Western Sydney families now have greater access to high-quality, fee-free early learning on their doorstep, with the Minns Labor Government opening Mount Druitt’s newest public preschool.
The new public preschool, constructed on the site of Blackett Public School within seven months, is now open and fully operational, accommodating up to 80 children every week.
Blackett Public Preschool features two purpose-built preschool rooms, a quality outdoor play area, administration areas, amenities, a staff kitchen and storage, providing families with a modern, engaging environment for their youngest learners.
Built on the same site as the public school, the new public preschool will support children’s transition into kindergarten and make daily drop-off and pick-up easier for families.
An additional eight public preschools are being built across the Blacktown local government area, co-located at Blacktown North, Crawford, Emerton, Hebersham, Lynwood Park, Melonba, Nirimba Fields and Shalvey public schools.
By early 2027, these preschools will join Blackett Public Preschool in accommodating up to 800 children each week across the Blacktown area.
Expressions of interest (EOI) for enrolment in a further six new public preschools are now open across the state, co-located at Boorowa Central, Hanwood, Hillvue, Leeton, Queanbeyan East and Queanbeyan South public schools. Families can submit an EOI directly to the office of each school.
Construction is anticipated to be complete on more than 50 of the new public preschools by the end of the year.
The opening of Blackett Public Preschool comes as the Minns Labor Government continues its work to ensure all children across NSW are given the best possible start in life.
From today, every public primary school across the state is rolling out a nation-leading Year 1 Number Screening Check, giving teachers an important early screening tool to identify students who need extra support.
Each Year 1 student will complete a short, one-on-one check with their teacher, providing a snapshot of their understanding of key foundational concepts in maths such as counting, ordering numbers, addition and subtraction.
The statewide rollout follows successful trials in more than 160 public schools over the past two years and complements the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check and expanded Health and Development Checks for preschool-aged children.
These early intervention screening tools help identify children’s needs early and ensure students are on track for their future learning, with foundational skills in literacy and numeracy.
Blackett Public Preschool is part of the NSW Government’s historic $769 million investment to deliver 100 new public preschools across the state by early 2027, doubling access to fee-free public preschools in the largest ever expansion of early learning infrastructure in NSW history.
This is in stark contrast to the Liberals and Nationals who neglected to build and upgrade schools for growing communities, including failing to build a single public preschool in 12 years.
The delivery of new public school infrastructure is being matched with a strengthened teaching workforce, with teacher vacancies in NSW public schools at a 12-year low at the beginning of 2026.
From preschool to high school, the Minns Labor Government is rebuilding public education so every child in NSW has access to high-quality, fee-free learning with early support in place to give them the best start in life.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
“Western Sydney is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and families deserve infrastructure that grows with their communities. That’s why we’re investing in new schools, preschools, roads, hospitals and public transport right across the region.
Giving children the best possible start in life means ensuring families can access high-quality, fee-free public preschools close to home.
These new preschools will help give Western Sydney children the strongest possible start to their education in modern, purpose-built learning environments.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
“For families in Mount Druitt, this new preschool means that parents can have even greater confidence in the quality of local public education right from the very beginning of their child’s schooling.
When a parent drops their child off at a local public preschool, it means more flexibility and less pressure on the household budget, while their young learner receives a high-quality early education.
Whether it is a fee-free local public preschool or foundational literacy and numeracy checks in the early years of primary school, parents should be assured their child is getting the support they need to succeed.
This work helps build confidence in the quality of education local public schools provides families and the Minns Labor Government is committed to this work to give NSW children the best start in life.”
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:
“We are supporting working families in Western Sydney by making sure there is first class fee-free education near where they live.
These growing communities were ignored by the former Liberal and Nationals government for far too long.
I was proud to make this historic investment in my first budget. It was one of the first things we did because we know public preschools make a real difference.”
Member for Mount Druitt Edmond Atalla said:
“This is a fantastic outcome for the Blackett community. Families in Mount Druitt have long deserved access to quality, fee-free early learning for their children, and today we are delivering exactly that.
The new preschool at Blackett Public School will make a real difference for local families, giving our youngest learners a strong foundation for Kindergarten and beyond, right in their own neighbourhood. I am proud to support this investment in our community.”
Blackett Public School Principal Michael Frith said:
“Our school community is incredibly excited about the opening of our new preschool.
At Blackett Public School, our focus is always on ensuring every student — from our youngest preschoolers to our oldest students — has access to high-quality learning opportunities regardless of their background.
The preschool will provide a warm, engaging and culturally responsive environment for our community’s youngest learners. It will ease children’s transition into Kindergarten and make life easier for families.
We look forward to welcoming every child and family who joins us.”