All about Council kindergartens

It is free to register your interest for Council kindergartens.

Register and find out more

Kindergarten tours are drop-in sessions several times per year and provide an opportunity for families to visit the centres, meet with educators and explore the facilities, programs, and activities available.

Sessions are listed below as details are confirmed.

Multi-age Groups

Some of our kindergarten have mixed-aged groups which has long been acknowledged by education researchers as an invaluable pedagogical approach.

Children in multi-age groups will develop friendships and engage in learning just as they would in same-age settings. Multi-age groups create opportunities for peer support, leadership and developing social skills.

Multi-age groups benefits include:

• older children often gain valuable skills in helping, guiding, and teaching younger children
• more complex play opportunities can support language and social development
• teachers may follow a class across two years of kindergarten
• multi-age grouping can allow children from the same family who are close in age to attend early childhood education programs together, if appropriate, which may be convenient for families.

Rotational Groups

Our kindergartens also have rotational groups which means your child will be with the same core group of children on both of their kindergarten days. They will also share their kindergarten days with the other core groups from their rotation on alternate days.

As an example, if a child is in Wallaby 1 they will attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will always be with the same Wallaby 1 children. On Tuesdays they will be with children from Wallaby 2 and on Thursdays with Wallaby 3. Classroom sizes are limited to 33 children. 

Our Kindergarten Information Booklet(PDF, 2MB) provides all information on day-to-day kinder life including:

• Term dates
• Public holidays and child free days
• Contact details
• How to manage medical conditions
• Illness, immunisation and policies
• In the event of an emergency and more! 

This booklet remains subject to updates throughout the year.

To help get you started our Early Years team have created a short video presentation about Council kindergartens.

School term dates and holidays in Victoria

Vision 

To provide every child with the optimal foundation for a thriving and successful life. 

Purpose

Our purpose is to foster curiosity, self-confidence, independence, respect, and creativity in every child, igniting their passion for lifelong learning. Through strong partnerships with families, educators, and the community, we aim to create an inclusive environment that supports the holistic development of each child. 

• Child Focused: At our kindergartens, we prioritise the child’s voice. We uphold the United Nations rights of the child and will continually challenge ourselves to critically reflect on these rights seeking input from our children about decisions that affect them. 
• Safe and Inclusive Programs: Safety and inclusion is our highest priority. We do this through programs that embrace the diversity of all children, families, and cultures, ensuring that everyone feels safe, valued, and respected within our kindergarten community. 
• Learning:  Our educators deliver high-quality, play-based programs that positively shape the lives of children across the shire. We focus on preparing children for a smooth transition to primary school while building a foundation for lifelong success and wellbeing. 
• Community:  We build meaningful partnerships between families, the wider community, and local services. Through incursions, excursions, and inclusive consultation processes, we foster a sense of belonging and shared responsibility in decision-making. 
• Sustainability: We inspire children to actively engage with and care for the world around them. Our programs integrate hands-on learning in sustainability through gardening, recycling, and environmental stewardship, fostering respect for nature. 

General enquiries

Call (03) 5422 0333 or email earlyyearscommunications@mrsc.vic.gov.au

Registration and enrolment enquiries

Call our enrolment officers on (03) 5422 0239 or email kinderenrolment@mrsc.vic.gov.au

Don't forget to let us know if your address, email or phone number changes so we can update our records.

These requests must be submitted in writing or via the relevant form—we cannot change these details over the phone.

We value your input and are committed to providing your child/ren with the best experience possible. If you have any feedback or concerns, let us know by:  

1. Discussing with the teacher or educator at the child’s kindergarten.
2. If you would like additional support you can contact our Regional Team Leader by calling (03) 5422 0333 or emailing eyregionalleader@mrsc.vic.gov.au.
3. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can also contact our Coordinator Early Years by calling (03) 5422 0333 or emailing swaymouth@mrsc.vic.gov.au

Alternatively, you can make a complaint directly to the Department of Education through an authorised officer from the Quality Assessment and Regulation Division -  Loddon Mallee regional office

The Macedon Ranges Shire is located in the Central Fire District.

In the event of a ‘Catastrophic’ Fire Danger Rating, and some Total Fire Ban and Extreme days, the following kindergarten closures apply:

• Catastrophic: all kindergartens in the shire will close
• Extreme and days declared as Total Fire Ban: Macedon Kindergarten will close

On high fire rating days, all kindergartens are open as normal. In the event that this changes, families will be notified via SMS of kindergarten closures.

Find out more about Fire Danger Ratings (CFA website)