Our Enrolment Process
1. Waiting Lists
At Lady Forster Kindergarten, the demand for kindergarten/program places generally exceeds supply, particularly with our Sessional Kindergarten Programs. To manage this, we have a ‘waiting list’ system for the following programs:
- 3 Year Old Sessional Kindergarten
- 4 Year Old Sessional Kindergarten
- Extended Hours Kindergarten
- Friday Care Program
We accept waiting list forms, 2 years in advance (for example, in January 2023 we will open our Waiting List for 2025 – accepting waiting list forms for both 2023, 2024 & 2025)
Please be aware this is NOT an enrolment or guarantee of a place at LFK! Completing and returning our Waiting List Form adds your child to our waiting lists by date order on the basis of the date we received your form.
There is a helpful ‘Guide for Prospective Families’ on our waiting list registration page – please read this before completing our online Waiting List Form.
2. The Enrolment Cycle
In mid-June each year, we hold our annual Open Day and also survey families in the current 3 Year Old Sessional Program to determine if they will continue with the Sessional Program the following year, or move into the Extended Hours Kindergarten Program. This allows us to determine the number of places we will have available to offer to our Waiting List families for the subsequent year.
First round offers are issued before the end of June and any places declined are offered to the next family on the waiting list.
3. Priority of Access to programs
The Lady Forster Kindergarten Enrolment Policy is issued to families when offered a place at our Kindergarten.
Commonwealth Government priority of access guidelines here.
State Government of Victoria priority of access guidelines here.
In instances where more eligible children apply for a place at our kindergarten than there are places available, we:
- prioritise children based on the government criteria listed above
- work with other local kindergarten services, the City of Port Phillip and the regional Department of Education office whenever required, to ensure all eligible children have access to a kindergarten place.
Once all Commonwealth and State Government priority of access guidelines are met, Lady Forster Kindergarten gives priority of access to siblings of children either currently attending LFK, or who have attended LFK in the past. Beyond these criteria, we allocate places in date order of entries on our waiting lists.
