Updated 4 October 2026. Construction has moved on since this story. School Infrastructure NSW’s project page now says the building has reached lock-up, with the external cladding complete, windows and doors installed, internal walls sheeted and painted, joinery installed and floor finishes complete, and that internal fit-out and landscaping are under way. The next step it names is service approval from the NSW Early Learning Commission, which a preschool needs before it can operate. The target is unchanged: completion in time for Day 1, Term 1 2027, for up to 40 children a day. School Infrastructure NSW’s pages no longer load at their old addresses ending in .html, so the links on this page now point to the current addresses.
Construction is well advanced. School Infrastructure NSW’s own project page describes the building structure complete and the roof on, with internal services nearly finished, external cladding under way, and internal wall linings and ceiling framing progressing. The preschool sits on the grounds of Tuggerawong Public School and will have two preschool rooms, an outdoor play area, an administration area, amenities, a staff kitchen and storage.
Why on school grounds
The program deliberately builds preschools inside existing public schools, on the
argument that co-location smooths the step into kindergarten: children spend their
preschool year on the campus where most will start school. The Member for Wyong,
David Harris, said the co-located preschool will be an important addition to
the growing local community, ensuring a seamless transition to make life easier for
parents with young children
. Tuggerawong Public School principal Tracey Ellen
said: With the public preschool on school grounds, it will help smooth
children’s transition to kindergarten.
The two Coast sites
The Central Coast’s share of the program was
confirmed
in April 2025: preschools at Tuggerawong Public School and Umina Beach Public
School. School Infrastructure NSW’s project pages put Tuggerawong’s
capacity at up to 40 children a day and
Umina
Beach’s at up to 49, about 200 fee-free places a week between them.
Statewide, the $769 million program is meant to deliver 100 new public preschools by
the first day of Term 1, 2027, roughly doubling public preschool capacity in NSW. The
agency says sites were selected based on child development and socioeconomic
data, projected demand for preschool, an infrastructure analysis, and valuable
insights gained through local feedback
.
Capacity landing where the growth is
Tuggerawong sits on the western shore of Tuggerah Lake, on the edge of the belt where council’s population forecast puts most of the Coast’s growth to 2046: the districts around Warnervale, Wadalba and Tuggerah between them add tens of thousands of residents, many of them young families. The second site works the other end of the map, on the built-out Peninsula at Umina Beach. One preschool for the growth corridor, one for the established south.