The NSW Government’s Department of Education oversees public schools within NSW.
Every child in the state is entitled to enrol in a government school, provided:
- the child’s home is situated within the school’s designated intake area
- the child is eligible to attend.
Note: Designated areas for accepting enrolments do not apply to preschools.
Public preschools/kindergartens provide early education and care for children aged between 3 and 6. Some are licensed to take children as young as 2 years of age.
The majority of public preschools operate in line with the public primary and high school terms, but can have varying attendance patterns.
Most public preschools are community-based not-for-profit services. They employ professional teachers and educators who run their programs, and manage the preschool in collaboration with parents on the management committee.
Use the online tool to find public preschools or kindergartens that are stand alone or part of a school. You can search by location (state, region, suburb, town, or postcode).
A public preschool provides educational programs for children only for the year before they start kindergarten. The NSW government currently runs preschool classes in 100 government schools, predominantly catering for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The school year begins late-January/early-February. You can enrol your child at the beginning of the school year if they turn 4 on, or before, 31 July that year.
The NSW Department of Education website has a section on preschool enrolments with all the information you should require to enrol.
Note: Designated areas for accepting enrolments do not apply to preschools.
More information
- Enrolment application forms must be completed in English. Translations of the form are available if required.
Note: Commemorative birth certificates are not acceptable as identity documents. - Fees for preschool classes vary across the government schools and are set according to the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) value of the school.
- Applications for the next school year are taken from Term 2 onwards of the current school year.
If you're looking for a NSW public school close to your home, you can use the online School Finder tool to search by:
- level of schooling (primary or secondary)
- enrolment area
- individual school.
Depending on the information you enter, the tool will display your home address and local school enrolment area, on a map. You can then select a school icon and get general and specific information such as the school's contact details and transport routes.
By applying the filters available, you can also search for individual features such as:
- primary schools:
- outside school hours care
- opportunity classes.
- secondary schools:
- academically selective
- defined gender
- specialty, such as creative and performing arts, sports
- those with intensive English centres.
NSW government primary schools educate children from kindergarten to year 6, and the school year begins late-January/early-February.
Public schools are free to attend for Australian citizens and permanent residents.
You can enrol your child in kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5 on or before 31 July that year. They must be enrolled by their sixth birthday.
Schools can assist with enrolment inquiries throughout the year.
The NSW Department of Education has all the information you should require to enrol.
NSW government high schools educate children from year 7 to year 12, and the school year begins late-January/early-February.
Public schools are free to attend for Australian citizens and permanent residents.
The Year 6 to Year 7 transition expression of interest process takes place during Year 6.
Primary schools manage the annual Year 6 to 7 transition into high school process using the Department's online enrolment system.
High schools can assist with enrolment enquiries throughout the year.
The NSW Department of Education has all the information you should require to enrol.