Transition to School

Preparing for Enrolment

It is always a concern and a bit stressful for both parents and students when starting school, particularly in the case of a five year old who is starting for the first time. This is a critical time for a child as this first impression of school can often be a lasting one. Hampden Street School has given a lot of thought to making students transition to school a smooth one. We have developed an effective transition programme which has proven highly effective in making the first day at school a stress-free occasion.

We encourage parents to enrol their child at school at 4 ½ years. This allows us to sort out class placements and gives time for an easy transition. The enrolment is generally carried out by the Principal who will talk about the school, answer any questions and give both child and parent a guided tour of the school.

Once the enrolment form is complete a pre-school pack will be given to the child. This pack contains a number of fun activities, games and equipment that the child can use to help them prepare for school. Children love the packs because most are very excited about starting school so this special kit is the first real introduction to school.

Closer to the students starting date the school will send you ou a letter advising of pre-school visits to the child’s class. Parents join their child for these visits and they are an important part of the transition process and we encourage parents to bring the children along for three visits.

In addition to our “in-school” programme our Principal and Deputy Principal will visit all the local pre-schools and Kindergartens to meet the children and discuss their progress with the teachers. This information often helps us with class placement and socialisation when the children arrive.

Stationery for new entrant (5 year old) students is available from the school office. For all other new students stationery lists are available at the school office on enrolment and can be purchased at a number of local outlets.

Preparing your child for School

Every child is different when it comes to readiness for school so there are no hard and fast guidelines we can give you about what your child should be able to do when starting school. Here are some handy hints for parents preparing their child for school.