IT MIGHT take these students a while to learn the names of all the kids in their grade.

That's because there's 148 kindy students enrolled at Dalmeny Public School in Prestons this year.

Deputy principal Julie Smith said there had been a rapid growth in the school, which this year has seven kindergarten classes.

``With the demographics in the community and the building of all the new estates in the area, we're expecting it to grow even more,'' she said.

A spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Education and Training said the school had one of the biggest enrolments of kindergarten students in south-west Sydney.

Sandra Sayed, whose youngest daughter started kindergarten this year, said she remembered when the school was small and starting out.

``They had about 140 students all up in 2003 when it opened,'' she said.

``Now there's 148 just in kindergarten.''

Mrs Sayed's daughter Ayesha Marrarbani was all smiles when she started kindergarten on Monday.

``She was so excited,'' Mrs Sayed said.

``She wanted to go last week with her big brother.''

Mum, on the other hand, got a little teary.

``It was hard because she's the last one and you realise that your kids are growing up so quickly,'' Mrs Sayed said.

Her advice to other mothers is to give their children the space and independence to grow.

``The more you hold on, the harder it will be for them to get away from that separation anxiety,'' she said.

``And if they see you value their education, they will, too.

Vicky Valensise's son Zac also started kindergarten this year.

``I was a bit teary-eyed because my baby's going to school but also excited because I get some time to myself,'' she said.

The kids did some arts and craft in the classroom, danced and listened to music, and made new friends in the playground.

``I played duck, duck, goose and hide and seek and I did a drawing of my mum,'' Ayesha said.