Early Childhood 0-8

Starting School

Father walking two children to school

Throughout the early years of life your child has learnt many new skills. They have developed language and thinking skills - helping them to interact and respond to the people and world around them. They have built and have begun to maintain positive relationships. They have started to take responsibility for their own wellbeing. They have learnt self-control and gained self-confidence. And they have developed a strong sense of themselves.

You have helped your child understand the world around them. You have provided them with the caring relationships, experiences and opportunities that have shaped their learning and development. You have tried to give them the best start in life.

Now your child is about to embark on their next big step – starting school.

Starting school is a major milestone for you and your child. It is exciting. It is a time of change. It may also be challenging as you and your child adjust to new situations, new roles, new expectations and new relationships.

The continuing support you give your child as they start school is vital.

There are some practical ways you can help your child make the transition between kindergarten or child care and starting school. You can:

  • ask the early childhood staff who work with your child about activities organised between the kindergarten or child care centre and the school
  • participate in the information sessions the school organises for you and your child
  • visit the school with your child so they are familiar with the grounds, including showing them where the drink taps, toilets and their classrooms are located
  • arrange a time with the prep teacher to discuss your child’s interests, experiences and strengths
  • catch up with other parents and their children who will be attending the same school as your child so they can get to know other children in their class before they start school
  • let your child practice dressing for school, using their lunch box and drink bottle and packing their school bag in readiness for their first day at school
  • adopt a low-key approach to the big day by having casual conversations with your child about this next step in their life and sharing positive memories of your own school experience with your child.

Early childhood educators like kindergarten teachers often build activities into their program to talk with children, in groups and individually, about transition to school and will share this information with both yourself and your child’s school.

Transition-to-school programs

Mother saying goodbye to her daughter at school gate

There are many examples across Victoria of positive transition-to-school programs. These programs include a range of activities designed to give you and your child a better understanding of what school will be like. Most importantly, they allow families to start to build positive relationships with school staff and other families and children, which is crucial to a positive start to school.

Activities may include school tours for families and children; family fun-days or cultural events to welcome children and families to the school; visits by Prep teachers to early childhood settings to learn more about children’s learning styles; and visits by you and your child to the outside school hours care service (if this applies to your family).

You can find out more about the programs your child’s school offers by talking with your child’s kindergarten, child care centre or early childhood educator or by contacting the school where your child is enrolled.

For more information, see: Transition: Information Sheet for Families (PDF - 206Kb) - this information sheet identifies some useful tips to help you support your child as they begin school.

Transition Learning and Development Statement

To help the sharing of learning and development information between your child’s kindergarten or child care centre and their school, a Transition Learning and Development Statement will be developed by your child’s early childhood educator in partnership with yourself. The Statement summarises your child's strengths as they start school, identifies their interests, and indicates how your child’s learning and development can be supported on a continued basis.

Filling out the Transition Learning and Development Statement is one part of the transition-to-school activities you and your child will undertake. The Statement has two parts: one for the family (filled out by you and your child), and one for your child's kindergarten teacher or early childhood educator.

In November your child’s kindergarten teacher will collate the information for your child’s Statement and provide you with a full copy for you to approve. The kindergarten teacher will then send this Statement to your child’s school. If you are not sure which school your child is going to, you will need to keep a copy of your child’s Statement to forward to the school when you enrol your child.

More information on this topic

For more information, see: