Welcome to Kindergarten!
We are now taking enrolments for 2026. Please click on the link below to fill out an online application.
Please contact our office for any support or questions on 02 9622 2285.
Parent Information Session
The parent session will cover various important pieces of information that will be helpful when your child starts at Blacktown West Public School. These will include but will not be limited to:
- Communications with parents
- The teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy
- Best Start Assessment
- The first few weeks of kindergarten
- School uniform
- Book packs
Starting School
Kindergarten is an important year of schooling as children formally begin to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Our whole school community will help your child adjust to school and help them to feel comfortable.
When to start school?
When to start your child at school is an individual decision. You may want to discuss this with us or with your child's pre-school teacher, carer or doctor. The NSW Department of Education parent website contains some key points, including:
- Age - children may be enrolled in Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn five years of age on or before the 31st of July in that year and all children must be enrolled by their sixth birthday
- Physical readiness
- Social and emotional readiness
- Children don't need to read and write before they start school
Best Start
The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment is a state-wide assessment that helps teachers identify the English literacy and numeracy skills of each student at the beginning of Kindergarten.
The webpage below provides information about the Best Start assessment.
https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/literacy-and-numeracy/assessment-resources/best-start-kindergarten
What is the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment?
Children come to school with different levels of literacy and numeracy. Some are familiar with books, can recognise some letters, even write their name or count to ten, while others have not yet learned these skills. Our Kindergarten teachers have always observed their new students and used different methods to find out what each child knows so that they can plan and teach what their students need to learn next. All government schools take part in Best Start, which has been developed by early learning experts in the Department of Education and Training. Best Start gives our teachers, and those teaching Kindergarten across New South Wales, a common set of high-quality assessment tools and professional training. We believe that Best Start will build on the strengths of our teachers and give your child an even better start to school.
Your child and the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment
It is very important to emphasise that Best Start Kindergarten Assessment is not a test. Its purpose is to help the teacher gather information to guide the teaching of your child. The teacher will observe each child and use tasks, such as talking about a book that has been read, and record what their students know and can do. The teaching of your child will be based on the information gathered in these ways. You'll be given feedback about what your child's teacher has learned about your child, which you are welcome to discuss, if you wish, in keeping with our usual practice.
What are we looking for?
The teacher will look at your child's early reading and writing, their ability to communicate with others, and how they recognise and work with numbers, groups and patterns.
