Families in Adelaide’s rapidly growing north are set to gain two new preschools as part of a $15 million investment in early learning infrastructure.
New 44-place preschools will be built at Two Wells Primary School and Evanston Gardens Primary School, with both expected to open in 2028.
The Two Wells facility has been allocated $7.7 million, while $7.3 million will go towards the Evanston Gardens preschool.
Together, the projects add another 88 places to a wider expansion of preschool facilities across Adelaide’s northern suburbs, with almost 500 places planned across 10 projects.
The latest announcement builds on a previously announced $60 million program covering eight preschool sites across the north. Those projects include new facilities at Munno Para, Eyre and Taparra, along with new or expanded facilities at Virginia, Pooraka, Elizabeth East, Salisbury North and Blakeview.
All are expected to be operating by 2029.
At Two Wells, the new preschool will form part of an expanding early education and school precinct.
Two Wells Primary School is also undergoing a major facility upgrade, including new teaching and learning spaces, amenities, outdoor learning connections and a new administration and leadership building.
The neighbouring Two Wells Community Children’s Centre has also undergone an expansion, adding further capacity for local families.
Two Wells Primary School Principal Kirsty Brumby said, “We are excited to welcome a new preschool, which will provide families in the Two Wells community with a seamless and supportive start to their children’s learning journey. This investment ensures our youngest learners have access to quality early childhood education, right alongside their progression into primary school.
“The new preschool will strengthen our sense of community and enable stronger partnerships between parents, educators, and children from the earliest years. It’s a significant step in supporting families in early intervention, learning continuity and building lifelong foundations for success.”
The new facilities form part of South Australia’s staged introduction of universal preschool for three-year-olds.
The rollout began in 2026 and will progressively expand through to 2032, when universal three-year-old preschool is planned to be available across the state.
More than 7,500 three-year-olds are expected to have access to two years of preschool during 2027 as the program expands.
Education, Training and Skills Minister Lucy Hood said, “New preschools and upgraded facilities are vital to support the growing number of families moving to our northern suburbs.
“We are determined to lay the foundations for children to thrive in their education and be ready to learn as soon as they start school.”
Under the three-year-old preschool program, children attend teacher-led, play-based programs designed to build social, emotional and thinking skills before they begin school. The Department for Education says the statewide reform is intended to help reduce the proportion of South Australian children considered developmentally vulnerable when they start school.
