Transitioning to a new school, or to school from kinder, is an important milestone for your child and your family. The move from kindergarten to primary school and then primary to secondary school creates big changes in a child’s life, development, and education.
All of you will be experiencing changes as your child settles into a new learning environment, develops new friendships, and spends time with new teachers.
We realise the importance of a smooth transition for children when they enter our school and as they experience changes throughout their school life. We run a series of programs to support children to settle in and feel confident about school.
Good relationships between children, families and educators across early childhood and school settings are key to positive transitions. Positive transitions occur when children feel a sense of belonging and familiarity in their new learning environment.
To help parents and carers find out some of the important information about Northcote Primary School, we will be conducting an information evening. If you are thinking of enrolling, come along! At this session, you will meet the Prep teachers and receive important information about daily life at Northcote Primary School.
The information evening will be held for all parents/carers of children considering enrolling for Prep in 2026. The session will be held from 7pm to 8pm on Wednesday 28th of May 2025 (Term 2 Week 6).
At this session, you will meet the Prep Teachers and receive important information. For example, our approach to literacy and our buddy program, you know, the important stuff! This will also be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding your child’s orientation and starting school program.
To support our future enrolled students, we are offering an oppurtunity for students and their parents and carers to visit our library and start to make connections, listen to a story and start to become familiar with the school.
There will also be four onsite orientation sessions for all future enrolled students. During these sessions your child will participate in different activities and get to know their teachers, peers, the Prep classrooms and school. These sessions are such an important step in the transition between Kinder and school and help to support a smooth transition for your child.
During the first few transition sessions, we will host parent information sessions. This will give parents and guardians the opportunity to meet other families and to ask any further questions.
In December every year, towards the end of Term 4, we hold a whole school transition day. Students have the opportunity to ‘step up’ and experience the new year level and meet their new teachers and classmates. Students complete a range of activities during the day which gives teachers the opportunity to observe their skills and dispositions, e.g., team building, imagination, creativity. Learning about students’ interests and passions helps teachers plan for the following year’s learning experiences.
Our Year 6 teachers work throughout the year to prepare students for the transition to secondary school, focusing on building self-esteem, time management skills, and supporting student to build a strong understanding of themselves as learners. This helps them achieve their goals after leaving our school. Together with the Year 6-7 transition coordinator, our teachers ensure that parents receive regular updates and have all the information they need throughout the transition process.
Starting in Term 2, Year 6 families will receive a placement information pack, including the Year 7 application. All families, including those with children attending non-government schools, must submit the application according to the statewide timeline.
Please note, as the primary school, we play a key role in coordinating the transition process to secondary school but do not make the final decision regarding student placements. Placement decisions are made by secondary schools based on Department of Education policies and guidelines.
For more details, visit the Moving from Primary to Secondary School: Information for Parents and Carers page or the Year 6 to 7 Placement Guidelines.