A Goodstart for preschool is a great start to school

Preschool in the Northern Territory 

Preschool hours in the Northern Territory (NT) are 15 hours per week. How each preschool structures these hours is their choice. Some will set morning or afternoon half-day sessions. Others opt for full days and a half day. Contact your preferred preschool or your nearest Goodstart to find out their hours. If you already have a child at Goodstart child care, they can stay and do our preschool program when they turn four if space is available in the class. 

Preschool funding for NT families in 2024 

The NT Government advises they'll fund access to a quality preschool program in the year before your child starts school. The funding means an early childhood teacher (ECT) works with children at least 15 hours a week for 40 weeks or 600 hours a year. This might be in a preschool, child care centre or other early learning setting. 

This fee reduction is in addition to your child care subsidy (CCS). If your child attends a long day care (LDC) preschool program, there are out-of-pocket fees for anything after the free 600 hours have been used. But don't worry. This is when your CCS kicks in to reduce the additional fees, and we can help you work those out with our super handy CCS calculator. 

When can my child start preschool? 

If your child turns four after 30 June, they can start preschool on or after their fourth birthday if preschool places are available. Your child will do the rest of the year in preschool, then re-enrol the following year. Even though preschool and transition (their first year of formal schooling) aren't compulsory in the NT, children should do at least a year before starting transition. 

Three-year-old preschool 

The NT Government is trialling three-year-old preschools across six schools. The program allows families to further engage their children in early childhood education and care (ECEC). This boosts their physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills and lays the foundations for lifelong learning. Any preschool hours you need outside of those, we'd be happy to help with! 

Your child can attend preschool from age three if you live in a very remote area. You'll need to accompany them and remain with them at each session until they're three years and six months. In remote communities, children are already enrolled in preschool for 15 hours a week from age three. If you live in a remote NT community, have a chat to our family services team to see if these hours apply to your preschooler. 

LDC and school-based preschool programs: What's the difference? 

At Goodstart, we're a long day care (LDC) program provider. We operate five days a week, 52 weeks a year, except on public holidays. We also offer government-approved preschool programs and undergo the same rigorous approval process as government preschools. Government approval means every Goodstart preschool program needs to: 

• deliver a quality early childhood education program to children aged three and above
• have the program delivered by a bachelor-qualified early childhood teacher (ECT) as per the National Quality Framework (NQF)
• use the Early Years Learning Framework. 

Our programs meet these criteria and run during LDC hours. Your child gets extra preschool enrichment led by bachelor-qualified professionals over and above 600 free hours all year round. 

The benefits of attending our LDC preschool program 

We know we're not free, and government preschool is great if your lives fit around preschool hours and add-on days outside of these. But there are a lot of families that struggle with that. A Goodstart preschool program means:

• your child and your family's routines stay the same from childcare into preschool
•  your preschooler stays in one centre all day every week until they start reception 
• your child can form deep connections with their educators (and their educators with them) 
• there's consistency and the security that comes with that (for everyone!). 

Our LDC preschool program is excellent if your child (or you!) isn't a fan of change and transitions. 

Enrol at Goodstart for your out-of-hours days 

If an LDC preschool program isn't an option (we get it!), you can enrol your child in a Goodstart preschool program on the days they can't attend their government preschool. This way, your child can attend preschool at Goodstart on days that aren't covered at your government preschool. 

Your CCS will discount any out-of-pocket fees paid outside your free government preschool hours. 

Play-based is the best early learning approach  

Research shows access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) benefits children throughout their school years. The research also supports a play-based learning approach in early years education. Children who access quality, play-based ECEC are more likely to: 

• develop stronger social skills 
• participate as part of a group 
• transition easily into school 
• stay longer in school. 

Guided by our bachelor-qualified early years teachers, your child will learn critical thinking skills and problem-solving work as part of a team  — all great skills for school and life!  

Choose sessions that work for you  

We provide flexibility and convenience for busy families with:

• longer opening hours, Monday to Friday 
• nine-hour, 10-hour and all-day sessions
• our preschool programs in a long day care (LDC) format. 

Choosing an LDC format for preschool means your child's early learning goes beyond the five hours a day they'd get if they attended a public preschool. Government preschools have four terms and operate during school hours. At Goodstart preschools, you can drop your preschooler on your way to work and pick them up on your way home, just like you've always done. Plus, you don't need to max out your annual leave during school holidays so your child can attend preschool. This means you can keep some cheeky leave days aside, just for you... 

We'll support your child's individual learning journey 

• We'll meet them where they are developmentally. 
• We assess and review their progress throughout the years leading to formal school and ensure everything is on track. 
• We explore their passions with them so they feel seen and valued. We offer extra educational support if it's needed. 

At Goodstart, we appreciate your child for who they are and where they're going. 

Everyone's welcome! 

Inclusion is everything to us. Every child deserves to feel seen and valued for who they are. We work hard to create environments and support networks to welcome all children and their families to our centres. We take reconciliation seriously, walking with our families, children, and communities on this journey.  

Save your preschool spot for next year! 

We hope you're excited by what we can offer your family in this exciting early learning stage. We'll give your child the best possible start to formal education by giving them a lifelong love of learning.