Transition to School Program

Our transition to school program

designed around their unique needs and interests.

Starting formal school is an important milestone that can be an exciting and anxious time. Our transition to school program aims to ensure that children and their families enjoy their start to school and the many school years ahead.

Our campuses provide warm, nurturing and stimulating environments aimed at offering the best possible early learning curriculum, where children can develop to their full potential. Little Scholars prepares your child for a smooth and successful school transition. Little Scholars plans a wide range of experiences to prepare your child for school.

For your child

Throughout the entire period that your child is enrolled at Little Scholars, they are participating in an early learning curriculum that is designed around their unique needs and interests.

Our transition to school program concept emphasises our little scholars’ unique needs and characteristics. We do not lay out a rigid set of skills that may not fit every child, rather, we acknowledge children’s distinctiveness, cultural backgrounds, and varied learning methods.

We firmly believe children who start school with a positive disposition to learning are more likely to enjoy and excel in their educational journey. Our educators tailor their teaching methods to align with each child’s abilities, knowledge, and learning requirements, ensuring an inclusive approach where every child progresses.

Our approach enhances cooperation among feeder schools, families, and communities. It underscores the importance of a collective effort in facilitating your child’s smooth transition into school. This collaborative approach guarantees a consistent and nurturing transition for children.

One of the main focuses of our programs is the development of life skills, those skills which if attained at an early age, will support your child to be a happy, confident member of not only their school community but the wider community as well, assisting them to lead successful and fulfilling lives in their future years. These skills include things such as independence, perseverance, empathy, cooperative interaction skills, fluent and concise communication skills, and the ability to build and maintain relationships with others.

At our campuses, you will find your child participating in specialised activities in their school transition year that will foster the further development of these qualities.

For our parents

Our campuses network closely with their local school communities to establish rapport that will assist both you and your children into their first year of school. We sit on many school parents and community associations and also are a part of regional educational leadership networking groups. This networking is aimed not only at being able to provide families with up-to-date information with regards to each of our feeder schools, but also to ensure that programs we are providing for our children are designed to best meet the needs and expectations that each of our feeder schools have for the children as they enter kindergarten.

These activities may include some or all of the following:

Working cooperatively in small groups to play a game, listen to a story, or complete a group art or craft experience
Wearing a uniform to prepare them for this change
Participating in language group activities either in small groups or in large groups that may be more reflective of the environment they will encounter in their first year of kindergarten
Participating in activities that encourage children to move around the room to participate in daily routines and activities according to verbal teacher directions
Encouragement to show respect and care for others through appropriate role modelling and participation in various social situations
Staff embracing the ‘teachable moments’ which foster your child’s curiosity and inspire their love of learning
Participating in excursions to local schools and exploring the different environments.
Encouraging children to pack up their own play spaces before moving onto the next activity
Opportunity to develop their interest in emerging literacy through the provision of pre-reading and pre-writing activities, encouraging some understanding of the dynamics of language and literacy such as rhyme and early phonics
Encouragement to display recognition of numerals, and the ability to count using one to one correspondence
Participation in activities which allow children to experiment with various concepts such as weight, mass, volume and measurement
Opportunity to practice in managing their needs with regards to lunch and morning tea, eating from a lunchbox, unwrapping sandwiches and other foods
Encouragement to be independent in meeting their own needs and verbalising their needs with regard to areas such as toileting, managing their own belongings, dressing, including jumpers, socks and shoes
Activities which allow children to practice their cutting, pasting and scissor skills, which can be a large part of kindergarten activities.
For our Parents

The kinds of support given to our parents include:

Information nights with regards to school transition, enabling you to find out the sorts of things that you as parents can do to support your child into school, and to further establish partnerships between home and preschool which are so important and very highly valued
Newsletters and information sheets specifically surrounding the issue of school transition
Opportunity to meet your child’s teacher to discuss any concerns you may have, or to address any additional support your child may require on going to school
Information regarding enrolment dates, and various head starts and school orientation programs that your child may attend
Written and verbal feedback with regards to your child’s progress and the provision of an Individual Development Portfolio
For children with identified additional needs, integration support with regards to funding applications and close networking with support staff from the appropriate school
Connection with various agencies and support networks to assists children with additional needs settle with this change
Detailed transition statements for every child to go with them to school, so the new teacher has a good knowledge and understanding of the development stage your child is at before they even start
Regular visits from local schools to help children build relationships.

Here are the top 10 signs of a good kindergarten and school transition environment

Children are engaging in and working with materials provided and with other children
Children have access to various activities throughout the day such as block corner, dramatic play, books and literacy materials, art and craft experiences, table toys such as Lego, pegboards and puzzles and children are not all forced to do the same thing at the same time for large sections of the day
Teachers work with individual children, small groups and whole groups throughout the day
The rooms are decorated with children’s learning samples of writing and documented group work, and the work is valued and presented with pride and enthusiasm
Children are encouraged to learn numbers and letters in the context of their everyday experiences and activities such as exploring the world of plants and animals, cooking, imaginary play and so on are all recognised as important parts of the day
Children work on projects of interest and these are documented and displayed for the children to reflect on, revise and extend their interests
Children have the opportunity to play outdoors everyday that weather permits and outdoor play time is never compromised for more instructional time. The health and physical wellbeing of each child is considered to be of the utmost importance
The curriculum is developed to nurture those whom need more support, and for those requiring extension. It is understood and respected that because children differ in backgrounds and experiences that they do not all learn the same things, at the same time, in the same way
Teachers can be seen reading books to children individually or in small groups right throughout the day and not just at group times or story time
Children and their families look forward to coming to preschool, and parents feel safe in bringing their child to the campus. The children throughout the day are happy to participate well in the experiences provided.

Finally, we know each child grows and learns at their unique speed, and we firmly believe early childhood is a period for discovery, playful engagement, and joyful education, rather than a hurried quest to master certain skills.

Raising the Benchmark of Early Learning Services

At Little Scholars, we’re committed to instilling the knowledge and skills that will allow your child to thrive and succeed in life.

Government Approved
Kindergarten

Bush, Beach & Pram Kinder

Nutrition Australia Approved
Three-Course Meals Provided By
On-Campus Chef

Family Time program to give
busy families more time together

Care available from
6am to 6:30pm

Intergenerational
Grandfriends Program

Qualified Educators

Range of
Extracurricular activities

At The Heart of Everything we do at Little Scholars are our Key Pillars

See What Happy Parents are Saying

At Little Scholars, we’re committed to instilling the knowledge and skills that will allow your child to thrive and succeed in life.

See what some of our parents say about their experiences at Little Scholars

We are committed to your child’s care, education and development each and every day. We pride ourselves on the level of care we offer and the difference we are making in your child’s life for a better tomorrow.

Hear from Kat & Poppy about their experience at Little Scholars

There's a reason nine out of 10 families who visit our campuses choose to enrol. Your child's journey to discover starts here.

Shannon shares how educators have helped bring Charlie out of his shell

Shannon tells us how his son Charlie has built wonderful relationships with his educators, his friends and even his family during his time at Little Scholars.

Matty tells us how Little Scholars has helped his little social butterflies!

Matty tells us how Little Scholars has helped his children gain independence and allow his wife and him to maintain a balance with their professional lives!

Our dads share how their children have blossomed at Little Schoalrs

Our Little Scholars dads share how their children have blossomed in our care!

Grow With Little Scholars

Safety & Fun Combined

Featured Blog

Age appropriate answers to sometimes hard-to-answer questions from children

We adore the endless stream of questions that little ones bring to us every day! From an early education standpoint, we want children to learn at every opportunity. Children are inquisitive beings, and they have lots to learn! At Little Scholars, we cherish this innate curiosity in children and strive to foster a lifelong passion for learning.

As parents and educators, we understand that some questions from our little ones can catch us off guard, leaving us searching for the right words to provide age-appropriate answers. We’re here to lend a helping hand, so let’s tackle a few of these tough questions together!

We don't like to brag, but we're changing the game

A Message From One of Our Team Members

“Everything about Little Scholars is about the children. It’s amazing to be surrounded by passionate educators that love making a difference for the children.”

Mel Excell

Operations Manager

A collection of super simple, fun and engaging learning activities

How to Corner

How to make moon sand

We know it can be hard to come up with easy, quick things to do with your children, so we thought we’d share a favourite of our little scholars. Learn how to make your own moon sand in minutes with a few of these kitchen staples!

Check out our series of The Life of a Little Scholar.

Life of a little scholar

Life of a Little Scholar

Grandparents' Edition

We sat down with our little scholars and asked them some very important questions.

Parent Articles

View All News

Articles

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS): an explainer

So you've decided to send your child to early learning - how exciting! For first-time parents, preparing for this new chapter involves more than just packing a backpack, it means understanding key essentials like the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Navigating the CCS can seem daunting, but fear not! We'v

Articles

Helping children to regulate their emotions

The importance of building emotional regulation skills young Babies are not born knowing how to control their emotions, nor are adults necessarily well-versed in how to regulate their emotions, even after decades experiencing them. While modern society is making way and space for people to feel and

Articles

Children aren’t the only ones who deal with separation anxiety

Parental separation anxiety : what it is and how to deal with it Elizabeth Stone, an award-winning essayist and journalist, once captured the essence of parenthood with a poignant quote, ‘Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go wa

Parents Corner

30 surprisingly refreshing tips to get your selective (picky) child to eat

Food ideas to get the approval and acceptance of your little food critic We're sure approximately 96.3 per cent of parents deal with a child who, let's say, is choosey about what they want to eat. So choosey, in fact, they may choose to eat almost nothing you put in front of them. The amount of

Articles

Unveiling the Gold Coast’s ultimate playgrounds

As advocates for early childhood development, we understand the significance of outdoor play in fostering a child’s physical and cognitive growth. If you’re seeking vibrant spaces that not only get your children moving but also spark their enthusiasm for the great outdoors, look no further. We�

Articles

Proven techniques for boosting speech development in early childhood

For anyone who's ever tried to learn a new language, you can probably attest to the fact it's challenging. You think in one language and translate into another. There are new tenses, jargon, sentence structures, plurals versus singular words, never mind having the muscular movement necessary to form

Articles

Age appropriate answers to sometimes hard-to-answer questions from children

Articles

The benefits of playing with clay in early childhood

Did you know that clay is not only a fun material for children to play with but also incredibly beneficial for their development? What's fantastic about clay is its open-ended nature. There's no right or wrong way to play with it, giving children the freedom to explore and express themselves. Whe

Articles

Reflective practice at Little Scholars: what it is, examples, and why it’s important

As early childhood educators, we encounter a variety of situations on a daily basis, ranging from ordinary to interesting (to say the least!). Reflective practice in early learning is about taking a step back and critically examining these experiences to better understand what happened and why. By r

Meet Our Exceptional Team Members

Subheading here if needed

Melanie is a true leader and role model who has helped drive the quality and educational programs of Little Scholars. Melanie Excell has worked in the Early Childhood Education and Care industry since 2002 and is a university-trained teacher, holding a Bachelor of Education. She’s passionate about early education and preparing children for a successful future. Melanie has worked in various roles in the sector including teaching, centre director, area manager of both small and large groups of centres across Australia and more recently a senior management position in a large childcare company. Melanie manages her campuses wearing many hats, ensuring that our campuses are meeting the needs of the parent as well as the child, ensuring the very best outcomes for all involved. Melanie is dedicated to the early education sector to ensure the best level of care is available to our future generations. She is also passionate about mentoring, guiding and training our educators to ensure they are fully equipped to deliver a high standard of care and education to all children in their care. Melanie enjoys working collaboratively with all stakeholders to create safe, welcoming and playful learning environments in our campuses, which will, in turn, provide an optimal learning space for children.

Mel Excell

Operations Manager

Learn More

Jennifer is passionate and dedicated to early childhood development and is a strong advocate for children and their freedom and right to play. Jennifer has worked in early childhood education and care for almost 20 years. During this time, Jennifer had the privilege of working across all age-groups from babies to school-aged as lead educator and early childhood teacher. She has also worked in adult learning as a Trainer and Assessor teaching our future educators in their Certificate 3 and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. Jennifer has recently worked for the Department of Education as an Early Childhood Officer, followed by becoming the Lead Quality (Pedagogy & Practice) for the South East Region. Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, Bachelor of Child and Family Studies, Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education, Cert IV in Training and Assessment, Diploma in Leadership and Management and certifications in Coaching and the Abecedarian Approach 3A. Jennifer draws upon a range of theoretical perspectives within her work in early childhood education but is particularly drawn to Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory. This emphasises the importance that social interactions have on children’s development and wellbeing, particularly the profound impact educators can have on children’s learning and development through their meaningful interactions. This also aligns with Jennifer’s philosophy taken by from the African proverb ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ where she believes that an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. Jennifer is excited to be a part of the Little Scholars family where her goal is to lead the development and implementation of a high-quality educational program across the Little Scholars campuses.

Jennifer Haydock

Quality Practice Manager

Learn More

Skye is a dedicated leader driven to developing services, providing management to staff and tools to support and attain the highest of quality while helping to create an atmosphere of growth and increased job satisfaction. Skye is a dedicated leaderdriven to developing services, providing leadership to staff and tools to support and attain the highest of quality while helping to create an atmosphere of growth and increased job satisfaction. During her time in early education, she has had the opportunity to hold all positions; she believes this has helped shape her leadership style, as she has an understanding of the needs, expectations and job pressure the comes with each job role. Skye is a pragmatic contributor within the team environment, and believes it is important to work together to set goals as a team that allows campuses to continually improve and strive for the highest of quality in their environments, curriculum and the care that is provided for the children and families. Skye is passionate and advocates that the early years can have biggest impact on a child’s life, and that it is important to educate and mentor our educators to understand how valuable and important their roles are, not only to educate, but to nurture and help each child to have a strong sense of belonging. Skye shares her love in creating inspiring and engaging environments, that allow the children to explore their curiosity and imagination, as well giving them the opportunity to enhance their learning and development.

Skye Ible

Regional Manager

Learn More

Sasha joins Little Scholars with a wide range of early learning experiences spanning more than two decades, from having worked as a private residence educator in the centre of London, England, to working in early learning campuses in very rural areas of New South Wales, to working in all positions in between. She believes these diverse experiences have equipped her with a unique insight into collaborating with families and bolstering communities, acknowledging the wide array of aspirations, requirements, and educational achievements depending on the campus. Sasha believes all of her unique roles and experiences have helped shape her leadership style, as she understands the needs, expectations and challenges that come with each job role, in each studio, and even the communities in which the children live and learn. She believes the best learning environments are the ones that bring joy to children, that are vibrant with laughter, play, stories and singing. Sasha's experience with the littlest learners is extensive, and working much of her career in nursery settings, she understands communication goes beyond words. In her experience, she mastered the art of engaging with the littlest learners before they even became verbal, recognising that gestures, expressions, and emotional cues play a crucial role in understanding and meeting their needs. This nuanced approach to communication has not only been pivotal in providing high-quality, individualised care, but also serves as a cornerstone of her leadership philosophy, as well as connecting with those individual communities. Sasha believes that the essence of effective leadership lies in the ability to listen, interpret, and respond to unspoken signals. This skill enables her to lead her teams with empathy, fostering an environment where educators feel valued, understood, and motivated to pursue ongoing training and development.

Sasha Woodgate-Wheeler

Regional Manager

Learn More