Transition to Primary School

Transitioning to primary school can be a difficult experience of anxiety and the unknown, particularly coming out of COVID when most children may have developed separation anxiety with the expectation of seeing their parents all day – every day. Our professional and experienced educators are involved in the transition for prep children every year as we assist the school and parents from the home environment to school and then OSHC. With this, we have a few tips and tricks to help your little one’s transition to primary school:

Prepare them on what to expect

It’s important to detail exactly where they’ll be dropped off and picked up from, what to expect when they’re there and who they can talk to when you’re not there so they can be confident for their first week!

A Quick Drop off

It can be an anxious experience for both the parent and child to separate to an unknown environment, but they are in the best care they can be in. The moment you show any level of uncertainty, this can result in a difficult transition from home to school. So, keep the drop off experience confident with a quick goodbye. There may be a few calls for your name, a run to the door or even tears, but this is normal! We can guarantee you that 99% of the time, the moment you’re out of sight, they start to settle in.

Transitioning to Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

We recommend meeting your OSHC team and having an orientation at the service before their first day so they know who will be picking them up from their classroom. They may have forgotten that they were going to OSHC on a particular day, so seeing a familiar face will support this transition.

Positive Reinforcement and Open Communication

Your child is going through new experiences every day as they navigate relationship building and learning new skills (social, emotional, physical and academic), so taking the time every day to have a conversation about their experiences that day and reinforcing this through positive language and encouragement can make a huge impact on how they perceive school. This communication should also continue through to the school and OSHC as you can’t rely on your child to tell you everything. So be sure to check in with your child’s teachers and OSHC educators on how your child is progressing and how you can support them.