Separating with confidence
Children practise arriving, settling and saying goodbye in a place where they feel safe, long before the school gate.
School readiness
Ready for school means ready for the first hard morning
Kindergarten teachers don't ask whether a child can write their name. They ask whether a child can settle, listen, have a go, and recover when something doesn't work.
What we build
Five things that make the first term easier
Doing it themselves
Lunchboxes, shoes, hats, toileting, packing away. Independence is practised daily, not assumed.
Staying with hard things
Long projects and outdoor challenges teach children to persist past the first frustration.
Getting along
Sharing, negotiating, joining a game and repairing a friendship after it goes wrong.
Following the flow of a day
Group times, transitions and two-step instructions in a rhythm that mirrors a school day.
Early literacy and numeracy
Sounds, rhyme, mark making, counting and measuring, embedded in cooking, building and storytelling.
The transition
We plan the handover with you
In the year before school, the Preschool team meets with you about your child's transition: what they're strong at, what they're still working on and what will help their new teacher on day one.
Where families want it, we prepare a transition statement to share with the school, and we talk openly with you if we think another year would serve your child better.
“The children who cope best in Term 1 are the ones who believe they can work something out. That belief is built years earlier.”
Questions
School readiness questions
Does my child need to read and write before school?
No. Kindergarten teachers consistently ask for children who can separate from their parent, follow a two-step instruction, manage their own belongings, ask for help and keep trying when something is hard. Literacy and numeracy are built on top of that.
Will my child sit at a desk to prepare for school?
Not for long stretches. We build attention and persistence through projects children care about, small group work and structured routines, which transfers to a classroom far better than drilling.
How will I know if my child is ready?
You'll have ongoing conversations with the room team and a documented picture of your child's progress in their portfolio. In the year before school we sit down with you specifically about the transition.
Book a tour
The best way to know is to walk through the door
Tours run during the day so you can see the rooms as they really are, busy, calm, noisy, happy. Bring your child. Ask us anything.
