Preschool in the Northern Territory

Preschool and OSHC in the NT 

On this page: 

Preschool funding 

LDC vs public preschool 

Benefits of LDC preschool

Preschool ages 

Three-year-old preschool

Enrol for extra days and OSHC

Play-based learning and the EYLF 

Flexible sessions 

Tailored preschool programs 

Smooth school transition 

Inclusive learning

Enrol for 2025! 

Preschool funding for NT families  

The NT government provides preschool funding for up to 15 hours per week for each eligible child. You can access more preschool hours at a long day care (LDC) preschool, and your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) will cover these hours. At Goodstart, our preschools are government approved and our hours are much longer because we're a LDC preschool provider. 

To receive government funding for preschool, we need to provide the following: 

• Enough resources to deliver a quality early childhood education program to children aged three and above.
• A preschool or early childhood teacher (ECT) with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education designs and delivers the program. 

This funding is given to your preschool provider. 

LDC vs public 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 strict approval process as public preschools. 

A preschool must do the following to get government approval:  

• Deliver a quality early childhood education program to children aged three and above.
• A preschool teacher (ECT) with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education designs and delivers the program. 
• The program must be play-based and follow the Early Years Learning Framework. 

Our programs meet these criteria and run during extended LDC hours. This means your child gets extra preschool enrichment led by an ECT all year round. 

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 the add-on days outside of these. But a lot of families struggle with that.

Here are the benefits of enrolling at an LDC preschool: 

• Your family's routines stay the same from childcare into preschool. 
• Our extended hours fit around your work and life commitments.
• Your preschooler stays in one centre all day, every week until they start transition.  
• Your child can form deep connections with their educators (and their educators with them). 
• The security that comes with consistency and the opportunity for your child to grow another year in a learning environment where they feel safe. 

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

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 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 of preschool before starting transition. 

Three-year-old preschool

The NT Government is still trialling three-year-old preschools across some schools. The program allows families to engage their children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) for at least two years before they start school.

This boosts their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills, helping them transition smoothly into school. We can provide any preschool hours you need outside of those.

Your child can attend preschool from age three if you live in a 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 automatically enrolled in preschool for 15 hours a week from age three. 

If you live in a remote NT community, have a chat with our family services team to see if these hours apply to your preschooler. 

Enrol at Goodstart for your extra days and outside school care hours (OSHC)

If an LDC preschool program isn't an option, 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 Goodstart on days not covered at your government preschool. 

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

Play-based learning that's government-approved

Our preschool programs follow the Australian Early Years Learning Framework or EYLF. The EYLF is play-based and supports children to grow the following skills in preparation for their transition to school:

• Social skills, like making friends and respecting others.
• Participation in groups and learning to take turns.
• Emotional regulation and naming how they feel.
• Empathy, like reading and understanding the feelings of others.
• Communication skills, like saying what they need without getting frustrated.

It's easy to see play-based learning as 'just having fun'. But it's important to remember that it's not 'just playing'. Children learn through play. You can read more about play-based learning and the EYLF.

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 are in 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 went to a public preschool. Public preschools have four terms and operate during school hours. This is great if you've got the flexibility to work around school hours and can take school holidays off. But this isn’t possible for most families. 

At Goodstart preschools, you can drop them off on your way to work and pick them up on your way home. If you’ve got more than one child in care, this means there’s only one pickup and drop off, too. You don't need to max out your annual leave to take off school holidays, either.  

We'll support your child's unique learning journey 

• We'll meet them where they are developmentally. 
• We assess and review their progress throughout the years leading up to kindergarten 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. 

Our programs are designed to ease confidently into transition

Getting a child ready for transition is a team effort. We'll work with you and their future school to make the move seamless and fun. We use Transition to School Statements to communicate to schools about your child, who they are and how they learn. These documents are carried with them from preschool to school. It helps their new teacher prepare for the best possible year ahead. We often have school transition activities with local schools throughout the preschool year, so your child feels comfy on their first day. 

We offer inclusive learning environments   

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 that 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 we’re a good fit for you and your family in this exciting early learning stage. If you'd like to know how we can support your child from preschool to transition, call our Family Services team or book a tour of your local Goodstart Early Learning below.