Hundreds of families in the New England region are closer to fee-free early learning, with contracts awarded to deliver three new public preschools.
Each public preschool will be co-located with an existing public primary school, making drop-off and pick up easier for busy families and helping children transition into kindergarten with confidence.
“Access to preschool can be difficult for young families, particularly in regional areas, which is why we are delivering three new public preschools in the New England region.” said Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos.
“The Minns Labor Government made this historic commitment to deliver the biggest expansion in public preschools in NSW’s history because we strongly believe all children should have access to high-quality early education, no matter their postcode.”
Who are the lucky schools in the region? Warialda Public School, Toomelah Public School and Hillvue Public School have been chosen.
Once open, the three sites will cater for up to 200 local children a week.
“Our community is looking forward to having a public preschool on the same site as Toomelah Public School.” said Toomelah Public School Executive Principal Matt Jackman.
“It will support local families to access quality early childhood education, and we’re eager to see the facilities take shape once the contract is awarded later this year.”
Lipman Construction Pty Ltd will deliver the public preschools at Warialda and Hillvue public schools, with construction expected to begin later this year. Contracts for the public preschool at Toomelah Public School will be awarded later this year.
“The start of construction for our new preschool will be an exciting step forward for the Warialda community.” said Warialda Public School Principal Tracey Digby.
“A free preschool providing quality education on site will improve transition to school for our Kindergarten children, improve learning outcomes and offer convenience for parents.”
Doors will open for all three public preschools by early 2027.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our families across the Tamworth community.” said Hillvue Public School Principal Jayne Johnson.
“Our new preschool will provide greater access and support for our young children as they transition to Kindergarten. We are very excited to welcome our newest learners and support the beginning of their learning journey.”
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