New Gold Coast school lets parents choose morning or afternoon
Village Yard Christian School on the Gold Coast will split Prep to Year 2 into two separate daily sessions starting 2027.
A new Gold Coast school will offer families a choice: send your young child to class from 7.30am to noon or from 11am to 3.30pm. Village Yard Christian School in Mudgeeraba will open in 2027 using this double-shift model for Prep to Year 2, with both groups receiving the full Australian Curriculum in four-and-a-half hours.
The two shifts overlap for about an hour each day so students can still work together on projects. The school says using the same facilities twice daily helps keep fees low while giving parents flexibility.
St Andrew's Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast already runs a similar system for high school students. The model does create complications: families with multiple children could end up managing different start and finish times.
Why it mattersParents seeking affordable school options now have an alternative to traditional school hours, though managing two different schedules in one family could add complexity.
AustraliaGold Coast families will have a new low-fee independent option when the school opens, but the model's success will depend on whether parents genuinely get to choose their preferred shift.
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