Establishing a State Delivered Kindergarten procedure
Audience
Department-wide
Purpose
This procedure outlines the responsibilities and processes for the establishment of State Delivered Kindergarten (SDK) at a state school.
Overview
The Department of Education (the department) is the provider of kindergarten where there is market failure, unique challenges experienced by families in accessing kindergarten or non-viability in geographically isolated communities.
This procedure sets out the mandatory administrative and operational processes required to support the approval and establishment of SDK at a school. The decision points and practical steps vary depending on two key SDK eligibility criteria. State Delivered Kindergarten is offered in schools located at least 40 kilometres by road from the nearest approved kindergarten (distance criterion), in a selected, discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community or other selected communities where there have been barriers to accessing kindergarten (access criterion).
The Queensland Government (acting through the department) is the Approved Provider of SDKs regulated by the Education and Care Services National Law 2010 (National Law), as part of the National Quality Framework. The department is also the Provider for the purposes of SDK delivered under the
Education and Care Services Act 2013 (Qld) (ECS Act).
This procedure should be read in conjunction with the:
Responsibilities
Deputy Director-General, Early Childhood, Regulation and Communication Division
- delegate Executive Directors and Directors to co-lead community and sector consultation to determine the need for SDK
- provide endorsement when seeking Ministerial approval to establish SDK at a state school
- approve funding to assist regions to provide support to principals to meet legislative obligations and deliver SDK.
Regional Directors
- with regional Early Childhood and SDK teams, facilitate internal and community consultation to determine the need for SDK
- provide advice on the suitability of school environments for the younger kindergarten cohort
- direct regional resources required to support principals and school staff to deliver a kindergarten program
- lead and supervise all schools delivering SDK under the National Law in their region as the representative of the Approved Provider.
Executive Director Early Childhood, Regulation and Communication Division
- liaise with Regional Directors to support monitoring and collection of kindergarten participation data and identify unique issues for children accessing kindergarten in a local community
- support the regions to either lead or co-lead school, community and sector consultation.
Directors Partnerships and Programs
- lead or co-lead school, community and sector consultation
- assist Regional Senior Advisors, SDK, to provide support to all SDKs in their region.
Regional Senior Advisors SDK
- report to Regional Directors any local issues and emergent trends pertaining to SDK compliance with the National Law
- provide operational support to the Regional Director and principals delivering SDK in their region
- deliver induction and ongoing training to new principals and new regional leaders to build their capability in the context of SDK.
Principals
- share information with the school community regarding the schools' eligibility for SDK under the distance criterion and prescription process
- participate in community consultation to determine the need for kindergarten and hours of program delivery
- liaise with Regional Senior Advisor SDK to meet legislative obligations
- liaise with Regional Senior Advisor SDK and Infrastructure Services Division representatives to determine any required changes to school facilities to support children's safety when establishing an SDK
- make local decisions that support the leadership, supervision, teaching and learning in their school, including the delivery of SDK.
Process
Step 1 – Kindergarten access issues identified
The eligibility for schools to deliver SDK is first assessed on the criteria of distance or barriers to access.
The eligibility for schools to deliver SDK under the distance criterion, includes:
- Regional regulatory team receives written notification from a service provider of their intention to cease delivery of an approved kindergarten program, and notifies the Director, Partnerships and Programs
- ECRC staff assess nearby schools to decide on a school's eligibility for SDK delivery under distance criterion of being located at least 40 kilometres by road from the nearest approved kindergarten program
- Regions discuss with relevant school principals regarding the schools' eligibility for SDK and prescription process and support information sharing with the school community.
The eligibility for schools to deliver SDK under the community access criterion, includes:
- ECRC liaises with regional offices on an ongoing basis to collect and monitor kindergarten participation data and identify unique issues for children accessing kindergarten in a local community
- Regions and ECRC analyse a range of school and community data, including:
- enrolment numbers
- Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) rating
- participation data
- Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data
- percentage of children and families identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- history of local early childhood services
- distance from the school to the nearest kindergarten program provider
- predicted impact to viability of existing services and community
- opportunities for implementing bespoke delivery models to improve access to kindergarten
- The Regional Director makes a formal submission to ECRC identifying unique community access issues and data considerations
- The Deputy Director-General, Early Childhood, Regulation and Communication (DDG ECRC) decides whether to enter the consultation phase based on:
- the outcome of data analysis
- review of the submission
- discussions with regional leadership teams.
- The DDG ECRC delegates appropriate staff to manage the consultation phase and documentation.
Step 2 – Information sharing or consultation
Information sharing under the 'distance criterion' includes:
- ECRC liaises with the regional Partnerships and Programs Director and Regional Director to delegate communication of the prescription process to the Principal.
Consultation under the community access criterion, includes:
- ECRC liaises with the regional leadership team to determine consultation process
- Regional leadership teams liaise with the Principal to conduct community consultation
- Feedback from consultation is collated by the regional Partnerships and Programs Director and progressed to ECRC
- The DDG ECRC reviews feedback and decides whether to progress a recommendation for SDK to the Minister.
Step 3 – Approvals and prescription
Ministerial approval is required for a school to deliver kindergarten.
- ECRC:
- seeks Ministerial approval for SDK to be established at the school
- arranges for the school to be prescribed to deliver kindergarten under the Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017.
- Once prescribed, ECRC instructs the region to notify the school of their approval to deliver kindergarten.
- The Principal advises the school community that the school is approved to deliver a kindergarten program in either a composite class setting (may be referred to as multi-age class) or a non-composite setting.
Step 4 – Preparation for delivery
Following prescription, the Principal, supported by the Regional Senior Advisor SDK:
- consults with the school community to determine kindergarten operating hours that meet the requirement of providing 600 hours per school year
- commences accepting registrations for eligible kindergarten-age children using the approved kindergarten registration form
- initiates a review of school facilities with departmental representatives and regional support staff to identify any minor works required to ensure suitability for the younger cohort and accessibility for children and families with disability
- prepares to meet all legislative and regulatory obligations for the chosen delivery model, with guidance from regional support staff
- completes the SDK induction program and ensures all school staff complete the required nationally mandated documents
- engages with families to communicate confirmed SDK operating hours and key service information
- establishes and prepares the kindergarten learning environment, supported by regional staff.
Regional SDK staff:
- liaise with ECRC to support the establishment of SDK at the school.
- support the principal to meet legislative and regulatory obligations, including preparing and submitting a service approval application (if required) and preparing for site visits by the Regulatory Authority and/or departmental representatives
- assist the principal in reviewing school facilities to confirm suitability for kindergarten-aged children and ensure disability access for all children and families
- deliver the SDK induction program for school-based staff, including all nationally required documents.
- provide guidance to help the school establish connections with local Early Childhood Development Programs and state-wide/regional multidisciplinary specialist supports to ensure equitable access for children with disabilities or diverse learning needs
- request SDK SharePoint access for school staff and support the preparation and organisation of nationally required documentation
- support the principal to make reasonable adjustments to enable children with additional needs to participate meaningfully in kindergarten.
Definitions
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Term
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Definition
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Approved provider
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A person/entity who holds a provider approval (National Law). A provider approval authorises a person to apply for one or more service approvals and is valid in all jurisdictions. The State of Queensland (Acting through the Department of Education) is the Approved Provider for SDK.
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Composite class setting
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Integrated delivery of kindergarten in a classroom where full‑time education is being delivered to school children.
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Kindergarten
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A part-time early childhood educational program for children in the year before Prep.
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Kindergarten child
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A child who will be 4 years old by 30 June in the year proposed for the child’s participation in SDK.
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Non-composite class setting
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Delivery of a kindergarten program in a purpose-built kindergarten building/classroom established to accommodate kindergarten children only.
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National Quality Framework
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National system for regulating early learning and school age care. The framework consists of the National Law, National Regulations, National Quality Standard, approved learning frameworks and assessment and rating conducted by the Regulatory Authority.
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National Quality Standard
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The NQS sets a national benchmark for the quality of education and care services and includes seven quality areas that are important to positive outcomes for children.
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Prescribed state school
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As per section 419A of the
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) (EGPA), a prescribed school is:
- a state school that, immediately before the commencement of section 419A in 2009, was providing a program:
- focused on literacy and numeracy to prepare a child for education in the preparatory year; and
- approved by the Minister for the school; or
- a state school prescribed under a regulation.
The EGPA provides the Minister may approve a program focused on literacy and numeracy for preparing a child for education in the preparatory year, to be a kindergarten learning program for a prescribed state school. In order for a state school to commence delivery of a kindergarten learning program, it must be prescribed in a regulation.
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State Delivered Kindergarten (SDK)
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The program under which prescribed schools operate face-to-face kindergarten in either a composite or non-composite class setting.
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Legislation
Delegations/Authorisations
Other resources
Superseded versions
Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.
1.0 Establishing a State Delivered Kindergarten