Children reach milestones at different ages – they walk at different ages, they talk at different ages and they show a readiness for school at different ages.  Language development and the ability to self-regulate emotion are two indicators of a child’s readiness for school.  It is important for children to be able to understand and follow instructions, communicate their needs clearly and manage their emotion when they don’t get their own way.  It is these abilities that indicates a readiness for school, rather than a child’s literacy or numeracy skill development.

At KPS we welcome students with a range of strengths when they start school.  Some children can read a little and write basic words, others are yet to master the alphabet.  Some have excellent oral language skills, others have a limited vocabulary. We understand that students develop at different rates and we spend the first weeks of your child’s time with us getting to know them, their strengths and areas for growth and we plan our curriculum to meet their needs.

Download and complete the enrolment form and submit this to the office along with copies of your child’s birth certificate and immunisation record.  You can download the form here.

Kilsyth Primary School welcomes students transferring from other schools and aims to make this a positive experience for your family. We encourage you to book a personalised tour where we can discuss options to ensure a smooth transition for your child as they enter our school. Book a tour here

We have an excellent transition program for students starting Foundation.  This involves regular sessions in the months before they start school.  Click here for a copy of the dates and sessions.  Once they officially begin school the transition continues with shorter sessions in small groups on the first few days to help ease them into school life.  During Term One, Foundation students do not attend school on Wednesdays.  This time is used for their class teacher to meet each student one-on-one to complete some preliminary assessments and get to know your child well.

Students joining us in Years 1 to 6 are paired with a buddy to help them settle smoothly into school. This buddy takes them on a tour of the school and introduces them to other students.  We also have end of term morning teas with all new students to give them a chance to share their experience of Kilsyth PS.

Our Buddies Program begins during our transition program with your child pairing up with a Year 4 buddy during transition sessions. When the school year begins, your child and their (now Year 5) buddy sharing a range of experiences throughout the year including: shared reading activities, lunches together, games outside and regular classroom visits. This buddy relationship continues for two years, until your child completes Year 1 and their buddy transitions to secondary school.

The buddies undergo a special training program in Year 4 in readiness for being big buddies in Year 5. They learn strategies to support their little buddies in the playground with social skill development and as learning role models in the classroom. Big buddies and their little buddies are paired for tribes and other activities, building leadership capacity in our senior students and fostering a strong sense of community and school spirit.