Newtown Public School has both before and after school care facilities available for families.

Outside of school hours care (OOSH)

Our school has an on-site outside of school hours care (OOSH) service called Newtown Kids Cottage (NKC). This service operates before and after school. We also provide care during school holidays and school development days. This is known as vacation care.

At NKC, we are committed to providing a safe, supportive, friendly and fun environment for the children attending the centre. We recognise the importance of the care we provide to the ongoing development of each child. The services we offer and our centre's policies and procedures have been developed with these objectives in mind.

Before and after school care

We provide the following care on a permanent or casual basis, subject to availability:

• Before school care from 7:30 to 9am with breakfast provided.
• After school care from 3 to 6pm with afternoon tea provided.

Vacation care

Our NKC vacation care service is available to all K-6 children who attend Newtown Public School at a cost of $97.75 per day with meals and snacks provided.

Hours

• 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM (during school holidays and school development days).

Newtown Kids Cottage fees

Before school care

After school care

Casual care is provided for emergencies or for ad hoc, short-term requirements. Casual care is not to be used as an alternative to a permanent booking. Families must book casual care prior to the session to ensure availability. Children without bookings may be sent back to school if no place is available.

Families wishing to secure and maintain out of school care for their children must pay two weeks in advance. Parents utilising casual care bookings must pay fees by the Wednesday following placement. Further information is available in the NKC Family Handbook.

Our service is approved for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) which is paid directly to NKC as fee reduction. To receive CCS, you must make a claim online through your MyGov account. More information on how to do so can be found at the Services Australia website.

Annual enrolment process for NKC

Each year both new and existing families, intending to access care at NKC, need to complete a current enrolment form for each child. An enrolment can only be processed if all relevant information (including health management plans and immunization records) has been completed.

Our enrolment process is through our online portal. If you are interested please contact us for details at newtownkidscottage.com.au with the subject line “new enrolment”. We will add you to our “expressions of interest folder and forward you the link when we open enrolments for the year ahead. This is generally done in week 5 of Term 3 (mid August). Once open we will email you a link to complete enrolment details.

The cut-off date for applications to be considered in the first round, is the last day of Term 3 and enrolment status is advised during week 3 of Term 4. Applications received after this date will still be accepted but assessed after all other enrolments are processed. Applications are accepted all year round for the current year and will be processed by availability.

Where the number of enrolment applications exceeds the number of places available, places are allocated according to the priority of access guidelines as defined below:

• Priority 1 is a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect.
• Priority 2 is a child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who both satisfy, the work, training, study test under section 14 of the Family Assistance Act.
• Priority 3 is any other child.

Why choose NKC?

As part of the Australian Government’s National Quality Framework, NKC’s program is guided by the national My Time, Our Place curriculum. The program aims to provide leisure and play-based activities that respond to children’s needs, interests, and choices.

Our programmed activities encompass a broad theme, changing every term. Previous program themes have included Around the World, Sustainability and Conservation, The 7 Senses, and All Creatures Great and Small. Each week consists of games, arts, crafts, STEM, cooking and research activities inspired by the weekly subtheme. Children have the opportunity to participate in a range of organised activities as well as free play. We like to think of NKC as a big backyard!

We regularly engage outside providers to enrich our program by offering the children a chance to learn a specialised skill or activity. Past activities have included acrobatics, skate boarding, circus skills, martial arts, cartoon workshops and Kids Giving Back sessions. The cost of these extra activities is free to families and absorbed by NKC.

Each week a written program outlining the activities for the week will be on display on the whiteboard on our veranda. A copy is also included in our weekly newsletter. Educators regularly seek feedback from children and families to provide an exciting and challenging program. We ask that you make note of any ideas, suggestions or feedback and let us know via email hi@newtownkidscottage.com.au

Food

We provide a varied range of nutritious food at NKC. Breakfast consists of cereal, toast, cheese melts, fruit and yoghurt. Treats like Banana Splits and Milo also make an occasional appearance!

Afternoon tea consists of sandwiches with spreads, fruit platters, vegie sticks and rice crackers. Every afternoon we have a “special”, ranging from sushi and pasta bake to spanakopita and tacos. Full bellies are happy bellies! Children are regularly invited to contribute ideas and favourites to our menu.

Have a question about NKC?

We’re here to help. To enquire about the NKC service or to book a tour, please contact NKC at:

newtownkidscottage@gmail.com

02 9557 6825 / 0418 899 416