Starting Kindy in 2027

What if the most important thing your child brings to kindy isn't what's in their backpack, but what's in their imagination?

A fascination with dinosaurs. A hundred questions about the moon. A love of making mud pies. A determination to find out how everything works.

Every child sees the world a little differently. And at Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure, that's something we celebrate.

If your child is starting kindy in 2027, Sanctuary offers a Queensland Government-approved kindergarten program where children's interests, ideas and questions help shape their learning.



Through play, meaningful relationships and experiences guided by qualified Early Childhood Teachers, children develop the confidence, independence and skills that support their transition to school.

But what makes the journey special is that it starts with who your child already is.

What if your child's questions could shape their kindy day?

Imagine your child arrives at kindy with a question. "Where do butterflies sleep?"

It's a simple question. But it could open the door to a wonderful learning adventure.

Perhaps it inspires a closer look at the garden. A conversation about insects. A creative project exploring colours and wings. Or a new collection of books about the natural world.

One little question can lead to so many discoveries.

Recently at our Southport centre the question "What has more legs a spider or an octopus?" inspired a hands-on learning experience. At our Buderim centre, the question "Where do raindrops come from?" led to an in-depth investigation that the whole class was involved in.

This is an example of the thinking behind Sanctuary's child-led, educator-guided approach.

Our Educators and Early Childhood Teachers pay attention to what children notice, wonder about and enjoy. They use those observations to plan experiences that encourage deeper exploration, new ideas and meaningful learning.

It's not about leaving children to work everything out on their own. It's about creating thoughtful opportunities for their natural curiosity to grow.

Because when children feel that their ideas matter, learning becomes something they take an active part in.

What makes kindy at Sanctuary different?

At Sanctuary, childhood isn't something to hurry through.

Our philosophy is built around connection, collaboration, inclusion and respect, with learning environments designed to feel welcoming, nurturing and full of possibility.



And while every Sanctuary centre has its own character, our approach shares some important foundations.

A curriculum that listens to children

Children aren't simply following a set of activities. Their interests and perspectives help guide the direction of learning, while Educators intentionally support and extend their development.

That might mean an interest in building becomes an investigation into balance, shapes and teamwork.



Or a fascination with cooking becomes an opportunity to explore measuring, language, healthy food and practical skills.

An outdoor classroom filled with possibilities

For children, the outdoors is full of extraordinary things.

A fallen leaf becomes a discovery. A garden bed becomes a place to investigate. A collection of natural materials becomes the beginning of a new idea.



Sanctuary sees outdoor environments as an extension of the learning space, giving children opportunities for exploration, movement, supported risk-taking and connection with nature.

Life skills that give children a sense of achievement

Learning to pour a drink. Helping prepare food. Caring for plants. Choosing an activity. Working with friends to solve a problem.

These experiences might seem small to adults, but they can mean a great deal to children.



Sanctuary's approach includes practical life experiences such as cooking, gardening and shared daily responsibilities that help children develop independence, cooperation and confidence.

A place where relationships come first

Kindy is also about feeling known.

Knowing there's an Educator who listens to your stories. Feeling comfortable enough to ask for help. Having space to share your thoughts and express your feelings.

Sanctuary values meaningful daily rituals, respectful interactions and partnerships with families that help children feel safe, included and connected.



We believe these relationships are part of what makes learning possible.

How does following your child's curiosity prepare them for school?

It might surprise you to learn how much school preparation can happen while children are simply doing what they love.

Consider a group of children creating a pretend café.

They're sharing ideas, listening to customers, counting pretend coins, making signs, negotiating roles and solving problems.

To the children, they're playing café.

To an Educator, it's an opportunity to support communication, early literacy, numeracy, creativity and social development.

That's the beauty of meaningful play-based learning.

Sanctuary's kindergarten program is guided by the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, supporting children's development in the year before Prep.

Our aim is to help children build important foundations for school without losing the joy, individuality and wonder of childhood.

Because being ready for school is about more than recognising numbers or writing your name.



It's also about curiosity, resilience, relationships, confidence and knowing that learning can be an adventure.

Is 2027 your child's kindy year?

For many Queensland families, 2027 will be an exciting milestone.

Children can generally attend a Queensland Government-approved kindergarten program in the year they turn four by 30 June.

For kindy in 2027, children born between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 are generally eligible.

Queensland's Free Kindy program will also continue in 2027, providing eligible children with 15 hours of approved kindergarten each week for up to 40 weeks per year.

For families using long day care, fees may still apply for care outside the funded kindergarten hours.



You can check your child's eligibility using the Queensland Government's kindy age calculator or contact your preferred Sanctuary centre for more information.

One philosophy. Six communities. So many adventures waiting to begin.

Across Queensland, every Sanctuary community brings its own people, places and experiences to early learning.

Whether your family is looking for kindy on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, in Highfields or near Cairns, we'd love to help you discover a centre that feels right for your child.

Explore our locations:

• Sanctuary Ashmore – Gold Coast
• Sanctuary Buderim – Sunshine Coast
• Sanctuary Health and Knowledge Precinct (HKP) – Southport, Gold Coast
• Highfields Child Care Centre – Highfields, Toowoomba region
• Sanctuary Maudsland – Gold Coast Hinterland
• Sanctuary Redlynch – Cairns region

Each centre reflects its own community while sharing Sanctuary's commitment to nurturing curious, capable and confident children.

Book a tour of one of our centres and discover a place where your child can feel safe, known and truly at home.

Their curiosity is already there. Let's see where it takes them.

Your child already has ideas worth exploring, questions worth asking and a wonderful personality all their own.

The right kindy environment doesn't need to change that.

It gives them room to grow.

At Sanctuary, we look forward to discovering the interests, stories and possibilities each child brings to our community.

Kindy 2027 is on the horizon. Come and discover where your child's curiosity could lead.



Explore your nearest Sanctuary Early Learning Adventure centre and book a tour today.

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