Starting school is an important milestone for children with disability or developmental delay.
Kindergarten services play a key role in supporting families through the transition. Services should share information and work with schools and other professionals to help create a positive start to school.
Plan early with families and schools
Early childhood teachers should encourage families to share information with their school as early as possible about their child's:
- strengths and interests
- communication style
- routines
- support needs.
Kindergarten services should coordinate a Program Support Group meeting to support information sharing and planning. Meetings should include:
- the child's family
- a representative from the child’s future school
- the early childhood teacher
- any allied health or education professionals the family would like involved.
The group should discuss:
- the child's strengths and learning needs
- strategies and programs that have supported the child in kindergarten
- adjustments or additional supports the child might need at school
- orientation visits and other transition activities. Some children can benefit from additional visits to the school, or an individual transition plan.
Support children with high care needs
Kindergarten services should support families to share relevant medical information, therapy recommendations and emergency procedures with the school. This helps schools to prepare by:
- developing health support plans
- organising equipment
- arranging staff training
- implementing reasonable adjustments.
Complete the Transition Learning and Development Statement
Kindergarten services must complete a Transition Learning and Development Statement (TLDS) for every child transitioning to school.
The TLDS helps schools prepare adjustments and supports before the child starts.
Section 1.2 of the TLDS supports enhanced transitions for children with diverse learning needs, including disability or developmental delay. It captures information about professionals supporting the child. It also identifies reports or assessments that can inform planning. A clinical diagnosis is not required to complete this section.
The online TLDS tool is open on the Insight Assessment Platform.
Share information with families about Disability Inclusion supports
Kindergarten services can help families learn about the Disability Inclusion supports in government schools.
The Disability Inclusion Profile helps teachers and families identify a child’s strengths, interests and goals, and the adjustments and supports the school will provide for the child.
Profile meetings can take place before a child starts schools, where they are receiving ongoing support from an inclusion or disability support service in an early childhood service, or if your kindergarten is receiving Kindergarten Inclusion Support to support their participation.
For other children, schools might ask families to attend a profile meeting after their child has settled into school.
For children going to a non-government school, kindergartens should work in partnership with families to build an understanding of the school’s inclusion supports and processes, and how they can support them.
Suggested timeline
Term 3/July to September
- share information with the family about the supports in government schools (where relevant)
- with parent or carer permission, invite the school to visit the child at kindergarten to observe them in a familiar learning environment
- confirm the school's key transition contact
- begin the TLDS.
Term 4/September to December
- hold a Program Support Group meeting with the family, school and relevant professionals
- finalise and submit the TLDS with a completed section 1.2
- support families to attend school orientation visits and discuss any adjustments that the child may need
- complete any additional reports requested by the school.
Resources to share with families
Starting school for children with additional needs – guidance on preparing for school and understanding available supports.
Starting primary school - ACD – resource page offering guidance and support for families preparing a child to start primary school.
Disability Inclusion: support for students with disability – information about Disability Inclusion reforms.
Disability Inclusion Profile process for parents or carers (PDF, 1MB) – overview of the process.
AllPlay Learn – Transitions: Starting Primary School – tips and videos to prepare for the transition to school.
Support for students with high care needs – information about extra support for children with high care needs.
Find out more
For more information on how your service can support children with disability to transition to school, refer to: Transition to primary school for children with disability.
For further enquiries on the TLDS, email: early.years.transition@education.vic.gov.au
For further information on disability inclusion supports in school, email: disability.inclusion@education.vic.gov.au
Updated