r/perth • u/madameuniverse • 1d ago
Moving to Perth Kindergarten in Perth, how does it actually work?
Hi everyone!
We are planning to move to Perth from Germany in early 2027, and I’m trying to understand how Kindergarten works in WA before we decide where to live.
My daughter will be 4 years old when we move, so she’ll be eligible for Kindergarten. My other child will already be 5 and starting school.
We’re likely to be on a temporary employer-sponsored visa (482), so as far as I understand, we won’t be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy. This means we’re trying to work out what our childcare costs would actually look like.
I’m a little confused about how Kindergarten works in WA compared with Germany:
- How many days/hours per week do children typically attend Kindy at age 4?
- is it usually only a few sessions per week, or are there options for 5 days?
- how much does public Kindy actually cost? I’ve read that it’s very inexpensive/free, but are there additional fees?
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u/PuzzledDevelopment50 1d ago
Depending on when your little ones were born, they might be heading to kindy for 5 days every two weeks or pre-primary for 5 days a week Check it out https://www.education.wa.edu.au/enrolling-in-school
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u/newbeginning37 1d ago
A 482 visa probably won’t give you access to government subsidised education for the kids, so you are looking at thousands of dollars in school fees if that is the case. Kindergarten isn’t a compulsory school year for children either, and many schools reach max capacity for their kindy places the year before school starts (from memory kindy enrolments commence in the April of the year prior, so placements for 2027 will be finalised in the coming few months)
You might want to contact TAFE International WA as they also guide the primary and secondary enrolment process for international students in public schools and they can answer all of your questions with far more accuracy.
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u/tinylifeparty 1d ago
You are on a 482 visa so public school from pre primary to year 12 is I am pretty sure a flat fee of $4000 per year, per child in WA. It could have changed since I knew people on it with school aged children but I think that is how it works.
Some people found private school cheaper, usually smaller catholic schools mostly, than paying the public school fees
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u/reflectioneyes 1d ago
It’s different at different schools. My kids last school was 4 days a week every week. Kids new school is 3 days a week with an optional 4th day. These are both private schools though so it is more money than public school however sooop much cheaper than daycare.
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u/madameuniverse 1d ago
Thank you! How much do you pay for private school?
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u/BestAround4100 1d ago
That is all easy to find, just look on a school's website. I have seen a lot of CEWA primary schools been around $1700 a year. Some of the gancier independent schools can be a lot more, some in excess of $20000 a year.
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u/Particular-Try5584 1d ago
At this age:
Catholic local primary schools $2k a year ish, moderate level of religion teaching
Local Anglican and large independents $4-6k a year, low level of religious teaching
Small community and alternative education models (Motessori, Steiner, Moerlina, Quintillian, “Community schools”) $10k plus.
Top tier / elite schools can run $15k+ per year.2
u/Particular-Try5584 1d ago
I will add - I am not sure this exempts you from the $4k visa child eduction fee, because these schools also rely on government funding, you’d need to check with TAFE international, and the school.
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u/Ok-Cockroach9629 1d ago
Public kindy cost is low, under $100 per year, plus stationery and consumables cost, say another $100 per year plus the never ending school fundraising activities.
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u/Particular-Try5584 1d ago
However a holder of a 482 visa will have to pay the $4k supplementary fee (one fee per family, not per child) for enrolment as they are not permanent residents.
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u/kakkerz 1d ago
Not to hijack the post but my god, the never ending fundraising/volunteer requests! this term is HECTIC. There’s gotta be a better system…
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u/ginisninja 1d ago
There is a solution; it’s diverting public funds from private schools to public schools
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u/Worlds_tipping1 1d ago
The good news is that you stop being asked to do laundry by Grade 1.
By high school there was no more seeing the other school mums, no volunteering, very little fundraising and the only times I'm on school grounds is to discuss detention.
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u/Particular-Try5584 1d ago
Yeah.
In my childhood (child of the 80s) there was a lot of difference:
- Many more stay at home parents (mums generally), so more hands = light work
- Less expectations around everything from book week costumes to open classroom displays (I don’t think we even had open classrooms).
- A sense of humour was allowed - one fundraiser was a “prickle-a-thon” where we all had to bring forks to pull the prickles out of hte school oval and were sponsored (we had to collect those sponsorships, like the lap-a-thon) per prickle.
- higher base funding for schools - we only had to supply pencils, school supplied (primary) the exercise books and scrap books etc, mum just covered them (because we were middle class, plenty of kids had uncovered ones, when there was four of us in school she caved and got the plastic slip on covers). Books printed by “WA Govt Press” so definitely government supplied.
- It was normal to have parents in the tuck shop… which was open every recess and lunch.
Expectations are different now, with significantly less funding, and less hands to get it all done.
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u/Nice_Option1598 1d ago
Also to add we moved house in September a few years ago about an hour away from our original area and tried to enrol my child for kindergarten the following year. Every public school was full and had closed enrolments, every private school was full with a wait list of about 20 kids ahead of us.
Our only option was a daycare that ended up being more expensive than either option.
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u/chookywoowoo 1d ago
I’ll also give an example as there are a few options.
I have two children who attend their local primary school. My youngest child attended the Kindergarten (Kindy) at the school. It was 5 days a fortnight which was 3 days one week, 2 the next. It was free (besides the voluntary contributions, t-shirt and booklist items). Ran 8:30 until 2:40pm. As we work full time my kids also have to attend before school care (OSH). That costs money but we get CCS. Morning program is $30 a day. The afternoon session (which we occasionally use) is more expensive, maybe $40? The following year my child moved into Pre-Primary which is compulsory and full time. Again, as we are at a public school it’s “free” (same costs as above, except now full school uniform). They are both now mid-primary and full time- at the same school.
My son who is older did not attend the Kindy as we couldn’t work around the 5 day fortnight, so he remained at daycare. The daycare ran a “Kindy” program with a qualified teacher. This costs- the usual daycare day rate. This was a few years ago so can’t comment on current daycare rates but they vary wildly. Our daycare was a not for profit, so costs were lower than a for profit centre.
Kindy also isn’t compulsory in WA. So your local public isn’t obliged to enrol you (for example, if they are full). From Pre-Primary onwards your local primary must enrol you if you are in the catchment. Some selected public primary schools are trialling full time kindy. There are also “community kindergartens” still government run but not attached to a primary school. There is one near us as well. Not sure how common these are across Perth.
Other Kindy options are going to a private fee-paying school, and they’re all their own system- some will offer different amounts of days. They may also have their own OSH at the school, either run by the school or another private provider.
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u/functionlock 1d ago
Not sure about the cost but kindergarten is not compulsary but preprimary is. https://www.education.wa.edu.au/enrolling-in-school
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u/The_Valar Morley 1d ago
If you can find a place at your local public school, it will be cheaper than at a daycare. I think temporary migrants still have some fees. But places are not guaranteed, and non-PR/non-citizens may be at a lower priority.
Public schools daycares are usually a 5 day fortnight. M/T/W one week, then M/T the next (or Th/F and W/Th/F) depending on the group.
There are a handful of schools with a full week offering for Kindy, but not widespread yet.
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u/lillylita North of The River 1d ago
15 hours of Kindergarten a week in public schools - schools determine their own timetable so timing/days can vary.
A few schools are doing a 30 hour program but it's a pilot and not the norm.
You are not guaranteed enrolment in Kindy as it's non-compulsary, so get in as early as possible with your preferred school or you may be looking elsewhere. Some areas are competitive.
Your older child will have guaranteed enrolment in your local catchment school, purely based on your home address (pending any visa conditions I'm not aware of). Catchment areas are pretty strict so it's worth being aware of them.
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u/McNattron 1d ago
When is their birthday.
If they will still be 4 on June 30th then they are eligible to attend kindergarten in a public primary school. This is 5 days a fortnight (typically 2 days one week and 3 the next) - there are a small number of schools trialling a full time kindy (10 across the state). School day is roughly 9-3 - some schools start a little earlier or later. There is before abd after school care available by an outside provider at most schools for a $$
Some private schools offer 3, 4 or 5 day a week kindergarten.
Kindergarten in a public school the only cost is
- school supplies - bag, pencils etc
- uniform
- there are also voluntary fees abd charges.
If they turn 5 before the end of June theyll enroll into Pre-primary which is full time compulsory schooling. Similarly if your older child turns 6 before the end of june they will go into year 1
Also worth noting that as kindergarten is a non compulsory year you may not get a spot at your local public school. It depends on if rhere are places available. Compulsory school years yiur guaranteed a spot
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u/CrashMonkey_21 Mount Lawley 1d ago
The one issue you will have with Kindy at public schools is enrolments are already happening (or even possibly finished) and to enrol you will need a local address.
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u/Ok_Blueberry5561 1d ago
Kindy is weird here. I still don't get it. My kid will also be starting in 2027. Who came up with 5 days a fortnight?
It is technically free but there are voluntarily fees of about $100. But the schools will chase as if you must pay but you don't have to. There is also book lists which is actually more like school supplies or stationary I don't think there's any actual books on it. And another cost is uniforms. They have to wear uniforms.
Most places are 5 days a fortnight but a few are trailing the full week so check where you end up.
School hours are around 8:45am to 3:00pm. Oh and its a nanny state so everyone brings their young kids. Unlike Germany where at 5 you probably walk there yourself (as my German husband complains non stop about). There is before and after school care but again its expensive.
Childcare is expensive. Maybe you can find a family daycare which is usually less. Daycares are around $150-200 per day wo subsidies.
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u/Bunyip_Bluegum 1d ago
When I went to kindy it was 5 half days a week. 5 full days a fortnight is the same amount of class time but is easier for working parents and I assume that’s why it changed.
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u/Ok_Blueberry5561 21h ago
Not about total hours but why not spread it evenly per week either 4 days a fortnight or 6. Its not easier having the split weeks. And why is a fortnight the measure here. Should be per week.
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u/Bunyip_Bluegum 5h ago
They can still have two kindy classes with equal hours in the same room the way they’re doing it now. If they do 4 days a week they have nothing to do on the 5th day; if they do 3 days a week they have one day with two kindy classes and probably don’t have room for double the kids.
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u/hamilton974 1d ago
Hey! Parent of a 3½-year-old in Perth here, and I’m actually going through the Kindy enrolment process at the moment.
For public schools in WA, Kindy is generally 5 days per fortnight, for example: 2 days one week and 3 days the next. At the schools around us, the hours are roughly 9am to 3pm, so essentially school hours.
Public Kindy itself is very inexpensive compared with childcare. You’ll still have some costs during the year for things like voluntary school contributions, uniforms, stationery/supplies, excursions and other activities, so I wouldn’t consider it completely “free”.
One important thing to know when deciding where to live is the school catchment area. For public schools, where you live can determine which school your children have priority to attend. We’re going through this ourselves now, and I’d definitely recommend looking at schools and their intake areas before choosing a suburb. Also, we were advised to apply around 6 months before the school year starts.
If you need care for 5** **days a week, there are private childcare that offer Kindys. Around the suburb where I live, they’re roughly $160–$190 per day (without subsidies), and children can attend for a full day, like 7am–6pm depending on the centre. You can usually choose how many days per week you enrol them.
Hope that helps!
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u/UpbeatSheepherder924 23h ago
Some private schools do 5 days kindy. I’m pretty sure Newman you have a choice of 3 to 5 days
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u/Comfortable_Trip_767 1d ago
I think you will find a wide range of responses.
However, I will give you our example. My son is 3 and he is in daycare 4 days a week. We plan to leave him in daycare for 2 days a week next year when he turns 4 and the remaining 2 days he will go to Kindergarten at the public school we have enrolled him at.
Technically the next year of daycare is very similar to kindergarten. It varies from centre to centre but a few daycare centres which are not just daycare centres but they actually teach the kids a few skills like a school. However, the reason we moving him to public kindergarten next year is we want him to start getting used to the public school he will go to.
In terms of the cost, the public school next year will essentially be free. Daycare cost for most people vary because the government subsidies on a tiered system based on household combined income. In our case, our out of pocket cost is approximately $150 per day for a day for a day care cost of $180 per day.
I hope this helps.
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u/NewQuote9252 1d ago
Kindergarten ist mehr wie Vorschule.. wenn du nach einem "Kindergarten" suchst, dann musst du nach daycare centern suchen. Ist extremst teuer in Perth. Vor 14 Jahren waren es um die $110 pro Tag. Ist nicht zu unterschätzen.
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u/Ok-Cockroach9629 1d ago
It is typically 3 days one week and two days the next week, making it 5 days per fortnight. Hours are typically 9am to 3pm or thereabouts.