A child's transition learning and development statement (TLDS) summarises their abilities as they start school and identifies their individual approaches to learning. It is passed on to the child's future school. The TLDS:
- summarises a child’s learning and development
- identifies their individual approaches to learning and their interests
- indicates how the child can be supported to continue learning.
The information in the TLDS helps prep teachers get to know the children entering their classes, and to plan appropriate learning and teaching programs. The TLDS is not a report card.
Requirements
It's a kindergarten funding requirement that every child transitioning to school has a TLDS.
Sharing the TLDS:
- The final copy of the online TLDS should be given to the family and then be submitted via the Insight Assessment Platform (IAP) to the child's future school. The child's parent or guardian my choose to opt out of this process.
- The final copy of the electronic TLDS should be given to the family and mailed or delivered by hand to the child's future school. The child's parent or guardian my choose to opt out of this process.
Funded kindergarten providers must report on the completion of the TLDS from the previous year through annual kindergarten data collection.
Educators working in services not funded for kindergarten are encouraged to write a transition statement for any child in their care, as they make the transition to school.
Complete a TLDS
In 2018, transition learning and development statements can be completed via the Insight Assessment Platform. All kindergarten and long day care services have been sent their login details for the IAP via their service email as registered on the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQAITS).
We encourage you to log on and try the using the online TLDS. However if you encounter issues you may choose to use the electronic TLDS that was used 2017.
See: complete an online transition statement.
Who coordinates the TLDS
Early childhood educators in funded kindergarten programs are best placed to coordinate the TLDS.
If a child is also attending other services like long day care, family day care or occasional care, the educators in those services may have information to contribute.
We also encourage working with families to discuss or arrange additional information from other services.
Writing the TLDS
The TLDS is comprised of multiple sections. Educators will complete Sections 1, 1.1 and 1.2 (where applicable), Section 2 is completed by the Child (with adult assistance) and Section 3 is completed by the Family. The below information is to assist educators to write Section 1.1: Learning and Development.
Section 1.1 captures descriptions of the child's learning progress against the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) learning and development outcomes and the Victorian Curriculum F-2, as well as specific intentional teaching strategies to support the child's continuity of learning when they start school.
Strength-based approach
A strength-based approach is a collaborative and solutions-focused way of working. It encourages teachers and educators to consistently draw on their knowledge and understanding of each child's skills, capabilities and dispositions to learning as a way of scaffolding learning and development.
Leading early childhood and school teachers will find they are already using a strength-based approach. Such teachers value children's strengths and differences and communicate high expectations to them. They reflect on their practice and use integrated approaches to build on skills and interests, starting with the competencies children demonstrate rather than focusing on what children can't yet do.
The strength-based approach should be used when writing intentional teaching strategies in each child's TLDS. To support this effort, Strength-based approach: A guide to writing Transition Learning and Development Statements, was developed in consultation with early childhood and school educators, professionals, academics and stakeholders. Early childhood teachers can use this resource to learn more about the strength-based approach and to help with writing a child's TLDS. Foundation teachers can use the resource to consider ways the TLDS will help them to make curriculum decisions about how to best extend each child's learning.
There is also a quick reference guide for summarising the key points of the full guide.
For more information, see:
Outcome descriptors
Outcome descriptors are used in Section 1.1 of the TLDS to describe a child's progress against the five learning and development outcomes of the VEYLDF. You can select the appropriate descriptors from a 'pick list' and then edit the descriptor to suit the individual child and best describe their learning progress. The descriptors provide examples and are not exhaustive. They are aligned with the VEYLDF and the first three levels of the Victorian Curriculum (Levels F-10).
For learning and development outcome descriptors, see:
When completing section 1.1 of the TLDS, you must select at least one descriptor for each outcome. We recommend you select between two and five descriptors in total for each outcome.
You must write at least one intentional teaching strategy to support the child’s learning progress against each of the five VEYLDF outcomes. Individualised strategies are helpful to prep teachers as they begin to plan their teaching approaches and programs for the start of the school year. Strategies that reference the individual child's abilities, dispositions and interests are helpful to the receiving teacher and school.
Children with additional needs
The transition statement includes section 1.2, which is enhanced transitions for children with a disability or developmental delay. This section:
- captures information about other early childhood professionals supporting the family and child
- lists reports or assessments that have been done and are available to support inclusion planning.
We recommend all educators complete section 1.2 to support children with a disability or developmental delay. A child does not need to have a clinical diagnosis. Before filling in this section, you should discuss with the family how the information could be most helpful to the future school.
A transition statement can be written earlier in the year for inclusion planning for children with a disability or developmental delay. It can help with early discussions with the family, the school and others involved in supporting the child’s transition to school. Although writing an early statement is not mandatory, it can be very helpful.
If a child is spending significant time in an early intervention program or with a support worker, you should discuss with the family who would be best to coordinate the transition statement. Even if the educator doesn't coordinate the statement, everyone who works with the child should still contribute.
Information to support families
To assist families in understanding the purpose of the Transition Learning and Development Statement, and their role in completing Section 3: The family, see:
Family Transition to School Resources. This includes translated resources.
2017 Revision of the TLDS
In 2017, the TLDS was improved to make it easier for early childhood educators and families to complete, and more useful for prep teachers in the early years of school. These improvements were made in collaboration with transition to school experts and educators from a range of early childhood services, outside school hours care services and schools, and with input from families.
The revised transition statement includes:
editable 'pick lists' of outcome descriptors taken from the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) and the first three levels of the Victorian Curriculum (F-10)
- a section to write intentional teaching strategies (at least one per outcome area)
- an 'enhanced' transition section for documenting important information for children with disabilities or developmental delay
- a section for the child to complete
- 'prompt' questions for families to consider relating to their child starting school
- a section to record the family's awareness and acceptance of the intent to share their child's transition statement with the school or outside school hours care service (if applicable).
More information about the transition statement is available in section 6.3 of the
transition to school resource kit.