Foundation

At what age do you enrol for Foundation?

We do not offer early entry. We offer entry from school commencement age, and place according to their ability.

For example, if a student is ready for Year 1 Mathematics, they will be able to access the Year 1 Mathematics class while remaining in the Foundation class for other subjects. For each Foundation intake, the applicant must be 4 years and 6 months old by the 30th of April the year they commence at Dara (see Enrolment Intake Application Timelines table below for dates). If they will be older than 5 years old, please see the Years 1-12 Applications page.

Starting School: Choosing the Right Time for Your Child

Minimum Starting Age for Australian Schools

When a child starts school is determined by their date of birth and the school-entry requirements set by the relevant State or Territory government. A child needs to be 5 years old before the relevant cut-off date to commence school in January of that year.

School Age Cut-Off Dates – Australia

State/Territory	Cut-off date
New South Wales (NSW)	31 July
Victoria (VIC), Australian Capital Territory (ACT)	30 April
Queensland (QLD), Western Australia (WA), Northern Territory (NT)	30 June
South Australia (SA)	1 May
Tasmania (TAS)	1 January

Choosing the Right Time to Start

Choosing when a child begins school is an important decision. While most children commence at the age recommended by their State or Territory, families may sometimes consider whether an additional year before starting school would better support their child’s development and wellbeing.

At Dara, we recognise that gifted children can develop unevenly across different areas. A child may demonstrate advanced intellectual abilities while still developing the social, emotional, communication or independence skills needed to navigate a school environment confidently. School readiness is therefore about more than academic ability. Families may wish to consider their child’s:

Social development – ability to participate, cooperate and build relationships with others
Emotional development – confidence, resilience and ability to manage everyday frustrations with support
Communication – ability to express ideas and needs and engage with others
Learning disposition – curiosity, problem-solving, reasoning and enthusiasm for learning
Independence – managing personal needs, belongings and everyday routines
Physical development – participation in active play and development of fine-motor skills

For gifted children, it can also be helpful to consider whether their current learning environment provides sufficient intellectual challenge while supporting their social and emotional development.

There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Answer

There is no single age or set of characteristics that determines when a child is ready for school. Age is one consideration alongside a child’s individual development, personality, experiences, confidence and learning needs.

For families who are uncertain, speaking with their child’s kindergarten or preschool teacher can provide valuable insight. These educators observe children in group settings and can provide an informed perspective on their readiness for school.

Making the Decision Together

Ultimately, the decision about when a child begins school should reflect their individual circumstances, alongside educator advice and the relevant State or Territory school-entry requirements.

At Dara, we understand that gifted children bring diverse strengths, needs and developmental profiles. Our approach recognises the whole child, supporting intellectual growth alongside social and emotional development, confidence, independence and a positive relationship with learning.

Foundation Enrolment Intake Application Timelines

Term 1 2027
Term 3 2027

30th September 2026 – Application Close

October 2026 – Interviews & Offers of Enrolment

November 2026 – Welcome Packs and Transition Days

27th January 2027 – First day at Dara

23rd April 2027 – Applications close

May 2027 – Interviews & Offers of Enrolment

June 2027 – Welcome Packs & Transition Days

20th July 2027 – First day at Dara

The Application Journey

All applications must go through the same Application Journey. Please apply for the intake for which you wish to be considered, as there is no waitlist and enrolment is not deferred except in exceptional circumstances. Siblings will also need to go through the ordinary application process and will not be prioritised.

Click the plus button to expand each step on the application journey below.

Application Form

Please be advised, you will not be able to save the form mid-entry.

The form consists of the following sections:

Short Answer Section

This section consists of the following four questions:

Describe the advanced abilities of your child.
What interests does your child enjoy exploring?
What challenges your child and how do they respond?
Why do you think Dara School may be a good fit for your child?

Supporting Evidence

Please provide all supporting documentation by close of applications (see Application Timelines above).

Psychologist’s report, in full, with cognitive ability test results.
Characteristics Questionnaire.
Explorers Application – While some children exhibit signs of giftedness from a very young age, please be aware that we need to look at physical, social and emotional school readiness, not just intellectual potential or academic ability, to ensure that we are an appropriate environment for the potential student.
Authority to Exchange Information – if you would like to authorise us to contact the psychologist, kindergarten teacher, or another service provider for a reference or contextual information in support of the application, please fill out this form authorising us to contact them.
Teacher Questionnaire – please send this form to your child’s kindergarten teacher to return to us.

Student Information and Parent/Caregiver Information

The last two sections of the form ask for information such as the student’s name and date of birth.

In this section, we request a photo of the student and ask whether the prospective student has any special educational needs. If the student has special educational needs, you may choose to provide documentation at this point which will help us to plan accordingly if an offer of enrolment is made.

Interviews

Interviews will be offered to select applicants.

What should I bring?

If you have been invited to an interview, please bring the student and any questions either of you have. If you have examples of student work, our teachers would love to see it, but this is not essential. The interview will be held by a panel comprised of the School Principal and another Dara School teacher, or two Dara School teachers if the Principal is unavailable. The interview will take approximately one hour. We look forward to meeting you.

Trial Days

Offers of Enrolment

After the panel has considered the application, an offer of enrolment may be made.

The enrolment form, any supporting documents as listed on the enrolment form, and the enrolment fee will be sent to you and are due two weeks from the date the offer is made. If you have any questions about this in advance, please contact us at enrolment@daraschool.sa.edu.au or on 08 8317 6020.

Welcome Packs

Welcome Packs will be sent out when the enrolments have been processed and will include information about the Transition Program. If you have any questions about this in advance, please contact us at enrolment@daraschool.sa.edu.au or on 08 8317 6020.

Transition Program

Transition visits are offered for newly enrolled students. More information will be provided closer to the date as part of the Welcome Pack for new families. If you have any questions about this in advance, please contact us at enrolment@daraschool.sa.edu.au or on 08 8317 6020.

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