With more room, Melton kindy’s growing well

A THIRD kindy room was opened at Kororoit Creek Early Learning Centre last week to help meet increasing demand on Melton kindergartens.

The centre underwent a $300,000 refurbishment, converting community space into a third kindergarten room.

The extra room means total enrolments in the four-year-olds group at the centre will rise from 120 to 186.

The centre, at Kororoit Creek Primary School, is managed by the school.

Principal Natalie Bakai said enrolments had increased rapidly since the school opened in 2011.

“We started with 52 children and we now have 160 four-year-olds and 700 primary school pupils,” she said.

“The extra room will meet the need for extra places within Melton.”

Ms Bakai said all four-year-olds kindy groups were meeting a new national benchmark — 15-hour programs for each child each week — that will become mandatory from July.

Across Melton, 1600 children are enrolled in 55 four-year-olds kindy groups run by the council.

Only 43 groups are meeting the benchmark.

Mayor Kathy Majdlik said the extra room at Kororoit Creek was a step towards reaching that 15-hour target.

“With the construction of an additional, licensed kindergarten room, adding a further 66 kindergarten places at the centre, the refurbishment has improved the council’s capacity to deliver quality early-learning opportunities for our youngest residents and will help meet the universal access requirements of 15 hours.”