Enrolment at Castlecrag Montessori School

We currently operate over the four school terms (approximately 40 weeks/annum) and offer a three year program for children aged 3 to 6 years. We offer the following enrolment options:

Monday to Friday

• 5 mornings: 8:30am to 12noon – This is our recommended option.
• Extended Day – 5 full days: 8:30am to 3:00pm from 2023 – when children are ready (usually around the age of 5) they attend Extended Day (ED) the final year of the 3 year cycle.

Monday to Wednesday

• 3 mornings: 8:30am to 12noon – 3 year olds only, all children will progress to 5 mornings before or when they turn 4 years old.

Longer Preschool Hours (8am to 3pm)

• Families seeking longer preschool hours (8am – 3pm) can access it through our before and after care program. The program is called CASA. This is an optional add-on for children enrolled in the school. Find out more about CASA here

The first step to enrolling your child is to make an appointment for a classroom observation or to attend our Open Day. This is the best way to appreciate the uniqueness of Montessori education.

The second step is to place your child’s name on the waiting list. The waiting list fee is $55.

When the school allocates places to children, the following factors are considered:

• Age and sex balance of the children in the classroom;
• Time spent on the waiting list;
• Commitment of the families to the full three-year program; and
• Preparedness of families to commit to the philosophy and policies of the school.

In addition equal priority of enrolment is given to:

• children at least 3 years old and from low income and/or Aboriginal families
• children with English language needs
• children with disability and/or additional needs
• children who are at risk of significant harm (from a child protection perspective)
• children who are at lest 4 years old on or before 31 July in that preschool year and not enrolled or registered at a school

The final decision to admit a child is taken only after a parent interview with a Director. The start date depends on the Directors’ assessments of the child’s readiness. Children must be fully toilet trained (a NSW Department of Education requirement) and capable of separating from their parents.

The school generally admits children to the school in Terms 1, 2 and 3. Children are usually admitted in the term in which they turn three years of age.

Start dates are staggered so as to assist the children in adjusting to their new environment, as well as minimising disruption to the rest of the class.