“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Transitions.
Element 6.2.1: Continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing information and clarifying responsibilities
Have you reflected with your team to consider what quality improvements can be made to support the planning for and implementation of smooth, supportive, and culturally responsive transitions where every child experiences continuity of learning and a strong sense of belonging in 2026 and beyond?
As services prepare for the new year, planning thoughtful, intentional, and supportive transition practices is essential for ensuring continuity of learning and wellbeing. Element 6.2.1 highlights the importance of supporting each child during new or challenging situations and environments. Whether children are transitioning into a new service, between rooms, into OSHC, or on to formal schooling, the way we plan these experiences has a significant impact on their confidence, sense of security, and long-term outcomes. Positive transitions build trust, confidence, resilience and sets children and their families up for success. Conversely, rushed or poorly supported transitions can heighten anxiety and create unnecessary stress for children and families. Strong transition practices begin with open communication, shared goals, and reciprocal decision-making.
Supporting children when transitioning to a new room:
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- Schedule orientation visits to the new room to allow the child to become familiar with the educators and the new environment.
- Ensure that during these initial visits, the child is accompanied by a known/familiar educator.
- Implement the transition slowly and increasingly over time, allowing the child to spend some time in their new room gradually before moving them on a full-time basis.
- When grouping children at the start and end of the day, utilise different rooms at the service so that children are used to being educated and cared for in other learning environments at the service.
- Pair the child with another child that’s already in the new room to help them feel included and supported during the transition.
- Discuss the transition with families, sharing details about the new room and gathering insights about the child’s needs or concerns.
Supporting children/families when starting at a new service:
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- Collaborate with families and children to collect all relevant information about children’s individual routines and needs.
- Use the information provided by families about the child’s interests and have these resources/experiences readily available when they arrive at the service.
- Provide a tour and induction of the Service and routines, for the child and their family prior to the child’s first day of care.
- Allocate a key educator to each new child and organise your rosters to ensure they are available to greet and support the child each morning on the days that the child attends the service.
- Include a learning story in the enrolment pack which includes a photo and an introduction to the key educator as well as an introduction to the educators in the child’s allocated room. The story should include details of the process of being dropped off at the service and saying “goodbye” to their parent/guardian.
- Support and encourage the use of a comfort toy/item to provide emotional security in the new setting.
- Stagger transition into the new Service by starting with short/half day stays and consider inviting families to stay during the settling-in period or participate in activities to strengthen trust and reduce separation anxiety.
- Ensure that educators are available during arrival and departure times to welcome and farewell children and their families. It’s a good idea to have additional educators available during these times, particularly at the start of a new year when many children are starting at new services.
- Provide families with an update on how their child has settled during the day for their first few days/weeks to support them to feel at ease and build trust.
- Consider implementing a buddy system, partnering an older child with a younger child to help support them when starting at the service (school age care).
Supporting children when transitioning to school and school age care:
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- Encourage children’s self-help skills to aid in building confidence in their transition to new routines and tasks. i.e. practice tying laces, packing/unpacking their bags, opening/closing lunch boxes/drink bottles etc.
- For Services providing meals- In the latter part of the year, have children practice bringing their lunch in a lunchbox. Encourage and support children to open/close lunchboxes and packaging. Ensure you provide families with information of the purpose and benefits of this practice in preparing children for school.
- Consider planning visits to the local/feeder primary schools and OSHC Service.
- Share information with families about strategies to implement at home to help prepare their child for school (see “resources for families” below).
- Create and display a visual “starting school countdown” calendar for children to refer to at the Service or to take home.
- Encourage and support children to use the toilet independently, including dressing themselves during/following toileting.
- Implement a range of experiences/activities that help to build children’s core strength and postural control. It’s important that children develop their core strength as they will likely spend extended periods of time sitting on the floor, with legs crossed in the school/classroom setting. This can physically exhaust children very quickly, result in poor posture and impact their ability concentrate as well as lead to other challenges within the classroom. Importance of core strength in children.
- OSHC Services:
- If providing Vacation Care in the January holidays, encourage families of children starting Kindergarten to attend some Vacation Care sessions, to help them become familiar with the OSHC environment and educators.
- Consider planning and implementing educational experiences specifically catered to Kinder children for the first part of the year.
- Consider implementing a buddy system, partnering an older child with a younger child to help support them when starting at the service.
- Consider how your service will effectively induct all new children into the OSHC environment, (ensuring they’re familiar with the environment layout, routines and safety practices) taking into account the staggered nature of how children often transition into OSHC. How will you ensure all children experience a thorough induction?
Resources for Services:
Belonging, Being & Becoming- Continuity of learning and transitions
Plan Effective Transitions for Children (In ECEC services)
School readiness preparation tasks/activities- for educators and parents
We Hear You-Transition to school- A collaborative effort
Importance of core strength in children
Resources for families:
Preparing for your child’s first day
Transitioning to primary school
School readiness preparation tasks/activities- for educators and parents
Within System7 go to Quality Area 6/ Modules 14, 15, 16 & 17 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with transitions. These include Transition to School Guide, Transition to New Room Letter, Transition to School Statement, Transition to School Resources for Educators and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 6/ 6.2.1- Transitions
National Regulations – 75, 76, 155, 156, 157, 168
System7 Module – QA 6/ Modules 14, 15, 16 & 17
If you have any questions, send us a note via the Contact page here!
