Public preschools are an integral part of P–2, P–6 or central schools. Preschools employ educators on a casual, temporary or permanent basis. Read more about working in NSW Public Schools.

Educators interested in working in a public preschool should approach the relevant school office.

Each preschool class is staffed by an early childhood teacher and school learning support officer Preschool (SLSO) or Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO).

All public preschool teachers must:

• be approved to teach in NSW Public Schools
• hold full accreditation with NESA
• hold an ACECQA approved early childhood teacher qualification
• have a current working with children check clearance (WWCC)

To be included in the required ratio of one educator to 10 children a School Learning Support Officer Preschool (SLSO) or Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) must:

• be approved to work in NSW Public Schools
• hold or be actively working towards an ACECAQ-approved Certificate III level or higher qualification.

Qualification can be checked using the ACECQA qualification checker.

Staffing, recruitment and pay

Under the current staffing model for public preschools, for every 20 children, schools are allocated as part of their staffing establishment:

• 1 x early childhood teacher (ECT)

• 1 x early childhood education and care Certificate III trained school learning support officer (SLSO)

In addition, there is an allocation for administrative support staff – allocation of 0.2.

Recruitment for new public preschools

In line with all NSW Department of Education teaching staff, public preschools are staffed in line with the Staffing Agreement 2021–2024 and consequently with the new staffing agreement that took effect in April 2024 (Staffing Agreement 2024–2029).

Additional resources will be allocated within the department to provide focused support for the recruitment of staff to work at the new preschools. We are keen to work with principals to understand their local context and ensure our approach meets their school needs.

Recruitment for positions will occur as per usual procedures for NSW public school teachers, including advertising via the I work for NSW jobs board.

Pay of public preschool staff

The Teachers Award in NSW applies to ECTs working in public preschools as they are directly employed by the NSW Department of Education.

SLSOs are employed under the School Administration and Support Staff Award.

Nominated supervisor

Early Childhood education and care services, must have a nominated supervisor under the National Law and Regulations. This position in a public school setting is the principal.

This means that principals may be personally liable for serious breaches of the National Law and National Regulations in their preschool. The principal holds the designated legislated roles of nominated supervisor and educational leader.

Anyone who consents in writing to relieve in the role of principal will also assume these designated roles which are similar to the responsibilities assumed as the principal and leader of the school.

The principal ensures the delivery of an educational program in accordance with the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0.

The principal is responsible for:

• the development and implementation of a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) for the preschool

• meeting or exceeding the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standards.

• in addition to the expectations of the School Excellence Framework, participating in an external assessment and rating process.

• completing notifications and reporting, in addition to department policy requirements.

Support for schools

The department’s Early Learning team in Curriculum and Reform acts for the department as the Approved Provider of NSW public preschools and is accountable for all compliance aspects and breaches of the National Law and Regulations.

We acknowledge this may be a concern for principals, which is why expert support is provided by the department’s Curriculum and Reform team. Each school has a key contact in this team, so ahead of the preschool officially opening and during operations, they can call and access immediate and ongoing support to ensure compliance with the National Quality Framework is covered by preschool operations.

Funding, staff allocations and principal classification

Components of school budget allocations are used to determine principal classification. The allocations count those items that reflect student need and school operations. As a school with a preschool, this includes ECTs, Certificate III SLSOs and preschool school administrative officers.