Two new preschools on the way

Up to 200 children on the Central Coast will soon have access to free public preschool places as the NSW Government works to deliver two new public preschools at Umina Beach and Tuggerawong.

Design and construction contracts have now been awarded to deliver the preschools at Umina Beach Public School and Tuggerawong Public School.

Due for completion by 2027, the preschools will provide free placements for up to 120 students every week at Umina and up to 80 at Tuggerawong.

They are part of the Government’s $769M investment to deliver 100 new public preschools across NSW by early 2027.

This initiative is the largest investment in public preschools in the state’s history and will double the number of public preschools in NSW, increasing the overall number of public preschool placements by up to 9,000, to more than 13,000.

Both new preschools will be co-located with existing public schools, ensuring children are well prepared for kindergarten, helping busy working families avoid the double drop off, and making the transition to school as seamless as possible.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said the Government was committed to expanding the number of free public preschool places in NSW, particularly in areas like the Central Coast where accessing preschool could be difficult.

“Once these two new public preschools are delivered, hundreds more children will be able to access free preschool places on the Central Coast each week,” she said during a visit to the Coast on Wednesday, April 2.

“We are making this record investment into public preschools to give every child in NSW a quality early education, ensuring they have the best start in life.”

Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong David Harris said the Tuggerawong Public School community would be greatly enriched by having a public preschool co-located on the school site, making life easier for parents with young children.

“It is essential that we provide necessary education services for our Central Coast families to ensure the next generation receives a quality education,” he said.

Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch was equally enthusiastic about the Umina preschool.

“I have heard from too many families who are unable to access early childhood education spaces on the southern end of the Central Coast,” she said.

“The NSW Government is listening and acting.”

Umina Beach Public School principal Karen Wardlaw said she was thrilled to see design and construction proceeding.

“We know that our preschool will significantly enrich educational offerings for the youngest learners in our community, strengthening community ties and providing our families with greater access to quality early childhood education,” she said.

“It’s an exciting journey for all of us at Umina Beach Public School and we can’t wait to see the project completed and our preschool up and running.”