A positive start to school helps set the foundation for children’s schooling success. The
Department of Education Strategic Plan 2021–2025 identifies the importance of supporting the positive transition from home to early education and into school for children and their families.
Step up into Education is the Queensland Department of Education’s commitment to improve children’s transition into schooling through a focus on effective partnerships and best practice approaches to early years curriculum and pedagogy. Under the Step up into Education (2021–2024) initiative, selected Queensland state schools are receiving funding to work with transition research partners to evaluate and modify their existing transition and early years practice to suit the needs of their local communities.
Supporting transition to school
For children and their
families, the transition to school is a significant milestone. This new experience is a time of change that can create excitement and uncertainty. A positive start to school for children and their families supports their ability to meet future educational transitions with trust and confidence.
Transition to school is an active process of continuity and change as children move into the first year of school. The process of transition occurs over time, beginning well before children start school and extending to the point where children and families feel a sense of belonging at school and when
educators recognise this sense of belonging.
Effective transition practices establish positive relationships between children, families and educators.
To encourage these partnerships, the department has developed a
statewide approach to transitions including a
supporting successful transitions: school decision-making tool (PDF, 1.3MB), which provides a framework for school reflection on current transition practices. The tool is designed to assist schools in strengthening their approach to transition and their selection of transition-to-school strategies.
Additional
resources have been developed to assist schools, families, educators and teachers (school, kindergarten, early childhood education and care services) to support children and families to successfully transition into Queensland schools.
For more information, contact State Schools Performance, Manager (07) 3034 5162.