Playgroup is designed for all children aged between 0-5 and accompanied by their mother or female carer. It’s a warm, welcoming space where mums and children come together to play, connect, and build community. Sessions run for 2 hours each week, giving little ones the chance to explore through play while mothers enjoy meaningful conversation, a coffee, and quality time with one another.

The Islamic Preschool Program is for children aged 3+ and runs for 3 hours per week. This is a drop-off, play-based program, where children attend independently, in the care of our trained educators.

The Preschool Program focuses on school readiness, confidence, independence, and Islamic character-building. Each term explores a dedicated themed curriculum, and across the year children learn about the Prophets, the 5 Pillars, simple Sunnah practices, the names and attributes of Allah, as well as dua, short surahs, and early Arabic concepts.

Children must be toilet trained to join this program.

We expect a term-by-term commitment from our families. Once you have enrolled and your placement has been confirmed, your child is registered for 1 Term. The term fees must be paid in full within the first 4 weeks of the term.

To secure the following term placement, fees are due in full the final Monday of the current term. If fees are not paid, the program placement will be offered to another family on the waitlist. Payment plans are available by application on individual arrangement.

Our fees are:

Playgroup

• $50 per family, per term

Funtastic Playgroup

• $70/child, $50 additional child, per term

Preschool

• $370 per term

• $80 annual enrolment fee

• $20 Concession discount

Foundation

• $270 per term

• $20 Concession discount

Our programs follow the Victorian school term calendar, with one exception - we take a short break during the last week of Ramadan so families can celebrate and rest.

Throughout the year, we also host a number of beautiful community moments, including:

• Special community events

• Both Eid celebrations

• Regular fundraisers

• Our end-of-year graduation ceremony for Preschool

These occasions are a cherished part of our rhythm, helping families feel connected, celebrated, and supported all year long.

Enrolments begin with filling out our online Expression of Interest (EOI) form, available on our website. This form helps us understand your child’s needs and add your family to our first-come, first-served waitlist. EOI, Enrolment Forms and Waiting List applications are free of charge.

Once a place becomes available, we contact families via text message to offer the placement.

Priority enrolment:

• Siblings of children already attending the preschool are given first priority.

• All other families are contacted in order of their EOI submission and program availability.

Completing the EOI form does not guarantee a place, but it ensures your child is on our waitlist and eligible for enrolment when spots open.

We would truly love to offer more days and longer sessions, but at this time it isn’t possible. Expanding the program would move us into a Kindergarten-level service, which comes with strict requirements from the Department of Education regarding operating hours, staffing, ratios, and the number of children we can have per session.

As an non-profit organisation, our goal has always been to remain accessible and community-focused. Increasing hours would require a completely new business model, government funding, and significantly higher fees for families.

If Allah wills, we hope to grow in the future so we can continue meeting the evolving needs of our beautiful community. For now, we are committed to offering the highest-quality preschool experience within the guidelines we must follow.

School readiness goes beyond learning letters and numbers - it’s about the whole child. At Ummah Jameelah, it includes:

• Independence and self-care skills: opening lunchboxes, managing zippers and shoes, asking for help

• Social and emotional confidence: taking turns, sharing, and communicating needs

• Curiosity and a love of learning: exploring, asking questions, and engaging in hands-on activities

• Foundational academics: early literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills

• Faith and character: developing Islamic habits, manners, and understanding that’ll become their guide throughout their early years and life.

Our preschool program focuses on preparing children not just for school, but for life-long learning and meaningful growth - socially, academically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Registration for Playgroup is completed through our online form, just like our preschool Expression of Interest. Once your registration is received, confirmation of your space at your chosen location will be sent via text message.

Playgroup sessions run alongside the Victorian school term calendar, giving families a consistent routine throughout the year.

You’re welcome to attend one trial session to see how the group runs before committing.

However, we don’t offer ongoing casual enrolments. Our playgroups rely on consistent attendance so that children and mothers can build real bonds, feel safe, and enjoy a strong sense of community.

Because our programs are very popular and spaces are limited, we’re only able to hold spots for families who can commit to attending regularly.