Narrator

Starting school is a big milestone in a child's life, and a positive transition to school can have a real impact on their longer term academic, social, and wellbeing outcomes. In the year before Kindergarten, strong relationships and planning between schools, families and early childhood education and care services are essential for supporting a child's transition to school.

I'm excited for big school because I get new teachers.

I wanna learn how to count up to 100 million, 16, 30, 20.

I'm excited to go to big school because I wanna make friends and learn.

We use a wide range of tools for transition from our orientation programs where the children get to come to the school, and another really fantastic tool is the Transition to School Digital Statement, where we have really a one stop shop where our educators can get information about the children who will be coming into their class in that year.

So the Transition to School Digital Statement is written in a strengths-based approach. So as educators in the preschool setting, we include all of the teaching strategies that work best for how that child learns, so the Kindergarten teachers can use those strategies when they enter their classroom.

All three of my children have very different needs. However, I found that the school, the preschool, and all the services involved definitely worked together to make their school experience and their transition to school a really positive and successful one. Starting school can be a very scary experience for children and parents, but I definitely felt so comforted to know that they were coming to a place that were definitely supporting them individually and targeting their specific needs.

The things I love learning is split diagraphs. I love learning because I want to be the girl boss in the whole wide world ever, so I can tell people what to do.

[girls giggling]

We all have a role to play in supporting every child to have a positive transition to school, as they start their journey into Kindergarten and beyond. To learn how you can help prepare children for a life of learning, visit our website.

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Michelle Milnes

What a great setting you have here for Library?

Kym Ferrario

We love it. It's one of our most favourite spaces.

Michelle

For people who haven't heard of it before, what is the Transition to School Digital Statement and why was it created?

Kym

The Transition to School Digital Statement is a tool that ensures continuity of learning between a child's Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and their local primary school setting. We now use the new Digital Statement in a way where we begin by sitting down and collaborating with all of our staff, and we really prioritise the wellbeing and the needs of each and every student coming into our school. That then enables us to do a variety of things, including preparing transition activities that relate to that child's interests to get a deeper understanding of each family so that we're able to connect with them on a more personal level. Our Kindergarten teachers feel a lot more prepared to ensure that every single student that walks through those school gates is differentiated for, is catered for in terms of their needs, and already feels like a member of our school community.

We begin by having multiple opportunities for our early childhood setting students to visit the school for all different types of activities. We also have our students come in for what we call Spring into School Playgroup, which is where we open up our beautiful playground and we invite our families in and our students that are coming to our school next year. And it's a really informal time where the students can play and the families can connect. We also then have our more formal orientation programs where the parents learn from the principal and the executive team about what school will look like for their child, while our students then have an opportunity to go into the classrooms and see what it would be like to be a learner at Hurtsville Grove Infant School.

Michelle

The statement asked about the length of time a child's been enrolled in early childhood education and any additional learning or support needs, including NDIS supports, that a child may have. What's the intent, do you think, behind gathering that level of detail to support you in transitioning children to school?

Kym

Any form of external providers that the family has been using gives us, the school, an opportunity to either read reports, connect with those external providers. Which means we're already on that consistent path towards ensuring that what we deliver to that child is in line with what's been delivered to that child before they walked in our gates. And we then have the opportunity to either visit the setting and see what it looks like in terms of learning for that child at that setting. It also ensures that we're able to do additional things such as take photos of their new setting, make social stories and build up all these connections so that child feels a real sense of belonging and that their needs are being catered for before they even come to school.

Michelle

How do you work with local preschools and long daycare services around the completion of statements beyond simply just receiving them?

Kym

We work with local preschools and long day care services by keeping the communication lines open. So when we receive some digital statements as a principal, I get on the phone and I speak to those service providers and tell them how beneficial it is and all of the things we're able to put into place thanks to their staff completing the transition to school digital statements.

Michelle

And what difference does a strong transition to school make for children's long-term learning, their wellbeing and their developmental outcomes?

Kym

There are so many differences that a strong transition to school create for students. In terms of their wellbeing, they already have that sense of belonging because the teachers, all of the staff and the executive team already know so much about each and every student and their families before they even step inside that school gate.

Michelle

What advice would you give early childhood educators and teachers completing a transition to school Digital statements so it's genuinely helpful for schools and teachers?

Kym

To be as honest and transparent as you can for each and every child that's been in your care. It's so important to us to know what each student looks like on their best day, and what they look like on their worst day because that will ensure that we are really well equipped to support them in the best possible ways that we can.

Michelle

What would you say to early childhood educators about the impact that this statement has on a child's first day at Big School?

Kym

The impact is that a child is walking in, they're already feeling as though they are a member of a brand new school community, that they have that sense of belonging, that families feel that their child will be safe, that their child will be nurtured and that their child will be cared and valued.

Michelle

Thanks so much for having us.

Kym

My pleasure.

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