She screamed. You cried in the car. Then you checked the Little Scholars parent app 11 times before 9:00am. Sound familiar? We thought so.
Drop-off is one of those milestones nobody truly prepares you for. Everyone warns you about the sleepless nights, the teething, and the sudden meltdowns in the supermarket aisle. But nobody tells you about standing in the campus car park at 7:52am, sunglasses on, holding back tears from that first day drop off.
After walking alongside well over a thousand families across our Little Scholars campuses, we want to tell you this with absolute, heartfelt certainty: you are not alone, you are not failing, and your little one is going to be just fine!
Here is what we have learned together on this journey, as well as some gentle, real-world strategies that truly make a difference.
Separation anxiety isn’t a sign that something is wrong. It is a beautiful, reassuring sign that something is very right.
When your child protests at the campus gate, it means the bond between you is strong, healthy, and doing exactly what nature intended. They cry because they love you fiercely. Because you are their ultimate safe harbour. Leaving your side feels monumental to them – even if it’s only until after afternoon tea.
That isn’t a hurdle to fix. That is a relationship to be incredibly proud of.
Developmentally, most children between the ages of eight months and four years will ride the waves of separation anxiety. It peaks, it eases, and sometimes after a school holiday, a bout of sickness, or a big shift at home, it makes a surprise return. That doesn’t mean you’ve gone backward. It just means your little scholar is a beautifully sensitive human experiencing a change in routine, looking for reassurance. Give it a few days and together we will pass through it.
In almost every single case? They settle within minutes.
The moment you step out of view, our passionate educators wrap your little one in comfort. A soothing voice invites them into a favourite space. Out comes the sensory playdough. A familiar song begins. Or someone discovers a spectacularly interesting stick in our outdoor nature spaces, and suddenly, it’s the most exciting thing that has ever happened.
The child who was inconsolable at the door is now completely captivated by the joyful, bustling business of being small, curious, and alive.
The tears almost always stop before you’ve even ordered your morning coffee. The urge to check the app 11 times, though? That one takes a little longer to shake. And that is completely okay. At Little Scholars, we believe in nurturing our parents just as much as our children.
We’ve partnered with thousands of families to navigate this transition. Here are the practical, loving rituals that tend to work.
Children are extraordinarily intuitive. They read our body language, the tone of our voices, the tension in our shoulders, and the ease in our breath. They take their emotional cues directly from you.
When you truly trust the educators and the environment you are leaving your child in, that calm, beautiful energy transfers directly to them.
So, the goal isn’t to magically erase the drop-off dread. The goal is to feel it, take a deep breath, and let your child see that you believe in this space. Because the moment they see your confidence, it becomes their confidence.
The very first drop-off. The unexpected regression three months in. The post-holiday return that feels like day one all over again. The morning where they ran off without looking back, and you were the one left in tears.
Across our 17 beautiful campuses spanning the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich, and Redland Bay, our Little Scholars family has held hands through every single version of this moment.
Building the kind of trust that makes mornings seamless doesn’t happen overnight—but with patience, love, and partnership, it does happen.
Come and explore our campus before their first day.
The single best way to ease the drop-off spiral for both of you is to walk through our doors while you’re still holding their hand. Come explore our natural play spaces, meet our wonderful educators, and let your little one feel the warmth of our environment with you by their side.
Because drop-off becomes a beautiful routine when you already know that they are in the best possible hands.
Choosing the right kindergarten program is an important decision for Queensland families. Many parents compare sessional kindergarten and long day care kindergarten to find the right balance of learning, flexibility, and care.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, our approved kindergarten programs are designed to support school readiness while fitting the needs of modern families across our campuses. Whether you are looking for a school-style session or a flexible long day care kindergarten program, we can help you understand which option may suit your child best.
Both options can provide high-quality early learning experiences. The key is choosing the kindergarten program that best suits your child’s needs and your family routine.
Sessional kindergarten, sometimes called preschool or community kindergarten, usually operates during school hours and school terms only. These programs are often run by community organisations, councils, or schools and focus specifically on preparing children for the transition to primary school.
Children generally attend for shorter sessions across the week, such as a few hours per day or several days per week.
Families often choose sessional kindergarten because it offers:
For some families, sessional kindergarten is a great fit. For others, the shorter hours and term-only schedule may not suit work commitments or family routines.
Long day care kindergarten combines high-quality early education with the convenience of extended care hours. These programs are delivered within early learning centres and are led by qualified early childhood teachers.
At Little Scholars, our kindergarten programs are designed to support children’s learning and development while providing families with greater flexibility.
Long day care kindergarten programs typically offer:
For many Queensland families, this balance of education and flexibility makes long day care kindergarten a practical and valuable choice.
A common misconception is that kindergarten in a long day care setting is less educational than sessional kindergarten. In reality, approved kindergarten programs must meet strict standards and follow recognised early learning frameworks.
Children in long day care kindergarten programs take part in structured educational experiences that support literacy, numeracy, communication, emotional wellbeing, and social development.
At Little Scholars, our focus is on creating play-based learning environments where children build confidence, independence, and a love of learning. Our campuses are designed to support children’s growth in a warm, engaging setting that feels like a second home.
One of the biggest advantages of long day care kindergarten is consistency. Children remain in the same familiar environment throughout their early learning journey, building strong relationships with educators and peers over time.
This continuity helps children feel safe, secure, and confident as they prepare for school.
Many families juggle work, commuting, and busy schedules. Long day care kindergarten provides extended hours that support working parents while ensuring children continue learning throughout the day.
Instead of arranging multiple drop-offs, pickups, or extra care arrangements, families can access education and care in one place.
Quality kindergarten is about much more than letters and numbers. Children learn best through meaningful play experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, communication, and problem-solving.
Our educators plan experiences based on children’s interests and developmental stages, helping build:
These are the foundations that support a smooth transition to primary school.
Long day care settings allow educators to build close, ongoing partnerships with families. Daily conversations and longer hours create more opportunities to share updates, celebrate milestones, and work together to support each child’s development.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best choice depends on your child’s personality, your family routine, and the type of support you need.
Sessional kindergarten may suit families who:
Long day care kindergarten may suit families who:
Both pathways can help children thrive when the program is high quality and aligned with a child’s individual needs.
When comparing kindergarten options, the most important factors are:
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we believe every child deserves an inspiring early learning experience that prepares them not just for school, but for life.
Our kindergarten programs are designed to support children’s growth, confidence, and school readiness in a warm and engaging environment. With campuses across Queensland, Little Scholars offers families a flexible early learning option that combines education, care, and convenience.
Whether you are exploring sessional kindergarten alternatives or looking for a long day care kindergarten program, our team is here to help you find the right fit for your family. Book a tour at your nearest Little Scholars campus to learn more about our approved kindergarten programs.
You remembered the sunscreen, the spare clothes, the show-and-tell item AND made school lunches before 7am. Nobody clapped. Nobody noticed. This one’s for you.
Not the written list — the one in your head. The one that never gets put down, never gets turned off, and most definitely never gets acknowledged at the end of a long day.
This is the mental load. And if you’re carrying it, you already know exactly what it feels like. Heavy. Relentless. Completely invisible to almost everyone around you.
The mental load isn’t the doing of things. It’s the knowing of things. The tracking, the anticipating, the never-quite-switching-off awareness that something needs to happen, and that if you don’t hold it in your head, it simply won’t happen.
Research consistently shows that in households with young children, this cognitive labour falls disproportionately on one person — and that person is almost always the mother. Not because partners don’t care. Not because the system is working exactly as intended. But because it is a pattern so deeply embedded in how we were all raised that most of us didn’t even notice it settling into place.
And here’s the thing that makes it particularly exhausting: the mental load is invisible labour. Nobody sees it. Nobody measures it. Nobody hands you a certificate at the end of the week that says ‘outstanding work anticipating that the 2-year-old was going to need an extra layer today.
You just do it. Because it has to be done. Because you’re the one who knows.
When the mental load is consistently too heavy, something gives. Sometimes it’s sleep. Sometimes it’s the relationship. Sometimes it’s the version of yourself that used to have hobbies, or opinions about things that weren’t nap schedules and developmental milestones, or the ability to sit in a room for five minutes without mentally running through tomorrow’s logistics.
Sometimes it’s all three, quietly, at the same time.
This isn’t weakness. This isn’t failing at parenthood. This is what happens when one person holds too much, for too long, without enough support. It is a structural problem dressed up as a personal one. And the solution is not to be more organised, or more patient, or more grateful. The solution is to actually put some of the weight down.
Here is something we wish more parents understood: the right childcare centre doesn’t just care for your child. It carries part of the load with you.
When you trust the place your child goes every day — genuinely trust it, in your body not just your brain — something shifts. The morning drop-off becomes less fraught. The Sunday night dread eases. The mental bandwidth you were spending on is she okay, is he settled, did they remember about the allergy gets freed up for other things. For work. For rest. For being present with your family in the hours you do have together.
A childcare centre that communicates clearly, that knows your child as an individual, that has educators who notice when something’s off and tells you about it — that is not a luxury. That is part of the infrastructure of a functioning, sustainable family life.
The right childcare centre doesn’t just care for your child. It carries part of the load with you.
At Little Scholars, we think about your child constantly. Not just during the hours they’re with us — but in the planning that happens before they arrive and the documentation that captures what happened after they leave.
We think about whether the environment is set up to meet where your child is developmentally right now. We think about how to support the transition between home and care in a way that makes Monday mornings less hard. We think about nutrition, about outdoor time, about which educator is the right fit for which child on which day.
We think about your child the way you think about your child. Which means that for the hours they’re with us, you are genuinely allowed to think about something else.
We want to say this clearly, because we think someone should: you are doing an extraordinary amount. Every day. Often without acknowledgement, often without thanks, and almost always without anyone fully understanding the cognitive weight of what you are managing.
The invisible work is real work. The mental load is real labour. And the fact that it happens mostly in the quiet parts of the day — before anyone else is awake, after everyone else is asleep — does not make it less significant. It makes it more.
You are not failing at this. You are carrying it. And there is a difference.
Not the abstract, Instagram-caption version of a village. The real one — actual humans who know your child, who show up consistently, who make the load feel lighter on the days when it threatens to flatten you.
That’s what we’re here to be. Not just a place your child goes. A genuine part of the support system around your family. One less thing to carry alone.
Because you’ve already got enough on the list.
Your 2-year-old hasn’t slept through the night in 6 months. Before you blame yourself — read this.
It’s midnight. Maybe later.
You’re on your phone, one eye half-open, searching some combination of toddler won’t sleep, childcare sleep regression, is this normal, why is my child like this, and you’ve ended up here.
Welcome. You’re in exactly the right place. And before we go any further — you didn’t break your child’s sleep. You didn’t cause this. And you are not the only parent lying in the dark right now wondering if this is just life forever. Let’s talk about what’s actually going on.
Childcare doesn’t wreck sleep. What it does is load the nervous system. A full day of socialising, learning, navigating big emotions, managing transitions, sharing space with other small humans — this is genuinely hard work for a young child. And when the nervous system has been working that hard all day, it doesn’t always know how to wind down cleanly at the end of it.
The result? A child who seems wired at bedtime when they should be exhausted. A child who wakes at 2am processing something — a new friendship, a conflict on the mat, a sound they heard during rest time. A child whose sleep was perfectly fine before they started care and has been disrupted ever since.
This is not evidence that childcare is harmful. It is evidence that your child is doing a lot of growing.
Here’s something that genuinely surprises parents: sleep regressions don’t only happen at the textbook ages. They happen at any point of significant developmental leap — and starting or transitioning childcare is one of the biggest leaps a young child can experience.
New environment. New faces. New rhythms. New emotional demands. The brain is processing all of it, often during sleep — which is exactly why sleep gets disrupted in the process.
This is temporary. It almost always resolves as the child settles into their new routine and their nervous system learns to trust the predictability of their days. The children who tend to settle fastest? Those in environments with consistent rhythms, warm relationships, and educators who understand how the emotional load of the day affects what happens at night.
We’ve sat with enough exhausted parents across our Little Scholars campuses to know what genuinely moves the needle — and what doesn’t. Here’s the honest list.
If you are months into broken sleep and nothing is improving, that is not a parenting failure. That is a signal that you need more support than a blog post can give you. A paediatric sleep consultant, a conversation with your GP, or a proper sit-down with your child’s educators to look at the full picture — these are not last resorts. They are reasonable, sensible next steps, and there is no shame in taking them.
You cannot pour from an empty cup.
You are reading this at midnight because you care deeply about your child’s wellbeing. That level of dedication — that willingness to keep searching, to keep trying, to not give up — is exactly the kind of parenting that raises secure, settled, loved children.
The sleep will come back. It always does.
But you don’t have to figure it out alone.
If you’re looking for a childcare environment that understands the whole child including what happens after they go home — we’d love to talk. Our educators work closely with families to support not just the childcare day, but everything that surrounds it.
Child Safety & Wellbeing
Australia's childcare safety rules changed significantly in the past twelve months. Most parents haven't heard about any of it. Here's what's different — and the questions worth asking at your child's next centre visit.
If you're anything like most Queensland parents, you chose your childcare centre based on how it felt when you walked in. Did the educators look engaged? Did the space feel warm? Did your gut say yes?
That instinct matters. But behind it, there's a whole regulatory system most parents never see — and it just got a significant overhaul. Five major safety reforms came into effect between September 2025 and February 2026. They apply to every approved childcare centre in Queensland, including Little Scholars.
This isn't a horror story about what can go wrong. It's the opposite. These reforms give you better tools to ask good questions — and good centres better tools to prove they deserve your trust.
Think of it as a professional register for the early childhood sector. From 27 February 2026, every approved childcare provider in Australia is required to register their entire workforce on the National Early Childhood Worker Register — a centralised, government-managed database.
And when we say entire workforce, we mean it. Educators, yes. But also volunteers, students on placement, the person who cooks lunch, the cleaner, contractors who come through the door — everyone.
Why does this matter to you? Because if someone has ever been found unsuitable to work with children — anywhere in Australia — that information now follows them. It crosses state borders. It crosses employers. A person with a prohibition notice can't simply move to a new centre and start fresh without being flagged.
Providers must update the register within 14 days of any staffing change. Non-compliance carries fines of up to $34,200. This is the kind of national visibility that simply didn't exist before.
Ask your centre
For the first time ever, there's nationally consistent, mandatory child safety training for every single person working in early childhood — regardless of their role or how long they've been in the sector.
Here's something worth knowing: this training was developed by the Queensland Government and the Australian Centre for Child Protection. Queensland led this reform for the whole nation.
The training is free, delivered through the federal government's Geccko platform, and covers things like identifying grooming behaviours, understanding children's rights, building a child-safe culture, and knowing when and how to report concerns. It's not a tick-and-move-on online quiz. It's substantive.
All existing staff have until 27 August 2026 to complete the Foundation level. New staff from August 2026 must complete it within 14 days of starting. It needs to be renewed every two years. Advanced modules for leadership roles are coming in July 2026.
What this shifts is the focus — from responding to harm after it happens, to actively preventing it in the first place.
Ask your centre
This one is simple but significant. Before September 2025, childcare providers had up to seven days to notify the state regulator of a physical or sexual abuse incident or allegation. From 1 September 2025, that became 24 hours.
Seven days was always too long. A week is a long time when a child's safety is in question. The new 24-hour rule means regulators are notified while the situation is still fresh — faster investigation, faster support, faster action to protect others if needed.
This applies to every approved provider in Queensland, and it's not optional. It sits alongside a broader push from regulators to treat non-compliance as seriously as it deserves to be treated.
Ask your centre
A centre that welcomes these questions is the kind of centre worth trusting. Confident, safe services don't get defensive when parents ask how things work.
This is the reform that made the news. From 1 September 2025, every approved childcare service in Australia — including Queensland — is required to have a mandatory policy restricting personal device use by educators during contact hours.
More specifically: personal phones and smartwatches cannot be used to photograph or record children. Only service-issued devices — ones the centre owns, controls and monitors — are allowed for taking images of children for learning portfolios, documentation, or family updates.
Some states, like South Australia and Victoria, went further with explicit total bans. In Queensland, the national regulation applies — mandatory policy with strict requirements. The practical effect during care hours is the same: personal phone away, full attention on the children.
This reform came in direct response to incidents where educator phone use put children at risk. The message from regulators was clear — and it's about time.
Good to know: Any photo of your child shared by their educators should come from a centre-issued device — not a personal phone. If you've ever wondered about this, it's completely reasonable to ask your centre what devices they use.
Ask your centre
From 2 January 2026, every maximum penalty under the Education and Care Services National Law was tripled. All of them. Across the board.
The rationale is straightforward: the previous penalties weren't stiff enough to deter providers who were genuinely cutting corners. Tripling them signals that governments and communities now treat childcare safety compliance as seriously as it deserves to be treated.
A new offence was also created: making a false or misleading statement to a recruitment agency about a prohibition notice. In plain language — if a provider tries to hide the fact that someone has been banned from working with children when referring them on to another employer, that's now a specific criminal offence. Maximum penalty: $20,400.
That gap — where a prohibited person could quietly move to a new centre without disclosure — is now closed.
For centres doing things right, this changes nothing day to day. For the ones who weren't — the stakes just went up significantly.
Ask your centre
All 17 Little Scholars campuses across Queensland — on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane, Ipswich, and Redland Bay — are operating under the updated National Law and Regulations. Our workforce is on the National Early Childhood Worker Register, our team is completing the mandatory child safety training through Geccko, and our digital device policies are in place across every campus.
We're also proud that several of our campuses hold an Exceeding NQS rating — the highest rating available under the National Quality Standard. That includes Ashmore, Burleigh, Deception Bay, Parkwood, Nerang, and our George Street campus in Brisbane City. NQS ratings are publicly searchable at startingblocks.gov.au — and we'd encourage every family to look up any centre they're considering, not just ours.
We're a family-owned business, and that matters when it comes to this stuff. Safety isn't a compliance exercise for us — it's the foundation of everything else we offer, from our Nursery and Toddler rooms through to Junior and Senior Kindy and Kindergarten.
If you have questions about how any of these reforms apply at your specific campus, ask at the front desk. Or head to our Child Safety page, where you can also download our Child Safety and Wellbeing Guide.
How to check any centre's compliance record: Visit startingblocks.gov.au — the government's free family resource. Search any registered service to see its NQS rating, quality areas, and compliance history. Most parents have never opened it. It takes 30 seconds and it's worth it.
The best way to get a feel for how a centre operates is to visit. Book a tour at your nearest Little Scholars campus and ask the team anything — including every question from this post.
Little Scholars — 17 campuses across Gold Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich & Redland Bay
Reform details sourced from ACECQA, the Australian Government Department of Education, and Early Childhood Education and Care Queensland. Accurate as at April 2026. General information only — not legal advice.
For many families, choosing an early learning environment is a major milestone. It’s not just about childcare — it’s about setting the foundation for a child’s lifelong growth, confidence, and love of learning.
High-quality early education nurtures the whole child: socially, emotionally, and intellectually, supporting them well beyond their early years.
Here’s how:
The first five years of life are a time of incredible growth. During this period, a child’s brain is developing rapidly, forming the connections that shape how they learn, think, and engage with the world.
Research shows that up to 90% of brain development occurs before a child even starts primary school. This means that experiences between birth and age five, the conversations they hear, the games they play, and the relationships they form, all shape the way they think, learn, and relate to the world around them.
At Little Scholars, our play-based approach embraces this important stage. Through hands-on experiences, meaningful interactions, and guided discovery, we encourage children to explore their interests, think creatively, and develop confidence in their abilities.
We believe that when children feel supported and inspired, a genuine love of learning naturally follows.
Early learning is just as much about the heart as it is about the mind.
In a nurturing and supportive environment, children begin to understand their emotions, build empathy, and form positive relationships with others. These early experiences help shape how they communicate, collaborate, and navigate the world around them.
Between ages 3 and 5, children start to enjoy playing with others and begin to understand other people’s feelings. In early learning settings, they’re encouraged to share, work together, and include their peers’ ideas in play. These experiences help them develop empathy, build friendships, and learn to get along with others — valuable skills for preschool and beyond.
Studies from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) highlights that almost 50% of Australian children starting school are developmentally vulnerable in one or more key areas such as language, social competence, or emotional maturity. A strong early learning experience helps children transition into school with confidence and ease. They become familiar with routines, develop independence, and build the social skills needed to thrive in a classroom environment.
Attending a high-quality early learning and kindergarten program helps ensure children don’t fall behind before they even start school. Importantly, additional research also shows that all children benefit from early learning, regardless of background or family income. Every child deserves access to nurturing, high-quality education that helps them reach their full potential.
At Little Scholars, we focus on preparing children not just for school, but for life — nurturing resilience, curiosity, and a positive sense of self from day one.
You can learn more about our kindergarten program here: Kindergarten
A child’s wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do.
Through active play, nutritious meals, and time spent outdoors, children develop healthy habits that support both their physical and emotional development. Just as importantly, they learn to feel comfortable, secure, and connected in their environment.
Our holistic approach ensures that the whole child is supported, helping them grow into happy, confident individuals.
By choosing a high-quality early learning environment, families are giving their children the opportunity to develop the skills, confidence, and mindset they need for a bright future.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we are proud to nurture, guide, and inspire children during these important years, because we know that what happens early in life truly matters.
We believe that strong partnerships with families are essential to a child’s success.
Children thrive when families and educators work together. By building strong partnerships with families, educators can create a shared understanding of each child’s unique strengths, needs, and goals. This sense of community creates continuity, trust, and confidence, ensuring children feel supported both at home and at their Little Scholars campus.
Children thrive in high-quality early learning environments. Learn more about our play-based curriculum designed to support your child’s individual growth, wellbeing, and love of learning.
Book a tour today and see how we can support your child’s best possible start.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we’ve always believed that a love of reading begins in early childhood. Books open up new worlds — helping children grow their language, imagination, creativity, and confidence, all while building the foundations for lifelong learning.
That’s why we’re so proud to have Street Libraries at every one of our Little Scholars campuses. These special little libraries make it easy for families and our wider community to share books, stories, and the joy of reading together.
A Street Library is a small, community book-sharing box where anyone can take a book, leave a book, and connect through the joy of reading.
Each of our Street Libraries is filled with a rotating collection of books for all ages that families can borrow, read, and pass on. If yourself or your child has outgrown a favourite story, you can leave it behind for another reader to enjoy.
It’s a simple idea, yet it encourages lifelong learning, strengthens community connection, and brings a little extra magic to our campuses.
Reading plays an essential role in every stage of early childhood education. When children listen to stories, explore illustrations, and talk about what they see, they’re building vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of storytelling.
At Little Scholars, books and story time are woven into our daily learning experiences. Our Street Libraries extend this practice beyond the classroom — inspiring families to read together at home and making books accessible to everyone.
Even a few minutes of shared reading each day can make an incredible difference to a child’s language development and school readiness.
One of our favourite parts of this initiative is seeing children excitedly check the shelves to see which new books have arrived.
The Street Libraries give families the chance to discover new stories, revisit old favourites, and create meaningful moments together. Each shared reading experience builds not only literacy skills but also a sense of connection — between parents, children, and the joy of learning.
Our Street Libraries aren’t just for Little Scholars families — they’re for everyone. Neighbours, friends, and passers-by are all welcome to explore the shelves, borrow a story, or leave one behind.
This shared space reflects one of our core values at Little Scholars: community. Through these small acts of generosity, a book once loved by one child can easily become another child’s new favourite adventure.
Our Street Libraries are open and ready for everyone to enjoy. You can:
Every book shared helps keep our libraries thriving and supports early childhood literacy across our community.
While our Street Libraries may be small in size, their impact is anything but. By sharing stories, encouraging family reading, and connecting our community, these little boxes of books nurture a love of learning that will last a lifetime.
Next time you visit your local Little Scholars campus, stop by our Street Library. You might discover a new favourite story — or share the perfect one with a friend.
Take a book. Leave a book. Share the love of reading.
As a parent, you may be asking yourself, “Is my child ready to start school next year?” “Should I delay prep?” “How do I know if my child is ready for big school?”
Starting school is a big milestone — for children and families. While age often guides the conversation, true school readiness is about much more than a birthday.
In Queensland, families have flexibility when it comes to starting Prep, and understanding your child’s individual development can help you make the best decision for their learning journey.
In Queensland, children are eligible to start Prep in the year they turn five by 30 June. However, school doesn’t become compulsory until six years and six months, meaning families can choose to delay Prep if they feel their child would benefit from more time to grow and develop.
This flexibility recognises something important: every child develops at their own pace.
School readiness isn’t just about knowing letters, numbers or how to write their name. While early literacy and numeracy are valuable, research shows that a child’s ability to thrive at school depends largely on their social and emotional development.
Key school readiness skills include:
These skills help children feel secure, capable and ready to engage with learning once they begin school.
High-quality early learning plays a vital role in supporting school readiness. In a nurturing and structured environment, children develop essential skills gradually and naturally through play, relationships and meaningful experiences.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, our kindergarten programs are thoughtfully designed to support each child’s individual journey. We focus on:
Our qualified early childhood teachers (ECT’s) and educators work closely with families to ensure children feel supported, understood and prepared for their next step — whether that’s starting Prep soon or taking a little more time.
If you’re beginning to think about Prep or wondering whether your child is truly school-ready, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Little Scholars is here to support your family every step of the way.
Families may also be eligible for Free Kindy in Queensland, giving children the opportunity to participate in a high-quality kindergarten program while building the confidence, social skills and emotional readiness needed for a smooth transition to school.
Feel free to book a tour or chat with our team to learn more about our kindergarten programs and how we can support your child’s confidence, development and readiness for school.
As a parent, you want your child to love learning, feel confident, and explore the world safely. At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we believe the best way to achieve this is through play-based learning, the heart of our philosophy that guides everything we do for children aged 0–5 years.
Play-based learning is more than just fun. It’s a research-backed approach where children learn by exploring, experimenting, and engaging with their environment. Through play, children develop essential skills that lay the foundation for lifelong learning, including:
Problem-solving, creativity, and curiosity
Communication, collaboration, and empathy
Self-regulation, confidence, and resilience
Fine and gross motor development
Play allows children to take charge of their learning, following their interests and building confidence as capable learners.
At Little Scholars, our educators create rich, stimulating environments that encourage exploration and discovery. Every activity is designed to connect with child development while keeping learning fun and hands-on.
Children can:
Our approach blends guided play with child-led discovery, allowing children to learn at their own pace while reaching developmental milestones.
Unlike traditional early learning settings, we view children as active contributors to their own learning. Instead of passive instruction, we encourage children to ask questions, experiment, and solve problems, fostering independence and curiosity from a young age.
Our educators act as partners in exploration, observing interests, asking open-ended questions, and providing materials that extend learning naturally. This ensures that every moment of play is also a meaningful learning experience.
Children who engage in play-based learning develop:
At Little Scholars, we’re proud to offer an environment where play and learning go hand in hand, shaping curious, capable, and joyful children.
Give your child the gift of exploration, curiosity, and confidence. Book a tour and visit your local Little Scholars School of Early Learning campus to see how our play-based philosophy helps children aged 0–5 grow, learn, and thrive.
At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we believe sport in early childhood education plays a vital role in helping children thrive beyond the classroom. For children under five, movement, play, and physical activity aren’t just fun—they’re essential building blocks for healthy development, both physically and mentally.
Whether it’s running on the grass, kicking a ball, playing group games, or exploring the outdoors, physical activity lays the foundation for so many important life skills.
Here’s how sport and movement shape young learners:
For little ones, physical activity helps build essential gross motor skills like balance, coordination, and strength. These are the building blocks for everything from climbing and jumping to writing and self-care. Encouraging movement early on sets children up for physical confidence and lifelong health.
Sport is a powerful tool for brain development. Activities that involve movement also engage memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. By learning to follow instructions, stay focused, and solve problems through play, children sharpen their thinking skills in natural, joyful ways.
Sport teaches children how to take turns, cooperate with others, and manage big emotions—like frustration, excitement, and even disappointment. Through group games and team play, young children learn empathy, communication, and how to build positive relationships.
Each little achievement—whether it’s catching a ball or trying something new—boosts a child’s self-esteem. Physical play provides ongoing opportunities to succeed, fail, try again, and grow. This builds resilience and a healthy mindset for the challenges ahead.
At Little Scholars, movement and sport are a vital part of our play-based curriculum. We also offer a diverse range of exciting extra-curricular activities that enhance learning, creativity, and physical development including dance, soccer, swimming, and more.
These programs are integrated into your child’s week, offering them diverse opportunities to explore their interests, stay active, and develop new skills—all while having fun.
At Little Scholars, our love for active learning goes beyond our centres. We’re proud sponsors of local sporting clubs including the Ormeau Bulldogs AFL and Gold Coast North Netball, supporting grassroots sport and the families in our communities.
With 17 purpose-built campuses across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Redland Bay and Ipswich, Little Scholars offers environments designed to inspire curiosity, confidence, and growth – both in the classroom and on the playground.
Ready to learn more? Book a tour today and discover how our programs support whole-child development from the very beginning.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
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