Enrolment

Everyone is welcome at Ripponlea Kindergarten. You do not need to live in a particular area to apply.

Book a tour

We invite you to join us for a tour. Please complete the registration form to make a booking.

Waiting list

We manage our own waitlist. Families no longer need to apply to the City of Glen Eira to get a spot.  While we review every name on our waiting list, registering your child's name does not guarantee you a place.

We are currently accepting applications for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

How to apply

  1. Complete the waiting list form.
  2. Pay the $40 administration fee. 
  3. If you haven't already, contact us to book a tour.

You are exempt from paying the administration fee if your child is in a priority group.

Go to waiting list

Enrolment cycle

In May each year, we hold our annual Open Day and ask current families in our 3-year-old groups if they will continue into 4-year-old kinder the next year. This allows us to determine the number of places we will have available.

First-round offers are emailed before the end of June and any places declined are offered to the next family on the waiting list.


Starting age

3-year-old kinder

You can apply for kinder if your child is turning 3 by 30 April. To actually start kinder, your child must have turned 3.

4-year-old kinder

Your child can start kinder if they are turning 4 by 30 April.

Priority of access

We follow the Ripponlea Kindergarten Enrolment Policy when offering places at our kinder.

If we have more applicants than places available, we:

  • identify high-priority children based on Victoria Government criteria
  • work with other kindergarten services and the regional Department of Education office, when required, to ensure all eligible children have access to a kindergarten place.

Once all high-priority children have been identified, we give priority of access to:

  • siblings of children currently at Ripponlea Kinder, or siblings of children who have attended Ripponlea Kinder in the past
  • children turning 6-years-old at kindergarten (and who have an exemption).

Beyond these criteria, we allocate places according to date order on our waiting lists.

High-priority children

We use the following Victoria Government criteria when prioritising enrolments:

  • Children at risk of abuse or neglect, including children in Out-of-Home Care

  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children

  • Asylum seeker and refugee children

  • Children eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy

  • Children with additional needs who:

  • have been assessed as having delays in 2 or more areas and are declared eligible for a second funded year of kindergarten or
  • hold a Child Disability Health Care Card or
  • have previously been approved for Kindergarten Inclusion Support Package or 
  • have been referred by the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Early Childhood Intervention Service, Preschool Field Officer, or Maternal and Child Health nurse.

Fees

We participate in the Victoria Government's Free Kinder initiative, which means there are no compulsory fees or expenses to attend Ripponlea Kindergarten.

While we are grateful for the funding provided by the Victoria Government, it is not sufficient to cover the full cost of our high-quality programs. Each term there is a funding gap for each child.

We meet the balance of costs through voluntary contributions and fundraising activities. Voluntary contributions are completely optional, but they help us to cover costs so we can deliver our programs at the right standard.

Voluntary contribution requests are sent at the beginning of each term. For 2025, we requested $250 per term.