EARLY ENTRY FOR CHILDREN WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL
LANGUAGE OR DIALECT (EALD)
Early Entry EALD placements in ACT Public Schools are for children who speak a language or dialect
other than English. This enables children access to a maximum of 6 hours of preschool education per
week for up to 6 months in the year before preschool. Placements are offered from the beginning of
Term Three if preschool places are available.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for consideration under this procedure the child:




must be non-English speaking;
must live in a non-English speaking home;
does not have opportunities to socialise with English speaking children of their own age; and
must turn three years of age before 30 April to commence preschool. Children younger than
this will not be eligible for Early Entry consideration.
INFORMATION
Early Entry EALD placements will be made in consultation with the Principal. Placements will be a
maximum of six hours per week, with a daily maximum session time of three hours. Children must
be accompanied by a parent or adult carer who speaks the home language of the child. Specific days
and times of attendance will be negotiated with the school.
Families applying for an Early Entry EALD placement must also apply for preschool the following
year, as a separate process. Early Entry placement is not a guarantee of a preschool placement the
following year at a preschool unit that is not in the family’s Priority Enrolment Area (PEA).
http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/enrolling_in_an_act_public_school
PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS
Early Entry Applications must include:
 Application Form
 Health Care Provider Form
 Proof of age of the child (e.g. copy of birth certificate or passport)
 Proof of residency in the ACT (e.g. utility bill)
If interpreter assistance is required, the school should be informed. Parents may also engage their
own advocate or interpreter when contacting the school.
Updated July 2014
Application forms can be lodged with the school from the beginning of the school year. Placements
are offered from the beginning of Term Three in the school year. Should a place not be available in
the PEA preschool, families are able to approach other schools to seek placement. A maximum of
two Early Entry EALD placements can be provided per preschool group.
1. Families will need to complete the application form at Attachment A.
2. Families are required to take the ‘Health Care Professional’ form at Attachment B to their
health care provider (e.g. Doctor, Teacher, Social Worker, Care Worker) for completion.
3. Families will be required to provide Early Entry application to the PEA Public School when
applying for a preschool placement.
4. Families may take their application to a second preference school for consideration if their
first preschool placement is unsuccessful.
5. Successful applicants begin their placement in Term Three.
Applications for Early Entry EALD may not be processed after Week 7, Term 3.
If English is not your first language and you require the translating and interpreting service - please
telephone 131 450
ARABIC
CHINESE
CROATIAN
GREEK
ITALIAN
PERSIAN
PORTUGUESE
SERBIAN
SPANISH
TURKISH
VIETNAMESE
‫وت ف س ير ت رجمة إل ى ت ح تاج وك نت األول ى ل غ تك هي اإلن ج ل يزي ة ت كن ل م إذا‬
‫ ال خدمة‬- ‫ هات ف يا االت صال ي رجى‬131 450
如果英语不是你的第一语言，你需要翻译和口译服务-请致电131 450
Ako engleski nije prvi jezik i da zahtijevaju prevoditelja i tumača - molimo
nazovite 131 450.
Αν τα Αγγλικά δεν είναι η πρώτη γλώσσα σας και θα απαιτούν την
μετάφραση και διερμηνεία των υπηρεσιών - παρακαλείστε να
τηλεφωνήσετε στο 131 450
Se l'inglese non è la vostra prima lingua e si richiede la traduzione e
interpretariato - si prega di telefonare al numero 131 450
‫و ک ت بی ت رجمه سروي س ب ه ن ياز شما و ا ست شما اول زب ان ان گ ل ي سی زب ان اگ ر‬
‫ ش فاهی‬- ‫ شماره ب ا ل ط فا‬131 450
Se o Inglês não é sua primeira língua e exigir que o serviço de tradução e
interpretação - por favor contacte 131 450
Ако енглески није ваш матерњи језик и ви захтевају Служба
преводилаца и тумача - позовите 131 450
Si el Inglés no es su lengua materna y que requiere que el Servicio de
Traducción e interpretación - por favor llame al 131 450
İngilizce ilk diliniz değilse ve çeviri ve tercümanlık hizmeti gerektirir 131 450 numaralı telefondan lütfen
Nếu tiếng Anh không phải là ngôn ngữ đầu tiên của bạn và bạn yêu cầu
dịch và dịch vụ phiên dịch - xin vui lòng gọi điện thoại số 131 450
Updated July 2014
Attachment A
APPLICATION FORM EARLY ENTRY – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL
LANGUAGE OR DIALECT (EALD)
The ACT Education and Training Directorate collects the information on this form to enable it to effectively manage early
entry enrolment to ACT Public (ie government) schools. Information may be shared with ACT public schools. Information
contained on this form is personal information and will be stored, used and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act
1988 and Freedom of Information Act 1989.
Part A: Child’s details – to be filled out by Parent/Guardian
Child’s Family Name:
Child’s Given Name/s:
Child’s Date of Birth:
Is your child male or female?
Country of Birth:
Child’s Address:
Language spoken at home:
Does your child go to a child care centre or an English speaking family day care?
Does your child have an opportunity to socialise with English speaking children of their own age?
Part B – Parent/Carer and Family Details
Parent/Carer 1 Details
Parent/Carer 1 name:
Parent/Carer 1 Country of Birth:
Arrival in Australia:
Parent/Carer 1 Language spoken:
Address:
Phone number:
Parent/Carer 2 Details
Parent/Carer 2 name:
Parent/Carer 2 Country of Birth:
Arrival in Australia:
Parent/Carer 1 Language spoken:
Address:
Phone number:
Updated July 2014
Attachment A
Other children in the family:
Name:
Male/Female
Date of birth:
Name:
Male/Female
Date of birth:
Name:
Male/Female
Date of birth:
Part C – Information about preferred placement
Early Entry EALD placement request for Term Three 20
First Preschool preference:
Second Preschool preference:
Reason why the placement is requested:
Part D – Parent Consent
 I have attached a supporting statement from a doctor, teacher, social worker or healthcare
professional
 I understand that my child can only attend if accompanied by a parent or adult carer who
speaks the home language of my child
 I understand that Early Entry EALD will only be offered in preschools where there is a place
available
Signature (Parent/Guardian):
Date:
Updated July 2014
Attachment B
This form is to be filled in by a Health Care Professional
(eg Doctor, Teacher, Social Worker, Case Worker).
The ACT Education and Training Directorate collects the information on this form to enable it to effectively manage early
entry enrolment to ACT Public (ie government) schools. Information may be shared with ACT public schools. Information
contained on this form is personal information and will be stored, used and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act
1988 and Freedom of Information Act 1989.
Please ensure that all sections are completed.
Name:
Date:
Position:
Phone:
Organisation:
Relationship to child:
Child’s Name:
Date of Birth:
1. How long have you known this family?
2. What languages are spoken in this child’s home? How fluent is the child in these languages?
3. What is the child’s position in the family? (e.g. eldest of 4)
4. What opportunities does the child have to speak English?
5. How would Early Entry into preschool benefit this child?
6. Is there anything else that should be considered in relation to this application?
Signature:
Date:_