The four-year-olds, who turn five in April, were among 30 Wodonga West prep students who began their schooling yesterday as the city’s government schools welcomed their newest pupils.

Elton and Preston were up at 6.30am, an hour earlier than normal, and were eager to join brothers Ethan, 11, and Logan, 5, at school.

“They have always wanted to stay and play with the kids and sit in the classroom and this morning they were up early and ready to go,” mum Alicia Sandland said.

“They said ‘you can just drop us off mum’.”

But that was never going to happen with Mrs Sandland and her husband Jason on hand to watch the twins through the front gate and into their classroom.

“It’s good, but it’s not, it’s hard to explain,” Mr Sandland said when asked how he felt about Elton and Preston starting school.

“I would rather be at home with the kids, because I work night shift so I’ve got to spend all day with the kids.

“It’s a bit different to most dads who have to work all day and come home and find the kids are asleep.”

Mrs Sandland, who had her first day of primary school at Wodonga West in 1985, said: “It’s very hard letting the last of the flock leave the family home, it’s very difficult to let them go because you’ve always been in control of them.”

The boys were looking forward to various aspects of school.

Elton nominated painting, drawing, pasting and cutting, while Preston could not wait to build a sand castle, plant some seeds and make new friends.

It was not only a first for the boys yesterday; their teacher Bridget Glass too was starting her first year as a prep teacher after spending her initial year as a teacher of a year 1 and 2 class at Wodonga West.