3 days a week. So, you might be forced to sign up for 2 or 3 days a week and wait till more spaces are available.

Second of all, take a good look at Google maps. Sydney is like JHB in that going through a particularly busy intersection may take 10 minutes in peak traffic. The lower north shore is particularly bad.

You may be stuck taking a 40 minute drive to drop your child at his/her Early Learning Centre.

Anywhere near North Sydney, St Lenards or Chatswood is going to be really bad. I would also factor in extra time if you travel on Military Road, Epping Road, Victoria Road or Lane Cove Road. Yep, that's pretty much all major roads. When I say extra time, take the normal drive time Google gives you and 3x it.

You might just have to pick a school with a vacancy, put up with the traffic for a while until you can move your child closer to home or work.

Edited June 2, 2015 by monsta